The Fish Produced by Welch's

Further to the questions spawned by my Central American vacation; I had a look at a jellyfish, this got me thinking. I know that jellyfish are invertebrates and are completely see-through, but how do they know what to do to survive? So, today’s question is: do jellyfish have brains?

A:
Jellyfish do not have a brain or a central nervous system, yet they function on an elementary nerve net. They have limited control of movement and generally are pushed along with the ocean currents, however can propel themselves through contractions of their body. Jellyfish eat by collecting small fish, plankton and microbial organisms as they swim; they use their tentacles to sweep food into their mouths.

Sources:

How Stuff Works: Jellyfish

Wikipedia: Jellyfish

Coral coloured Coral

Part of the reason that I have fallen so behind on writing and researching is because I went on holiday to Belize. I stayed in San Pedro – that’s right, Madonna’s La Isla Bonita! – and it was the most beautiful piece of paradise that I have ever seen. I snorkelled for the first time while there, and experienced the wondrous world under the sea. This spawned new questions. Today’s question is: what is coral bleaching?

A:
Coral bleaching is the whitening of corals due to stress. The skeletal structure of corals are white, but are usually covered with tiny plants called zooxanthellae algae, which provides colouration. The algae are photosynthetic and provide nutrients to the coral’s soft tissue.

If rate of photosynthetic production is too high, the coral will begin to expel some of the algae on its own, this is still considered bleaching. However, when corals experience stress on their environment, more zooxanthellae is expelled than normal, exposing the skeletal structure. Coral reefs can recover from bleaching, however it can take months to build up the same amount of algae and sometimes there is no recovery and whole reefs die off.

There are a number of triggers including: increased water temperatures, increased UV rays, changes in ocean current, increased sedimentation and low tide/wind exposure.

Thankfully, the reef in Belize has been well preserved and has not experienced extensive bleaching. Belize is very eco-friendly and provide all tourists with precise instruction on how to ensure that their reefs and marine life stay healthy.

Sources:
About.com: Coral Bleaching
Wikipedia: Coral Bleaching

BACK-hic IN-hic THE-hic SADDLE-hic

I have taken quite the hiatus, haven't I? I fear that all of my faithful readers - yes all three of you - will have dropped off because of this. I have been extremely busy, but have vowed to continue my quest for genius - MENSA here I come!

I have built up a list of questions throughout my days and have much to research. So let's get on it! Today's question is: what causes hiccups?

A:
A hiccup is an involuntary spasm or contraction of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen, underneath the ribcage, and has a key function in breathing. The sudden rush of air into the lungs causes the epiglottis to close, creating that "hic" sound. The epiglottis is an elastic cartilage flap attached to the root of the tongue. There are a number of causes of hiccups including: eating a large meal, eating too quickly, drinking alcohol or anything that causes irritation and compression of the diaphragm.

Hiccups usually go away on their own, however there a number of anecdotal remedies including,
scaring the person, drinking water from the wrong side of a cup, standing on your head and altering one's breath. Persistent hiccups lasting more than 48-hours should seek medical treatment.

Sources:
Beyond Biology: Why do people hiccup?
Medical News Today: What are Hiccups?

Nuggies

I tend to have a late night ritual -- one that I am not proud of. I have a tendency, particularly when out late with friends, to take the subway home and stop off at McDonald's. My poison of choice is always a 6 piece McNugget meal with sweet and sour sauce. Lately, I have noticed that I will wake up in the morning feeling bloated and sluggish and have vowed to stop my consumption of this deep fried, high fat, questionable food choice. To do so, today's question is: How many calories in McDonald's Chicken Nuggets?

A: I am utterly disgusted with myself! The McNuggets alone are 310 calories and 21 grams of fat. However, a combo meal includes fries, sauce and a drink. Just as an aside, I may have a fondness for fast food, but I am not a big soda drinker; so I will get the drink that is included, but I usually pour it down the sink. The total calories in an entire 6 piece McNugget meal (including a soft drink) is 930 calories! That is more than half my allotted daily calories! No more nuggies for me!

Getting Inked

March 20, 2010

This morning, my roommate got up early to have a portion of her tattoo filled in. She is working on her third tattoo, which is situated on her entire thigh and works its way up onto her hip and portrays the decay of love, agony of hope and emptiness of faith – so it’s a cheerful piece of art. Today’s question is: how deep does tattoo ink penetrate?

A:
There are three layers to the skin. The epidermis, which is the outer layer of skin, that is wonderful and soft to touch, and protects us from eternal elements. This is the layer that is easily shed and is constantly renewed. The second layer of skin is called the dermis. This layer contains blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles and sweat glands. The deepest layer is called the hypodermis, which is responsible for the body’s temperature control.

When someone gets tattooed, the ink is injected into the dermis, which is between 1 mm and 3 mm below the epidermis dependant on which area of the body is being tattooed. The ink is deposited in the dermis because skin cells shed at a much slower rate than the epidermis layers closer to the surface thus explaining why tattoos can remain in the skin a lifetime. Most tattoo artists know how deep to drive the needle into your skin, but not going deep enough will produce a ragged tattoo, and going too deep can cause bleeding and intense pain.

Sources:
Kids Health
Zimbo Magazine

Rockin' Robin

March 19, 2010

The temperature has slowly been creeping up and I have seen the first sign of spring – the red breasted robin. I can remember when I was younger, I saved a Christmas card that had a picture of a robin in the snow and it got me thinking. Today’s question is: Do robins migrate during the winter months?

A:
Robins can survive winter temperatures however their diets consist mainly of worms, berries and nuts, which are not abundant when the ground is frozen. Therefore, the majority of robins migrate to the southern costal provinces of Canada and the south-central United States. They are known to go as far as Texas, Florida and Mexico.

Robins generally begin to fly north in March to begin breeding, yet have been known to linger in the United States if the food supply is plentiful. Robins tend to return to the same breeding location year after year. So, it looks like Frank and Franca in our yard this year are the same couple as the year before – they are like neighbours who take an extended winter holiday.


Sources:
Hinterland Who’s Who
Journey North- Winter: Where are our Robins?

Get me a coffee, quick!

March 18, 2010

After my many Guinness’s and a very late night, I was in desperate need of a coffee. Well, actually, I would have like to throw a sicky, as I was in desperate need of some more sleep and perhaps a big breakfast fry-up. In any case, I complained to someone and they grabbed the nearest person, ordering “Get this woman a coffee, stat.” This got me wondering, I hear medical doctors on telly saying this all the time, and I have deduced what it means, but in any case, today’s question is: what does the word ‘stat’ mean?

A:
The word 'stat' is from the Latin word 'statim', which means immediately. It is more than likely used because modern medication got a good deal of its terminology from Latin, although most modern doctors just use 'now'.

Source:
The Straight Dope