Sea Urchins and Sand Dollars Are the Round Echinoderms

Sea urchins and sand dollars (Echinoidea) are a group of echinoderms that are spiny, globe or disk-shaped animals. Sea urchins and sand dollars are found in all the worlds oceans. Like most other echinoderms, they are pentaradially symmetrical (the have five sides arranged around a central point). Characteristics Sea urchins range in size from as small as a couple of inches in diameter to over a foot in diameter. They have a mouth located on their upper part of their body (also known as the oral surface) although some sea urchins have a mouth located towards one end (if their body shape is irregular). Sea urchins have tube feet and move using a water vascular system. Their endoskeleton consists of calcium carbonate spicules or ossicles. In sea urchins, these ossicles are fused into plates that form a shell-like structure called a test. The test encloses the internal organs and provides support and protection. Sea urchins can sense touch, chemicals in the water, and light. They do not have eyes but their entire body seems to detect light in some manner. Sea urchins have a mouth that consists of five jaw-like parts (similar to the structure of brittle stars). But in sea urchins, the chewing structure is known as Aristotles lantern (so named for the description of Aristotles History of Animals). The teeth of sea urchins sharpen themselves as they  grind food. The Aristotles lantern encloses the mouth and the pharynx and empties into the esophagus which in turn connects to the small intestine and caecum. Reproduction Some species of sea urchins have long, sharp spines. These spines serve as protection from predators and can be painful if they puncture the skin. It has not been determined in all species whether the spines are venomous or not. Most sea urchins have spines that are about an inch long (give or take a bit). The spines are often rather blunt at the end although a few species have longer, sharper spines. Sea urchins have separate sexes (both male and female). It is difficult to distinguish between the sexes but males usually select different microhabitats. They are usually found in more exposed or higher locations than females, enabling them to disperse their spermatic fluid into the water and distribute it better. Females, in contrast, select more protected locations to forage and rest. Sea urchins have five gonads located on the underside of the test (although some species only have four gonads). They release gametes into the water and fertilization takes place in open water. Fertilized eggs develop into free-swimming embryos. A larva develops from the embryo. The larva develops test plates and descends to the seafloor where it completes its transformation into an adult form. Once in its adult form, the sea urchin continues to grow for several years until it reaches its mature size. Diet Sea urchins feed on algae for the most part although some species also feed occasionally on other invertebrates such as sponges, brittle stars, sea cucumbers, and mussels. Although they appear to be sessile (attached to the seafloor or substrate) they are capable of moving. They move over surfaces by way of their tube feet and spines. Sea urchins provide a food source for sea otters as well as wolf eels. Evolution Fossil sea urchins date back about 450 million years ago to the Ordovician period. Their closest living relatives are sea cucumbers. Sand dollars evolved much more recently than sea urchins, during the Tertiary, about 1.8 million years ago. Sand dollars have a flattened disk test, instead of the globe-shaped test sea urchins have. Classification Animals Invertebrates Echinoderms Sea Urchins and Sand Dollars Sea urchins and sand dollars are divided into the following basic groups: Perischoechinoidea - The members of this group were abundant during the Palaeozoic Era but today only a few members still survive. Most species of Perischoechinoidea became extinct during the Mesozoic Era.Echinoidea - The majority of living sea urchins belong to this group. Members of the Echinoidea first appeared during the Triassic Period.

Americas Democracy Essay - 1091 Words

Americas Democracy The United States of America is a republic, or representative democracy. Democracy, a word that comes to us from Greek, literally means the people rule (Romance, July 8). This broad definition leaves unanswered a few important details such as who are the people, how shall they rule, and what should they rule on (July 8). Defining the answers to those questions means defining a model for a democratic system. William E. Hudson defines four such models in his book American Democracy in Peril: the Protective, Developmental, Pluralist, and Participatory models of democracy (Hudson, 8-19). Of these models, perhaps Participatory comes closest to an ideal, pure democracy of rule by the people (16-19). In practice, however,†¦show more content†¦These features are intended to safeguard against the possibility of an undemocratic tyranny of one group gaining a monopoly on political power. The circumstances and manner in which the country was founded have provided a democratic example fo r later generations to follow. An aspect of its political culture that possibly highlights even better America’s democracy is the religions and faiths of its citizens. The freedom of religion guaranteed to all American citizens has allowed for an incredibly diverse and readily apparent faith-life throughout the country (Romance, July 8). Because there is no one, state-approved religion it is possible for each citizen to find and practice the faith that appeals most to them, giving that practice more meaning than if it were state mandated. The resulting strong religious beliefs of a large majority of the citizens is therefore a large factor in the political culture. American citizens hold very dear their democratically secured right to practice the religion of their choice, or even no religion at all. 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Development of UK Travel and Tourism-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Identify significant factors influencing the historical development of UK travel and tourism. Answer: Introduction Over the years, tourism has become an important part of every modern economy. Currently, tourism is one of the major industries of the UK economy. The country enjoys various tourist attractions that attract people from all over the world. Noteworthy, London stands as the worlds best tourist destination. Thus, the tourism industry plays an significant role in the economy of the UK. For this reason, this paper seeks to determine the key and historical developments in the tourism industry. It will also focus on some or the reasons why tourists visit London as a tourist destination. Afterwards, the paper will discuss the six main elements that should be regarded when developing a tourist destination. Finally, this paper will identify and outline some of the key organizations involved in the tourism supply chain in the UK. The historical and Current Developments in the Tourism Industry The tourism industry has grown significantly since 1945. Today, people enjoy spending their time in different places from those that they have already been to already. Thus, it is the change in human behavior and their expectations from the industry that has brought about landmark development in the tourism industry. In the beginning, the tourism industry comprised of traveling and transportation. However, today, the industry has grown significantly to comprise of not only the travelling but also visiting areas that offer ancillary comfort to clients. After 1960, various factors changed, thereby creating a significant interest among people to become tourists. Specifically, people had more free time to tour places and developed interest for long trips. What is more, the growth in the per capita income of individuals in the U.K brought about an improvement in the tour packages offered by different tour and travel companies in the country. Over the years, the tourism industry has undergone significant changes. Today, companies into the tourism industry offer new and improved tour packages that are customer oriented. In turn, this results in an increase in their clientele. Currently, tourism firms offer their clients packages that not only comprise of travelling services but also the management of everything else that is tour related including accommodation, transportation, hotel and food services, among others. As a result, the structure of travel is classified with the diversification of tourism business and emergence of various sectors within the industry. These sectors include tour operations, travel services, hotel industries, confreres and events conducting firms, and arrangement of passport and visa service companies. Over the years, the United Kingdom has offered a fantastic range of tourist attractions and destinations. Consequently, this has earned the country a significant amount of revenue and contributed to the GDP of the country. In the past, nearly all tourism in the UK was domestic, with the wealthy families of the country holidaying around the UK. In the 1970s, the booming economic conditions in the country allowed companies to offer their employees more time off. As a result, the employees had more time and disposable income to spend on tourism activities. Also, there are various tourism types that occur within the country, among them beach tourism, city breaks, cultural tourism, activity tourism, ecological tourism, and mountain and hill tourism. City Breaks It is worth noting that the country hosts huge cities such as London, Edinburgh and Newcastle that offer a huge variety of activities. Primarily, these tourist towns and cities are built up areas that offer accommodation, entertainment and food and drink facilities. Additionally, these cities are popular destinations for weekend breaks for both domestic and foreign tourists. Certainly, the cities have a lot of history and most museums are free. For instance, London has the Imperial war museum, the London eye and the National Portrait Gallery. Activity tourism The United Kingdom offers a wide range of adventurous activities such as rock climbing, white water rafting, pot holing and GoApe. Beach Tourism There country also boasts a rich diversity in beach resorts during the rare occasions that the country experiences hot weather. Today, there are multiple seaside resorts where tourists enjoy the beach, tourist shops, amusement arcades and other leisure activities. Cultural and historical tourism The nation also offers a lot of architectural delights, history and world renowned sites and museums. Today, these historical destinations include Warwick, London and York. Cultural destinations comprise of Beamish near Durham and Ironbridge in Shropshire. Business travel destinations It is noteworthy that the country has excellent facilities for international and domestic conferences and meetings. Mainly, this is made possible due to the fact that different parts of the country have good transport links and are accessible from different parts of the world. Today, accommodation in business travel destinations is mainly 4 and 5 star hotels (Types of UK Destinations, n.d.). Reasons why tourists visit London as a tourism destination It is important to point out that London is the worlds leading tourism destination. As a whole, the tourism demand in the city is significantly high due to different tourist behaviors and motivations. Demand for tourism Roughly, the destination attracts about 30 million visitors from different countries of the world every year. As such, people travel to the city from every corner of the globe to admire and experience the citys monuments and explore its rich and vibrant culture (Londons Tourism Industry, n.d.). In addition, the region receives approximately 26 million overnight visits each year by people living in the other parts of the United Kingdom. In 2014 alone, about 17.4 million overseas tourists visited London, thereby earning the city 11.8 billion as revenue (Record-breaking Number, 2015). Previously in 2013, the city collected approximately 11.5 billion from tourism and tourist activities (Baldwin, 2015). Furthermore, a record of 58 million people, both domestic and foreign tourists visited Londons most popular tourist attraction sites in 2014 (Baldwin, 2015). Notably, this was a 4 percent increase compared to the tourism demand in 2013 (Baldwin, 2015). Push-Pull Factors Over the years, the city has proven to be one of the greatest tourist magnets of the world. As a whole, there exist various push and pull factors in London that results in the consistent and continued high demand for tourism in the city. The push and pull factors include: The desire to escape. People visit London with the aim of escaping from their dull, daily routine. They seek to escape from their familiar and ordinary lives, their jobs in order to have a more exciting experience in the vibrant and rich culture of the city while at the same time enjoy themselves (Nikjoo Ketabi, 2015). Adventure and social interactions. Other people visit London with the view of having a lifetime experience through adventure and social interactions with the culture and people in the city. Prestige. In most parts of the world, taking a tour to London is mainly done by the wealthy. Mainly, this is because of the costly nature of the entire travel expenses. Therefore, individuals may take a tour to the city as a sign of prestige. Tourism motivations and typologies According to Cohens and Plogs theory tourists seek some form of freshness and strangeness but at the same time need to retain some form of familiarity. Individuals who visit London are often motivated by the desire to explore new and historical events, visit park, visit the theater, enjoy the Thames River, and view the spectacular skyline (Barzey, 2014). Therefore, basically, these people are motivated by the desire to explore and be adventurous. On the other hand, others visit London in order to feel as sense of belonging and they achieve this by immersing themselves with the local communities. Factors Influencing Tourist Motivation Today, there are various things that inform tourist motivation to visit London. These factors comprise of: Advertising and marketing. First and foremost, it is crucial to note that the citys tourism industry has been putting a lot of effort to raise Londons profile as an exquisite and exciting tourism destination through advertisement and promotions both locally and in foreign countries. As a result, people all over the world are aware of what the city has to offer and, therefore, are attracted to visit the city. In turn, this leads to a boost the tourism activities in the city. Popular Attraction sites and Events. Secondly, the city has one of the most popular tourist attractions, thereby acting as a major pull factor for tourism in the region. For instance, the Buckingham Palace is a very popular and desired tourist destination and many travel to London to experience the world famous event called Changing of the guard. Many visitors enjoy this ceremony that occurs every day at 11:30 at the royal residence (Londons Tourism Industry, n.d.). Furthermore, the city is home to the Victoria and Albert Museum which attracts a significantly large number of tourists throughout the year. Located in the Kensington region of London, the museum is the largest of its kind globally. It contains a collection of more than 4.5 million artifacts and objects (Londons Tourism Industry, n.d.). Additionally, the city hosts the British Museum, another famous landmark. Notably, this destination attracts approximately 6 million visitors annually who visit to view its collection of exhibits (Polland, 2014). Elements that should be considered when developing a tourist destination Once a tourist destination has been identified, it is important for the developer to conduct a destination analysis to assess the areas tourism resources and infrastructure. According to the 6As framework, the developer must consider the following elements before commencing on the development activities. Attractions. The developer must consider the attractions that exist within the proposed tourism destination. These may include both natural and artificial attractions. Natural attractions could comprise of mountains and oceans among others. On the other hand, the artificial attractions may include amusement parks, and cultural events such as music festivals. Accessibility. This element refers to the availability of a transportation system within the destination that will allow guests to reach the proposed destination. Basically, this includes the available routes, adequate public transportation, and existing terminals. Notably, the region must be easily accessible by guests in order for it to be a viable destination. Amenities. This refers to the services available to tourists who will be visiting the destination. Primarily, it characterizes all the services that will facilitate a convenient stay for potential visitors. Amenities may include accommodation, leisure activities and hotel services Available Packages. By and large, this factor pertains to the accessibility of service bundles by other firms to direct tourists interests to certain unique features of that particular destination. Simply put, it refers to the availability of pre-arranged package tours for visitors. Activities. Here, it refers to all the available activities at the destination which may attract visitors to come and tour the destination. These activities may include skiing, mountain climbing, rock climbing, white water rafting, pot holing and hiking, among others. Ancillary Services. Lastly, before developing an area as a tourist destination, the developer must consider the availability and proximity of those daily use services that may not necessarily aim at attracting tourists but are important for their wellbeing. These services may include banks, hospitals and postal services. Indeed, the availability of these services would make it easy for the visitors to live comfortably while visiting the destination. Therefore, it is important for any developer that intends to establish a given area as a tourist destination to consider the 6 factors. In turn, this would allow the destination to be highly competitive in the industry, thereby attracting more and more clients to the area. Consequently, this would boost the firms image and profits over the long term period. Key organizations involved in the Tourism Supply Chain in the UK Primarily, the tourism supply chain in the UK comprises of all the suppliers of services and goods that go into the delivery of tourism products to clients. Thus, it includes all the suppliers of services and goods, whether or not they are contacted directly by tour operators, agents or suppliers. Today, the main four points of the supply chain comprise of accommodation, transport, ground handlers, excursions and activities, and food and crafts (Tapper, 2004). There are various key organizations in the UK today that are involved in the supply chain, both from the private, public and voluntary sector of the UK tourism and travel industry. Accommodation Accommodation is one the most important services in the tourism supply chain. As such, it is one of the basic needs of any tourism activity. For this reason, accommodation companies offer lodging and hotel services to provide the tourist a home away from home. Key organizations that offer accommodation services to tourists in the UK include the Apex Temple Court Hotel, the Marlin Waterloo, the Crown Plaza London, the Lalit London, and the Ned among other hotels (London Luxury Hotels, n.d.). Transport Just like accommodation, transport is another major requirement for tourists. Today, there exists various travel and tours companies that cater for the transport needs of tourists who visit the country. These travel agencies are tasked with the responsibility of providing tour guide services to the various destinations that the tourists intend to visit. Some of the main tour travel agencies in the country include Reliance Tours, Trafalgar Travel, and Euro Creative Tours (ECT) UK limited, among other organizations. Ground handlers, excursions and activities Additionally, these companies are critical in the provision of a wide range of travel options for individuals and companies. Often, they serve as agents with a broad range of products to respond to the various needs of their customers who look forward to traveling. Some of the major organization that offer this services in the UK include the Congress Solution International, Travel Bag UK, Imagine Cruising, among others. Food and Crafts Just like all other elements of the food chain, food and crafts is an essential element in the tourism supply chain in the UK. Currently, there are various companies that offer food and crafts services to tourists in the form of inflight catering, inflight retail, airport FB. A perfect example of such an organization is the dnata catering company (dnata, 2018). Conclusion All in all, all factors taken into consideration, the UK tourism is one of the most vibrant tourism industries of the world. Today, London is the first and worlds best tourist attraction city and destination. While in the beginning tourism was mainly domestic, nowadays foreign tourism contributes significantly to the revenue of the country. Reference List Baldwin, P. (2015). Londons status as worlds No1 tourist destination beyond any doubt. [Online] Express. Available at: https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/578619/London-world-s-number-one-tourist-destination-Paris [Accessed 21 Apr. 2018]. Barzey, U. P. (2014). 10 Reasons To Visit London. [Online] Guide London . Available at: https://www.guidelondon.org.uk/blog/major-london-sites/10-reasons-to-visit-london/ [Accessed 21 Apr. 2018]. dnata. [Online] dnata. Available at: https://www.dnata.com/en/catering [Accessed 21 Apr. 2018]. London Luxury Hotels. (2015). [Online] Hotels.London. Available at: https://reservations.hotels.london/luxury/city/gb/london.en-gb.html?label=visitlondon-wheretostay-price-luxury [Accessed 21 Apr. 2018]. London's Tourism Industry. [Online] Londons Economic Plan. Available at: https://www.uncsbrp.org/tourism.htm [Accessed 21 Apr. 2018]. Nikjoo, A. and Ketabi, M. (2014). The role of push and pull factors in the way tourists choose their destination. Anatolia, 1(1), pp.588-589. Polland, J. (2014). London Is Now The Most Popular Tourist Destination In The World. [Online] Business Insider. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com/london-is-most-popular-tourist-destination-2014-5?IR=T [Accessed 21 Apr. 2018]. Record-breaking number of tourists visit London in 2014. (2015). [Online] BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-32812460 [Accessed 21 Apr. 2018]. Tapper, R. (2004). Tourism Supply Chains. [Online] The Travel Foundation. Available at: https://icrtourism.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/TourismSupplyChains.pdf [Accessed 21 Apr. 2018]. Types of UK destinations. [Online] Leisure and Tourism . Available at: https://www.leisureandtourism.net/?page_id=62 [Accessed 21 Apr. 2018].

Karma Essays (2971 words) - Shabda, Reincarnation,

Karma KARMA and REINCARNATION Navigate: Ashram| Gurudeva | Newspaper | Church | Temple | Resources | HHE | Himalayan Academy Home Page The twin beliefs of karma and reincarnation are among Hinduism's many jewels of knowledge. Others include dharma or our pattern of religious conduct, worshipful communion with God and Gods, the necessary guidance of the Sat Guru, and finally enlightenment through personal realization of our identity in and with God. So the strong-shouldered and keen-minded rishis knew and stated in the Vedas. And these are not mere assumptions of probing, brilliant minds. They are laws of the cosmos. As God's force of gravity shapes cosmic order, karma shapes experiential order. Our long sequence of lives is a tapestry of creating and resolving karmas-positive, negative and an amalgam of the two. During the succession of a soul's lives-through the mysteries of our higher chakras and God's and Guru's Grace-no karmic situation will arise that exceeds an individual's ability to resolve it in love and understanding. Many people are very curious about their past lives and expend great time, effort and money to explore them. Actually, this curious probing into past lives is unnecessary. Indeed it is a natural protection from reliving past trauma or becoming infatuated more with our past lives that our present life that the inner recesses of the muladhara memory chakra are not easily accessed. For, as we exist now is a sum total of all our past lives. In our present moment, our mind and body state is the cumulative result of the entire spectrum of our past lives. So, no matter how great the intellectual knowing of these two key principles, it is how we currently live that positively shapes karma and unfolds us spiritually. Knowing the laws, we are responsible to resolve blossoming karmas from past lives and create karma that, projected into the future, will advance, not hinder, us. Karma literally means deed or act, but more broadly describes the principle of cause and effect. Simply stated, karma is the law of action and reaction which governs consciousness. In physics-the study of energy and matter-Sir Isaac Newton postulated that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Push against a wall. Its material is molecularly pushing back with a force exactly equal to yours. In metaphysics, karma is the law that states that every mental, emotional and physical act, no matter how insignificant, is projected out into the psychic mind substance and eventually returns to the individual with equal impact. The akashic memory in our higher chakras faithfully records the soul's impressions during its series of earthly lives, and in the astral/mental worlds in-between earth existences. Ancient yogis, in psychically studying the time line of cause/effect, assigned three categories to karma. The first is sanchita, the sum total of past karma yet to be resolved. The second category is prarabdha, that portion of sanchita karma being experienced in the present life. Kriyamana, the third type, is karma you are presently creating. However, it must be understood that your past negative karma can be altered into a smoother, easier state through the loving, heart-chakra nature, through dharma and sadhana. That is the key of karmic wisdom. Live religiously well and you will create positive karma for the future and soften negative karma of the past. Truths and Myths About Karma Karma operates not only individually, but also in ever-enlarging circles of group karma where we participate in the sum karma of multiple souls. This includes family, community, nation, race and religion, even planetary group karma. So if we, individually or collectively, unconditionally love and give, we will be loved and given to. The individuals or groups who act soulfully or maliciously toward us are the vehicle of our own karmic creation. The people who manifest your karma are also living through past karma and simultaneously creating future karma. For example, if their karmic pattern did not include miserliness, they would not be involved in your karma of selfishness. Another person may express some generosity toward you, fulfilling the gifting karma of your past experience. Imagine how intricately interconnected all the cycles of karma are for our planet's life forms. Many people believe in the principle of karma,