Other Biological Organisms

In recent years an increasing of reports have been made regarding ectopic cal-cificahons (pathological biomineralization) that involve calcium phosphate [50] and lead to conditions such as urinary stones, atherosclerosis, dental calculus and calcified menisci. One reverse pathological biomineraUzation related to calcium phosphate is that of osteoporosis, which results from an excessive degradation of the calcium phosphate crystals of bone. 

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A large, sealed fish tank - consisting of 20 m of water, 10 m of air, 1 m of sediment, and 0.2 m of fish and other biological organisms - has 100 g of benzene accidentally spilled into it. What will be the eventual (equilibrium) concentrations and mass in each phase The fraction of organic carbon in the sediments has been determined to be 0.01. The density of the sediments has been determined to be 2g/cm. The octanol-water partitioning coefficient for benzene is 138. 

Like water, arsenic in contaminated soils, sediments, and even solid wastes may be treated with plants, fungi, bacteria, or other biological organisms. The applications, limitations, and advantages of biological treatment methods with solid materials are often similar to those with water. To be exact, many bioremediation methods are designed to simultaneously treat contaminants in soils, sediments, and water (e.g. phytoremediation). 

Throughout history, various types of pests, such as insects, weeds, bacteria, rodents, and other biological organisms, have bothered humans or threatened human health. People have been nsing pesticides for thousands of years to try to control these pests. The Snmerians used sulfur to control insects and mites 5,000 years ago. The Chinese used mercury and arsenic compotmds to control body lice and other pests. The Greeks and Romans used oil, ash, sulfur, and other materials to protect themselves, their hvestock, and their crops from various pests. And people in various cultures have used smoke, salt, spices, and insect-repelling plants to preserve food and keep pests away. 

The human body and other biological organisms are constantly forming and hydrolyzing a variety of esters. The catalysts used in these cellular processes are very efficient protein catalysts called enzymes (Chapter 10). Animal fats and vegetable oils are esters. Their enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis is an important process that takes place when they are digested. 

According to the AIHA Biohazards Committee, a biohazardous agent is one that is biological in nature, capable of self-repHcation and has the capacity to produce deleterious effects upon other biological organisms, particularly humans (AIHA 1986). The four broad classes of microorganisms that can interact with humans are bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoan parasites. 

The posterior lobe of the pituitary, ie, the neurohypophysis, is under direct nervous control (1), unlike most other endocrine organs. The hormones stored in this gland are formed in hypothalamic nerve cells but pass through nerve stalks into the posterior pituitary. As early as 1895 it was found that pituitrin [50-57-7] an extract of the posterior lobe, raises blood pressure when injected (2), and that Pitocin [50-56-6] (Parke-Davis) causes contractions of smooth muscle, especially in the utems (3). Isolation of the active materials involved in these extracts is the result of work from several laboratories. Several highly active posterior pituitary extracts have been discovered (4), and it has been deterrnined that their biological activities result from peptide hormones, ie, low molecular weight substances not covalendy linked to proteins (qv) (5). 

Recovery of Riologieal Conversion Products Biological conversion produces that can be derived from solid wastes include compost, methane, various proteins and alcohols, and a variety of other intermediate organic compounds. The principal processes that have been used are reported in Table 25-64. Composting and anaerobic digestion, the two most highly developed processes, are considered further. The recovery of gas from landfills is discussed in the portion of this sec tion dealing with ultimate disposal. 

Logical depth is thus consistent with our intuitive understanding of complexity. A complex biological organism is deep precisely because it requires a long and complex computation to describe. On the other hand, a regularly arranged crystal is... 

In general, diagnostic tests that look for a particular protein of interest use biologically derived antibodies, usually from mice. However, proteins, DNA, RNA, and other biologicals may be derived from a variety of organisms like bacteria, yeast, plants, and other mammals for use as diagnostics. 

The perceived sensitivity of plant cells to the hydrodynamic stress associated with aeration and agitation conditions is typically attributed to the physical characteristics of the suspended cells, namely their size, the presence of a cell wall, the existence of a large vacuole, and their tendency to aggregate. Table 1 illustrates some of the differences between plant cells and other biological systems. Chalmers [19] attributed shear sensitivity in mammalian cultures at least in part to the fact that these cells occur naturally as part of a tissue, surrounded by other cells. The same is true for plant cells. The more robust microbial systems, on the other hand, exist in nature as single organisms or mycelial structures, very close to the forms they assume in submerged culture. 

The Qxo, or temperature coefficient, is the factor by which the rate of a biologic process increases for a 10 °C increase in temperature. For the temperatures over which enzymes are stable, the rates of most biologic processes typically double for a 10 °C rise in temperature (Qjo = 2). Changes in the rates of enzyme-catalyzed reactions that accompany a rise or fall in body temperature constitute a prominent survival feature for cold-blooded life forms such as lizards or fish, whose body temperatures are dictated by the external environment. However, for mammals and other homeothermic organisms, changes in enzyme reaction rates with temperature assume physiologic importance only in circumstances such as fever or hypothermia. 

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