Science

Refine Search

What is the botanical name for the tomato plant?

The tomato is native to the western portion of South America, including Chile, Colombia, Bolivia and Peru. It did not become part of European cuisines until after the year 1500. Tomatoes are a type of fruit, specifically a berry, meaning they are actually mature plant ovaries containing seeds that are mature ovules. They are good sources of vitamins A and C as well as of lycopene and beta-carotene.

Continue Reading

How do fossil fuels form?

When the sea floor is stagnant, the formation of fossil fuels , such as oil and gas, can begin by accumulating organic remains into a sediment pile. The sea floor is considered stagnant when there is no oxygen present, and it is devoid of organisms to feed on the organic material resting on the ocean floor. The organic remains can be buried faster with the help of a high sediment accumulation rate. Burying the material prevents the action of decay from occurring. At a certain depth of sedimentation, heat and pressure is applied and causes the formation of oil and gas. Before getting too hot, t..

Continue Reading

Can you see Jupiter without a telescope?

The first person to observe Jupiter through a telescope was the scientist Galileo Galilei. He also observed Jupiter's four largest moons orbiting the planet, and this helped refute the geocentric theory that everything revolved around the Earth, which was the belief held by the Catholic church at that time. Galileo came out in favor of the Copernican theory that the Earth, Jupiter and the other planets revolved around the sun. For this he was persecuted by the church, forced to recant this theory and sentenced to house arrest where he remained until he died.

Continue Reading

What is the difference between continental drift and plate tectonics?

Plate tectonic theory teaches that the lithospheric level is split up into plates that move over the Earth. Where these plates meet are boundaries where volcanoes, earthquakes or both take place as the plates rub against one another, sometimes colliding quite violently. These borderlines are known as "fault lines," and earthquakes are most common along these lines on the surface of the planet. These plates do not just bump into each other; instead, they come together or even slide sideways against one another, so many possibilities for movement exist.\nThe theory of continental drift claims th..

Continue Reading

What is the function of dorsal root ganglia?

A ganglion is a clump of nerve tissue outside of the central nervous system, according to Dictionary.com. The body's periphery is the area of the body that consists of nerve endings. An axon is a branch extending from a neuron that transmits information away from the cell body.\nA long axon extends from the neurons within the dorsal root ganglion to the periphery, and another long axon extends from the neurons within the dorsal root ganglion to the spinal cord's grey matter, notes the Department of Cell Biology at Yale University. Fibers reaching the periphery exit the ganglion throu..

Continue Reading

Why is June 21 the longest day of the year?

During the summer, the Northern Hemisphere is pointed directly toward the Sun, which results in more total exposure. Alternatively, the Earth is also at its greatest distance from the Sun, so the energy is diffused over a greater distance, which somewhat reduces the overall effect. The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere directly corresponds to the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. During this time, the Southern Hemisphere is pointed away from the sun. During an equinox, the axis of the Earth is perpendicular to the Sun, which results in nearly equal periods of day and night.\..

Continue Reading

What are the properties of calcium carbonate?

When calcium carbonate is involved in certain chemical reactions, it releases a variety of by-products. For instance, in reaction with an acid, calcium carbonate will produce carbon dioxide or CO2. Carbon dioxide is also released when calcium carbonate is heated. Calcium carbonate can also form into calcium oxide, or CaO, which is known as quicklime.

Continue Reading

Can plants recognize their siblings?

Seedlings from the same plant recognize each other through chemical signals in their root systems. The related plants will share resources and avoid competition in their pursuit of growth. They do this by developing shallower root systems; a shallower roots means there's more room for everybody, as opposed to using up as many resources as possible in order to knock out the plant's competitors.Scientists believe this response may have developed as a way of strengthening the species: the more plants that perform well, the better chance for the species to survive and thrive.

Continue Reading

How do fluorescent light bulbs work?

Fluorescent lights were first put into use during the later half of the 19th century, but it wasn't until the early 20th century that they entered into mass production. It took numerous inventors several decades to determine which materials could be used to create a commercially viable fluorescent light. Modern lights are filled with mercury gas, which is dangerous if inhaled.\nOne of the largest advantages of using fluorescent lights is their considerably long lifespan. Fluorescent lights also require a small amount of energy to create a large amount of light, thus resulting in a lower e..

Continue Reading

What is the molecular weight of iron II iodide?

The atomic weight of iron is 55.84 amu, and the atomic weight of iodine is 126.90 amu. The molecular mass calculated by adding together 55.84 amu of iron and 253.8 amu of iodine to account for the two atoms of iodine in the compound. About 18.03 percent of the mass of iron (II) iodide comes from the iron atom.

Continue Reading
Showing 811 to 820 of 10000 (1000 Pages)