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Showing posts from June, 2018

Animal Mimicry and Camouflage

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s it a twig or an insect? A harmless moth or a scary owl? Animals have amazing tricks up their sleeves to protect themselves, take advantage of looking like another creature or looking like their environment. There are many types of animal mimicry. One example is an animal that pretends to be a totally different animal, usually much larger and stronger one, to scare off predators. The pattern on the wings of an Owl Moth (photo above) resemble the eyes and face of an owl.  Stock Images of Mimicry in Nature Camouflage, where an animal resembles it's surrounding to hide from predators, is a much-studied type of mimicry. The Dead Leaf Katydid is a beautiful example. It looks just like the dead leaves it lives on. Other animals look like rocks, thorns, twigs, flowers and even bird droppings. The King Snake, which is non-poisonous, has a scale pattern like that of the Coral Snake, a type of venomous snake. It tricks predators into thinking they have encountered

Lower Back Pain? You're in Good Company

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If you have lower back pain, you are in good company. According to researchers, more than 80% of all Americans will suffer from lower back pain at some point in their life. One of the reasons it is so widespread is that this pain can be caused by many conditions, some not even related to your back. The back is a complex framework of joints, bone, muscles, and ligaments, that must coordinate to do their work. The lower back supports your upper body and provides sensation and power for movement of hips, legs, and feet. Your back also houses and protects your spinal cord. Stock Images & Video About Lower Back Pain This complexity makes your back susceptible to injury and disease if not properly cared for. Muscles can be pulled, sprained, become inflamed or even torn. Bones can fracture or break. The nerves protected inside your spine may swell or get pinched. There are numerous medical conditions that may contribute as well, such as arthritis, lumbar spinal stenosis, sci

Alzheimer's Disease, a Tragic Future for Our Aging Population

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An estimated 82 million people will have dementia by 2030, according to the World Health Organization. By 2050, the number of people with dementia in the U.S. will be double what it is today, and 80% of these individuals will have Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer's is a noncurable condition that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. A person can have the beginnings of Alzheimer's for years without any visible symptoms. It progressively worsens over time and never improves. Most people develop Alzheimer's after age 65, although some people may get Early-Onset Alzheimer's decades earlier.  The greatest factors in getting Alzheimer's is aging and having Alzheimer's in your family. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes also increase the odds. Head injuries and not sleeping regularly contribute to a lesser degree as well. At first, symptoms may not be very noticeable. Misplaced keys, a lost book, a missed appointment. After al

Plastic Pollution in Our Oceans: Stock Photography

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While plastic has given much to modern society, like inexpensive products and durable packaging, it's also had disastrous consequences. A recent study from Georgia University found that 18 billion pounds of plastic are dropped into the ocean each year. This has resulted in massive islands of waste forming at sea that destroy aquatic life and poison the water. One such island in the Pacific now equals the size of Texas. Stock Images of Our Polluted Oceans The chemicals in plastic often enter into fish's stomachs, making them potentially harmful to the animals that eat them, including people. "I don’t think we should be waiting for a key finding of whether or not fish are hazardous to eat,” says biologist Richard Thompson. “We have enough evidence to act.” Georgia University reports that only a fifth of all plastic is ever recycled. The problem lies mostly in developing nations but extends globally. Major cities often create landfills by waterways where plastic