THE PARADOX OF LIFE

Ecclesiastes 12:8
"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Everything is meaningless!"
(Vanity of vanities, said the preacher; all is vanity.)

George Carlin, a comedian of the 70's and 80's wrote this piece so eloquent and appropriate for our times.
This is a master piece.  If you have not read it take the time to read it now.  If you have read it take time to read it again! 


A Message by George Carlin: 

"The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. 

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. 

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. 

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. 

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. 

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete... 

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. 

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent. 

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. An embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. 

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. 

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind. 

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: "

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. "

Psalm 39:5-6
You have made my days a mere hand-breadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.

Psalm 89:47
Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all humanity!

Psalm 62:9
Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.
Psalm 89:47
Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all humanity!
Psalm 144:4
They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN LIFE IS WHERE YOU WILL SPEND ETERNITY!     ALL OTHER THINGS ARE SECONDARY!

HEAVEN OR HELL?

FULL LENGTH COMPREHENSIVE EXAM

HESI A2 exam is another exam given by some schools as their pre-entrance test. The official HESI website has fully length practice exam on:

• Math
• Reading
• Vocabulary
• Grammar
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Anatomy

Click here to enter the site to take the practice test: HESI A2 EXAM 

HOW TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL NURSE IN THE USA

There are currently two ways to be come a professional registered nurse in the USA.

• Associate degree (AS): This is a two-year program offered by universities or junior colleges. This program focuses on the basic sciences, theoretical and clinical aspects of the nursing practice. 
• Baccalaureate degree (BSN): This is a four-year program offered by colleges or universities. In addition to taking the courses offered in the associate degree, they take course in the humanities, art, and social studies to support the nursing practice. 

Most schools require you to take the Pre-Nursing Entrance Exam such as the  Pre-NLN or the TEAS. Some schools have their own exam. Others accept you as pre-nursing students and then you become a nursing student after you successfully complete all the pre-requisite courses. 

Here is  a link with very useful information and practice test on the TEAS exam. You can check it out by clicking on the link below.

TEAS Info 

Both the graduate of the AS or BSN degrees eligible to take the National Council Licensure  Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) in the state in which they intend to practice.  

A person with BSN degree can take his/her education to a higher level. Graduate education can be done at the masters or doctoral levels.

• Master's Education: This level provides advance clinical skills, basic science and research-based skills. The degree offered include, Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Master of Arts in Nursing (MA in nursing), or Master of Nursing (MN). For those who want to be nurse practitioners, nurse specialist, nurse administrators, or nurse educators, a master's degree is required.
• Doctoral Education: 

1. One of the degrees offered is  DSN or DNSc. This program provides a more advance study in nursing and emphasizes the application of research findings to the clinical setting.
2. The other degree is Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in nursing: This program emphasizes more on research and theory. 

With the advancement in technology and health informatics, more people with doctoral degrees are needed. They are also needed to educate nursing students in the undergraduate and advanced levels.

TIME TO REPLENISH YOUR STRENGTH

This is a season to stop, relax, recollect, ponder and take stock of the year's activities,

 Both failures and successes.

 A season to climb to higher grounds and to leave behind the past.

 A season with a reason yet abused and misused because of lack of knowledge. 

It is a time to tap into your God-given strength through the birth of the giver of life, 

the Lord Jesus Christ, the new born king! 

He came into the world to take away all our, shame, sorrows and sins, 

and to restore us back to the rightful place that God has purposed for our lives. 

You were made to be a powerful and resourceful person. 

Tap into your inner self and allow God to empower you and renew your energy for greater things in the coming days.

 May this season bring you joy as the new born baby brought 

JOY INTO THE WORLD! 

MAY THE PEACE OF GOD BE WITH YOU THROUGHOUT THIS SEASON!

 MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME THROUGH. 

RELAX and LET NOT your HEART be TROUBLED!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL MY USA FANS!

We must not forget to give thanks to the Almighty, Supreme, and Infinite God, each day that we have the breath of life. If your heart beats 72 beats per minute automatically, if you can perform the basic functions of life, if you can see and hear, or even reason and think, you must be grateful to your maker and creator. As you eat your turkey and drink various drinks, take a moment to say a

PRAYER 

OF

THANKSGIVING 

TO 

THE ONE WHO CREATED YOU

 AND 

BROUGHT YOU INTO BEING.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL MY FAITHFUL FANS 

AND 

FOLLOWERS IN THE USA!

DIVERSITY IN ACTION

VIDEO ON ACTION POTENTIAL

This is a video produced by one of my students as part of her class science project on action potential. Enjoy watching it!

SCIENCE TEST MODULE 1

ANSWERS TO SCIENCE MODULE 1

1.   If the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution is 1 x 10^-5. What is the pH of the solution?

A.    1

B.     10

C.     5

D.    2

2.   If the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution is 1 x 10^-3. What can you say about the solution?

A.     It is a weak acid

B.      It is a strong acid

C.      It is a weak base

D.     It is a strong base

3. A student placed a blue ink drop in a jar of water. After some time, the whole water turned blue.  

Which of the following processes occurred?

      A. Osmosis

      B. Simple Diffusion

      C. Active Diffusion

      D. Facilitated diffusion

4. Water enters the roots of plants by which of the following process?

     A. Osmosis

     B. Simple Diffusion

     C. Active Diffusion

     D. Facilitated diffusion

5. Oxygen from the atmosphere enters the blood from the lung by ____________________ .

    A. Osmosis

    B. Simple Diffusion

    C. Active Diffusion

    D. Facilitated diffusion

6. During the formation of sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium loses one electron from its outermost shell (valence shell) to chlorine. Which type of bond is formed between these two atoms?  

   A. Metallic bond

   B. Ionic bond

   C. Covalent bond

   D. hydrogen bond

7. When a red blood cell (RBC) is placed in a hypertonic solution, it will ____________________

   A. Increase in size

   B. Shrink

   C. Rupture

   D. Remain the same

8. How would cream crackers taste if it is chewed slowly?

    A. Sweet    

    B. Bitter    

    C. Sour      

    D. Tasteless

9. What will be the end-product of sucrose digestion?

    A. glucose    

    B. glucose and galactose  

    C. galactose and fructose    

    D. glucose and fructose

10. Which of the following will turn blue-black when tested with Lugol's solution?

    A. protein  

    B. starch    

    C. glucose    

    D. fructose

TYPES OF NATURAL SELECTION

In the previous blog, I explained what natural selection is about. Today, I will delve into the different ways in which it is classified.

SELECTION BASED EFFECT ON A TRAIT

1. Stabilizing selection: This acts in such a way that the trait is held at a stable optimum. For example, tall plants in a forest are susceptible to being blow down by the wind; short plants are susceptible to competition for sunlight; so that compromise leads to the development of medium height plants.

2. Directional selection: This acts during transitional periods when the current mode of the trait is sub-optimal, and alters the trait towards a single new optimum. For example, the shortage of food at ground level made it difficult for the giraffe with short necks to survive. The development of long necks

3. Disruptive selection: This acts during transitional periods when the current mode is sub-optimal, but alters the trait in more than one direction. Example: If there are three types of plants in an area, tall, medium, and short, that are pollinated by three individuals. If the pollinator of the medium plant is no more there, the medium plant's population will decrease while that of the short and tall will remain. 

SELECTION BASED ON EFFECT ON ALLELE FREQUENCY

1. Positive selection: This effect leads to an increase frequency of an allele.

2. Negative selection: This effect leads to a decrease in the frequency of an allele.

SELECTION BASED ON EFFECT ON GENETIC DIVERSITY

1. Purifying selection: This acts to remove the genetic variation in a population.

2. Balancing selection: This acts to maintain the genetic variation in a population.

THEORIES OF EVOLUTION

Charles Robert Darwin was one of the founders of evolution. Other people who contributed to this were Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Alfred Russel Wallace.

• Darwin Theory or Darwinism: This states that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations (traits) that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce.

• Thomas Henry Huxley, for the purpose of economics, coined the word Darwinism in April 1860, in which he used it to illustrate the survival of the fittest in economic terms.

• Jean-Baptiste Lamarck was associated with the theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics (soft inheritance). He proposed the "Use and disuse of characteristics."

• Natural selection was coined by Alfred Russel Wallace and popularized jointly by Darwin in their joint publication in 1858.

• Natural selection is the process by which animals and plants with traits considered desirable by them are systematically favored for reproduction. 

• Survival of the fittest is central to natural selection. Individuals that are more fit have a better chance or potential for survival.

Examples of natural selection:

• The sickle cell anemia have low fitness potential in the general population but the trait confers immunity to malaria. So in areas where malaria infection rates are high, it has a high fitness value in that population. 
• Finches of the Galapagos Islands differ in the shapes of their beaks. The beaks of over 13 species is suited to its preferred food, suggesting that the beak shapes evolved by natural selection.

Natural selection can act on any inheritable phenotypic traits. The selection pressure can come from any aspects of the environment. This include sexual selection where the female organism chooses which male it prefers to mate with, or competition with same or other species for food or space.

There are different types of natural selection which I will discuss in the next post. Stay tuned!

EXERCISES AND ITS BENEFITS

Regular exercise helps improve the overall health. These benefits include:

• Stronger muscles
• Stronger bones
• Stronger joints
• Improved immune system with reduced risk of infectious diseases
• Reduced risk of pre-mature death
• Reduced risk of heart disease
• Improved psychological well-being
• Improved memory
• Improved weight loss management and reduced risk of obesity
• Lowering of cholesterol
• Reduced risk of certain cancers
• Lowering of blood pressure
• Reduced risk of stress-related disorders

WELCOME MESSAGE FOR MY NEW VISITORS

Welcome back to another school year for all the USA students! If you intend to take the nursing entrance exam, now is the time to start. I advise that you start from my welcome page and then work your way up to the current post. This means that you must go back to the older posts. There is no way you will not pass this exam if you follow my lessons from the scratch. This is an A+ RESOURCE! I wish you the best of luck as you take the journey through this blog and happy semester!

TWO PRINCIPAL GROUPS OF SEED PLANTS

There are two principal groups of seed plants:

• Gymnosperms: These produce seeds that are exposed (Naked seeds), that is, not in fruits. Usually found in temperate regions. Examples: Hemlock, pines, cedars, spruces.
• Angiosperms: These produce seeds that are enclosed (hidden seeds), that is, in fruits. These are the flower-bearing plants.

Angiosperms can further be divided into:

• Monocotyledons: The monocots have single leaf in the seed (cotyledon) and flower petals in multiples of three. These include the grass-like plants such as corn, wheat, oats, rice, and other plants like lilies, bamboo, orchids, banana, plantain, etc.
• Dicotyledons: The dicots have two-leaves in the seed (cotyledon). These include the broad leaved forest trees such as clover, beans, peas, cotton, geranium, etc.

Seed plants have:

• Roots
• Stem: This is made up of tough fibers that support the branches, flowers and leaves. It also contains the conducting elements that transport water and food to various parts of the plant. The xylem is the plant vessel that carries water from the roots to the leaves for photosynthesis, and the phloem is the vessel that carries the food from the leaves to other parts of the plant.
• Leaves
• Flowers
• Fruits
• Seeds: This consist of a partially developed young plant called the embryo and stored food called the endosperm when it is around the embryo, They are enclosed in a protective coat called the seed coat.

HOW TO REMEMBER THE CLASSIFICATION OF ORGANISMS

Knowing the classification of organisms can be confusing. Here is a mnemonic that you can use to remember the order;

King Phillip Came Over For Green Spaghetti.

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

TEN TIPS TO HELP YOU SURVIVE IN THE NURSING SCHOOL

Nursing school can be very hectic for most people. How do you survive in this challenging position? Here are some tips from the Utica Nursing School blog. Click here......

INSIGHT INTO ACCELERATED NURSING PROGRAMS

The new trend going on in the US is the popping up of so many accelerated nursing programs all over the place. With going on, there is a great deal of confusion as to which school to choose and which one is worth the bucks. The link here takes you to a blog that has useful information that can help you navigate these issues. Click here for more info....... 

NUTRITIONAL FACTS PROBLEMS

Nutrition Facts  
Serving size 100 grams
Amount per serving
Calories?  
                                      % Daily Value
Total Fat 22 g               33%
Saturated Fat 10 g          50%

Cholesterol 80 mg         26%
Sodium 54 mg               2%

Carbohydrates 0 g         0%
Dietary Fiber 0 g           0%
Sugars 0 g

Protein 24 g                  48%

QUESTIONS:

1. Estimate the number of Calories per serving from the above food label.

A. 194 cal

B. 160 cal

C. 294 cal

D. 400 cal

2. Which of the following foods is the most likely source of this label?

A. strawberry

B. Butter

C. Steak

D. Oatmeal

ANSWERS:

1. C  (Use the fact that carbohydrate generates 4 cal/gram; fat 9 cal/gram; and proteins 4 cal/gram)

2. C

QUESTIONS FOR THE DAY

1. A child who is 7 years old, lifts a 40 kg-bag from the floor onto a table that is 3-feet high from the floor. If an adult, who is 25 years old lifts the same bag from the floor onto the same table, who do you think has done more work?

A. The child

B. The adult

C. Both did the same amount of work

D. No work is done

2. A child who is 7 years old, lifts a 40 kg-bag from the floor onto a table that is 3-feet high from the floor. If an adult, who is 25 years old lifts the same bag from the floor onto the same table, who do you think put in more energy?

A. The child

B. The adult

C. Both did the same amount of work

D. No work is done

ANSWERS

Work is defined as the force times the distance through which it acts.

Work = Force x Distance

1. C The force is derived from the mass of the bag which is its weight. Remember F = mg. That is, Force = mass x acceleration due to gravity. Since they lift the same weight through the same distance of 3 feet onto the table, the work done by both of them is the same.  

2. A The work done is the same but the child puts in more energy to do the same amount of work. Energy is the ability to do work.

TAKE A VACATION TRIP TO RELAX THE BRAIN

For those who want to take  a great vacation, one of the best places you would not regret visiting is the state of California, USA. Check out this blog to see what you would experience. Click here!

OVERVIEW OF TOPICS COVER IN THIS BLOG

If you have just stumbled on this page by chance, YOU ARE WELCOME! The are many topics covers in this blog. You can do a search on the blog using various phrases or subject matter. Here is a summary of some of the topics covered.

Lesson 1:	Basic structure of atom Cell structure and function Functions of cell organelles Types of tissues
Lesson 2:	Movement of substances across the cell membrane Acids and bases, pH scale Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids
Lesson 3:	Basic structure of the eye Basic structure of the ear Nervous system
Lesson 4:	Circulatory system Introduction to mechanics (motion/forces) Electrical circuits
Lesson 5:	Balancing chemical equations and writing formulas Essentials of photosynthesis and respiration Classifying organic compounds Magnetism Electromagnetism
Lesson 6:	Interpretation of graphs and pictograms Analyzing and making conclusions from experiments Data analysis
Lesson 7:	Endocrine system Digestive system Genitourinary system
Lesson 8:	Reproduction in mammals Basic parts of a flower Reproduction in plants (the process of pollination Genetics
Lesson 9:	Modes of heat transfer Calculating heat energies and phase diagrams Temperature conversions (Kelvin, Celsius, Fahrenheit)
Lesson 10:	Gas laws (Boyle, Charles, Gay-Lussac) Types of energy (Potential, kinetic, etc…..) Chemical bonds, equilibrium and equilibrium constants Mixtures, types of solutions, solubility
Lesson 11:	Concepts of the food pyramid, food web and food chain Light (diffraction, refraction, reflection, dispersion) Basic concepts on waves Sound waves Catalyst and enzymes
Lesson 12:	Symbiosis Ecology The Electroscope Radioactivity and half-life Tropism Tropism

RELATIVE ATOMIC MASS QUESTIONS

Question 1:
Calculate the relative atomic mass of silver if it occurs naturally as 51.84% silver-107 and 48.18% silver-109.

Solution:
Relative atomic mass = 0.5184 (107) + 0.4816 (109)
Relative atomic mass = 107.96

Question 2:
Calculate the relative abundance of each isotope of copper if it consists of two isotopes, copper-63 and copper-65. Its relative atomic mass is 63.62.

Solution:
Let Abundance of copper-63 = x
Then, Abundance of copper-65 = 1-x

Relative atomic mass = 63x + 65(1-x)
                                      63x + 65(1-x) = 63.62
                                       x = 0.69
That is, 69% of copper-63 and 31% of copper-65

THE MASS SPECTROMETER

The mass spectrometer is an instrument used for analyzing samples of elements and compounds. It consists of six basic stages: Injection, Vaporization,  Ionization, Acceleration, Deflection, and  Detection.

Click to view a diagram of the mass spectrometer.

• The sample is injected into the instrument.
•  It may be vaporized by heating. 
• The vaporized sample is then passed into an ionizing beam of electrons which knock electrons off the sample to create positive ions.
• These positive ions are then accelerated by some electrostatically charged plates into a magnetic field.
• The magnetic field then deflects the particles according to their mass/charge ratio.
• The deflected ions then arrive at the detector.

You can test yourself on the atomiser by clicking this link. It is a timed quiz.

REDOX REACTIONS=OXIDATION + REDUCTION

There are many definitions of oxidation.
1. It is the addition of oxygen to a substance.
2. It is the removal of hydrogen from a substance.
3. It is also the increase in the oxidation state of an element or molecule.
4. It can also be defined as the loss of electrons.

Examples of oxidation:

•  Oxygen-based cleaners use oxidation process for their actions.
• The sterilizing powers of hydrogen peroxide is based on oxidation. 
•  A rusty car is due to oxidation.
•  Browned fruit has oxidation to blame. 

There are many definitions of reduction.
1. It is the removal of oxygen from a substance.
2. It is the  addition of hydrogen to a substance.
3. It is also the decrease in the oxidation state of an element or molecule.
4. It can also be defined as the gain of electrons.

Most of the time, oxidation occurs in tandem with reduction. This is called redox reaction. It comes from oxidation-reduction.  One atom or compound steals electrons from another atom or compound.

Rusting is a classic example of a redox reaction. When rusting happens, oxygen steals electrons from iron. Oxygen is reduced while iron gets oxidized. The resulting compound is called iron oxide, or rust. 

VARIOUS BIOLOGY TOPICS

If you are interested in learning more about various topics in biology. Click to check this website. The information here is more detailed than what you may need to know for the pre-nursing entrance exam but it is worth knowing some of them.

THANKS FOR MAKING THIS SITE THE BEST BLOG!

Many thanks to you for visiting my blog and making it the best site ever!

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or 
clicking on some of the associated ads.

Keep this site alive and spread the word about the usefulness of this blog!

PROPERTIES OF MATTER

Matter is anything that occupies space and has mass. There are three states of matter:

•  solid
•  liquid
• gas. 

Matter can be classified according to two properties:

•  physical (properties observed without changing the composition of the substance)
•  chemical (properties that describe the tendency of a substance to undergo chemical reactions that change its chemical composition)

Physical properties can be described as:

• intensive or 
• extensive. 

What is an intensive property?

Intensive properties are the same for all samples and do not depend on sample size. Examples: color, physical state, melting and boiling points, optical density. 

What is an extensive property?

Extensive properties depend on the amount of material. and include mass and volume. 

The ratio of two extensive properties, mass and volume, is an important intensive property called density.

What is a physical change?
A physical change involves the conversion of a substance from one state of matter to another, without changing its chemical composition. 

Most matter consists of mixtures of pure substances, which can be:

•  homogeneous (uniform in composition) or 
• heterogeneous (different regions possess different compositions and properties). 

What is a pure substance?
Pure substances can be either chemical compounds or elements. 

What is the difference between a compound and an element?
Compounds can be broken down into elements by chemical reactions, but elements cannot be separated into simpler substances by chemical means.   

Read more by clicking on this link.