BENEFITS OF EXERCISE

Regular exercise helps improve the overall health. These benefits include:

• Stronger muscles
• Stronger bones
• Stronger joints
• Improved immune system with reduced risk of infectious diseases
• Reduced risk of pre-mature death
• Reduced risk of heart disease
• Improved psychological well-being
• Improved memory
• Improved weight loss management and reduced risk of obesity
• Lowering of cholesterol
• Reduced risk of certain cancers
• Lowering of blood pressure
• Reduced risk of stress-related disorders

THE FERTILIZATION PROCESS IN PLANTS

Pollination occurs when pollen is deposited on the stigma (in angiosperms) or the ovule (in gymnosperms ).

• Gymnosperms are a group of plants that share one common characteristic: they bear seeds, but their seeds do not develop within an ovary.
• Angiosperms are vascular seed plants in which the ovule (egg) is fertilized and develops into a seed in an enclosed hollow ovary. 

The pollen germinates through a weakening in the pollen wall by forming a slender pollen tube that elongates through its "tip extension" to penetrating between cells of the host parent. Within the pollen tube, two non-motile sperm cells are ultimately formed and are conveyed through the tube, keeping pace with tip growth. The pollen tube uses chemotropic signals to determine the final pathway to the egg cell, deep within the ovule. In angiosperms, pollen tubes penetrate the stigma, style, and ovary until they are amid the ovules. In gymnosperms, pollen germinates directly on the ovule. Pollen tubes enter ovules through a tiny pore called the micropyle and then elongate into the female gametophyte (called the embryo sac in angiosperms). In gymnosperms, the pollen tube directly penetrates the egg cell, but in angiosperms, there are sterile cells in the embryo sac, called synergids, that initially receive the sperm.

At this point, one sperm cell is discharged from the pollen tube and fuses, with the egg cell to form the zygote (the immediate fusion product) and subsequent embryo, which will become the offspring plant. In angiosperms, the second sperm fuses with the central cell to form a nutritive endosperm during double fertilization . The endosperm is needed for successful embryo development.

PRINCIPAL GROUPS OF SEED PLANTS

There are two principal groups of seed plants:

• Gymnosperms: These produce seeds that are exposed (Naked seeds), that is, not in fruits. Usually found in temperate regions. Examples: Hemlock, pines, cedars, spruces.
• Angiosperms: These produce seeds that are enclosed (hidden seeds), that is, in fruits. These are the flower-bearing plants.

Angiosperms can further be divided into:

• Monocotyledons: The monocots have single leaf in the seed (cotyledon) and flower petals in multiples of three. These include the grass-like plants such as corn, wheat, oats, rice, and other plants like lilies, bamboo, orchids, banana, plantain, etc.
• Dicotyledons: The dicots have two-leaves in the seed (cotyledon). These include the broad leaved forest trees such as clover, beans, peas, cotton, geranium, etc.

Seed plants have:

• Roots
• Stem: This is made up of tough fibers that support the branches, flowers and leaves. It also contains the conducting elements that transport water and food to various parts of the plant. The xylem is the plant vessel that carries water from the roots to the leaves for photosynthesis, and the phloem is the vessel that carries the food from the leaves to other parts of the plant.
• Leaves
• Flowers
• Fruits
• Seeds: This consist of a partially developed young plant called the embryo and stored food called the endosperm when it is around the embryo, They are enclosed in a protective coat called the seed coat.

HOW TO REMEMBER THE CLASSIFICATION OF ORGANISMS

Knowing the classification of organisms can be confusing. Here is a mnemonic that you can use to remember the order;

King Phillip Came Over For Green Spaghetti.

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

TEN TIPS TO HELP YOU SURVIVE NURSING SCHOOL

Nursing school can be very hectic for most people. How do you survive in this challenging position? Here are some tips from the Utica Nursing School blog. Click here......

INSIGHT INTO ACCELERATED NURSING PROGRAMS

The new trend going on in the US is the popping up of so many accelerated nursing programs all over the place. With going on, there is a great deal of confusion as to which school to choose and which one is worth the bucks. The link here takes you to a blog that has useful information that can help you navigate these issues. Click here for more info....... 

WELCOME TO ANOTHER SCHOOL YEAR

Welcome back to another school year for all the USA students! If you intend to take the nursing entrance exam, now is the time to start. I advise that you start from my welcome page and then work your way up to the current post. This means that you must go back to the older posts. There is no way you will not pass this exam if you follow my lessons from the scratch. This is an A+ RESOURCE! I wish you the best of luck as you take the journey through this blog and happy semester!