Multigenre: Symbiosis- Some insight behind biological interactions

PROLOGUE

Dear readers,

Since I was a kid, I’ve always had a fascination for Science. You might say, “Science? It’s such an extensive field! Be more specific.” I’m very fond of everything Biology has to offer. The world and all that is in it is so heterogeneous and complex, and we tend to ignore a lot of what it offers.  My main interest lays in how all organisms interact and need others in order to survive; but I never truly understood the extent of these interactions until I took more advanced Biology courses, and this concept is known as symbiosis.

There are thousands of symbiotic relationships, some that we see yet don’t comprehend the mechanics and the complexity that is before our eyes, and others that we can’t see but happen on a daily basis, an example being in our own bodies. Knowing and understanding the importance and learning to appreciate the beauty and the greatness of what surrounds us is fundamental in order to truly appreciate them. My goal is for you to get a taste of this topic and comprehend that we, Homo sapiens, can’t survive on our own. We depend on many other organisms to be able to live. We need to be more conscious of our surroundings and be less selfish.

Throughout this project I will explain and show several symbiotic relationships amongst animals, humans, bacteria, fungi, and plants. In order to accomplish this, different genres will be used. In order for you to understand, an introduction with background information will follow this letter.

INTRODUCTION

Each and every organism depends on something (i.e. nutrients, temperature, acidity, oxygen levels, and atmospheric conditions) or someone (i.e. human, animal, bacteria, fungi) to be able to live. Sometimes this dependence can be more prominent in some cases than others. Symbiosis focuses on interactions between two or more organisms of different species; seen in a more simplistic way as “the living together of two unlike organisms”. According to Paracer (2000), “Organisms that are involved in a symbiosis may benefit from, be harmed by, or not be affected by the association.” These associations are known as mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism, respectively. There are also others ways of classifying a symbiosis.

Symbiosis can be classified according to where, on the host, the symbiont is encountered. If the symbiont is located within the host (e.g. intestine), it is known as an endosymbiont; however if it is located on the surface of the host (e.g. skin), then it is known as an ectosymbiont. A symbiosis can also be classified by the dependence of the relationship; some can be more demanding than others. When one of the parties involved can live with or without the other, the symbiosis is known as obligate, one the other hand, if the association isn’t necessary for either one of the individuals involved to live, then it is facultative. Sometimes these associations result in specimens that otherwise wouldn’t be found in nature.

One of the most common composites obtained from the association between two organisms is that of an algae (and/or cyanobacterium) with a fungus, which together form, lichens. The morphology, physiology, and biochemistry isolated from the lichen are completely different from those acquired from these organisms separately. This cooperation allows them to live in extreme environments. Another common symbiotic relationship is that of Homo sapiens, humans, with several bacteria, i.e. E. coli, which inhabits our intestines and produces vitamin K₂ for us.

On occasions the symbiont can provide the host with special abilities. An example of this is that of the squid Euprymna scolopes and the bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Investigations done by Nyholm (2004) presented the studies done on the relationship of both organisms. The squid has a light-organ which is home to a luminescent bacteria. V. fischeri is found in low concentrations. The squid digs a hole into the sand, where it hides out during the day, before that it expels 95% of the bacteria which it holds inside its light organ. The other 5% that stays inside multiples during the day, once the night arrives, they’re ready to work providing light to the squid, which keeps it away from predators. The light organ is specific to this bacteria. In this case, both organisms benefit from this interaction.

Symbiosis is a widespread and complex subject, not only does it focus on hundreds of associations between organisms of different species; but  it is also used to explain the origin of the eukaryotic cell, as well as being denoted a factor in the formation of new species; and most importantly, is provides diversity amongst living organisms.

THE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Margulis, L. (1998). Symbiotic Planet: A new look at evolution. Amherst, Massachusetts: Basic Books.

Throughout the book Lynn Margulis, other than talking about how Science marked the different stages of her life; she shares her perspective on different aspects of the field, mainly symbiosis. Her main focus is her serial endosymbiotic theory (SET), which according to her explains the origin of the first eukaryotic cell. Some accept this theory, while others criticize it (she has rough words for those who do!). She also tries to convince us how some symbiotic relations end up forming new species, and even dedicates a chapter to GAIA, concept that says that every living organism is connected to the Earth by some invisible net.
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Douglas, A.E. (2008). Coral Bleaching- how and why? Marine Pollution Bulletin. 46, 385-392.

The article explains what coral bleaching is and the different factors involved. In my case, I always thought that coral bleaching was only associated with contamination and temperature change, but this is not the case. Bleaching refers to the loss of color in symbiosis between a dinoflagellate algae, Symbiodinium, and marine benthic animals, in this case, corals. Bleaching results in depressed growth and increased mortality of corals, which are one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. It also explains how corals sometimes expulse Symbiodinium. It is in question on whether this is done from time to time as a part of their life cycle, or if they do this to find another species of Symbiodinium that suits their needs better due to environmental changes.

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Hosokawa, T, et.al. (2006). Strict Host-Symbiont Coespeciation and Reductive Genome Evolution in Insect Gut Bacteria. PLoS Biology. 4, 1841-1851.

The focus of this scientific article is to emphasize how hosts and symbionts tend to coevolve and a species of symbiont us specific to a species of host. Attached to this article are several phylogenetic trees, which illustrate the coevolution and coespeciation of some insects with their gut bacteria. There is also a focus on the main characteristics that endosymbionts possess: reduced genome, repetitive AT sequences, elimination of some metabolic pathways, etc. Investigators have been able to determine that these characteristics are the same for all endosymbionts.

________________________________________________________________________Rumpho, M.E., Summer, E.J., Manhart, A.R. (2000). Solar-Power Sea Slugs: mollusc/algal chloroplast symbiosis. Plant Physiology. 23, 29-38.

Sea slugs eat green algae, but first they suck out the chloroplasts, which gives them their green color. Chloroplasts are organelles that conduct photosynthesis. Therefore, not only does it allow these slugs to be green, but it also gives them a boost of energy. It is in question if this is a symbiosis, because this is a relationship between the sea slug and the chloroplast, which is an organelle not an organism. The sea slug has to continuously suck out these cells because the effect “wears” off, because it can’t replicate them inside its’ body.

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Nyholm, S.V., McFall-Ngai, M.J. (2004). The Winnowing: Establishing the squid-vibrio symbiosis. Nature Reviews: Microbiology. 2, 632-642.

The symbiosis described between the squid and the vibrio (bacteria) is quite fascinating. The squid has an organ that is specifically used to hold photosynthetic gram negative bacteria. The light produced by the bacteria creates a shadow at night, which fools predators and keeps itself from being attacked. Not only does the squid benefit from this, but so does the bacteria. In the morning, the squid buries itself under the sand and expulses 90% of the bacteria it holds; this helps increase the population of the microorganism

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GENRES

Video with pictures and descriptions

Travel Poster

Letter

Sunday August 15, 2010

Lovely V. fischeri,

I write this letter anxiously waiting for the moment we’re able to glide under the moonlight through the profound ocean tides again. Ever since I was a young adult, you’ve been with me. It wasn’t by chance, but evolution united us. My ciliated light-organ is compatible to you only. As soon as it senses your peptidoglycan, mucus starts streaming, as tears of joy, in order to allow you easy access through the ducts so you can reach the light-organ. You’ve saved my life in many occasions. Your bioluminescence allows me to cast an obscured and big silhouette that allows me to fool my predators. You keep me safe and I am tremendously grateful for that.

I am glad that this relationship isn’t entirely one-sided. It causes me great pleasure to be able to help you increase your population before I go sleep during the day. I know how difficult it would be for your community to grow otherwise. I am sure the future generations of my kind will be as glad as I am to have you.

Yours truly,

Euprymna scolopes “Squid”

P.S.

I cherish the time we spend in the Hawaiian waters.

Poem

Leaf- cutter ants at work

Leaf cutter ants passing by,

Walking up the trees,

Staring at the blue sky.

They hurry to their nest,

Usually a hole in the ground,

Then begins the harvest,

Rapidly, with no sound.

The product: fungi for them to eat

Total delight for the queen,

The main course of the feast.

One thing that they didn’t know

Was that an intruder would come and stop the show

Another fungi would come along

Attack and destroy their garden

Because it’s deadly and strong

Immediately the ants counterattack

With the bacteria they have in their necks and back.

The nest is now safe.

The ants have won the battle.

But they are to stay alert,

In case the enemy invades

Yet again their sacred place.

Quiz

Select the option that best completes the premise or answers the following questions.

Epilogue

It was only this semester that I was able to take a course that focuses entirely on Symbiosis. The fascination I have for it is such that I decided to do this multigenre on the subject, hoping it would cause an interest in others as it did in me. My main objective was for the readers to learn something new about Biology. I hope that after reading this work, they’re able to at least define the term and give some examples.

In order to explain and give information on symbiosis and some of the many symbiotic interactions, I used a video with picture and descriptions, quiz, letter, travel poster, and a poem.  In my opinion, this subject is better explained when using visuals, which is why I decided to show several pictures with their descriptions. A quiz allows me to test the reader or for the reader to evaluate how much they have learned by reading this work.  I wanted to view one of these interactions from the side of one of the organisms, which is why I decided to write a letter to the symbiont, pretending I was the host. The poem allowed me to be a bit more creative and a tad more abstract and the travel poster gave me the opportunity to include another visual.

At the end of the day, the sole purpose of all the genres is for you, the reader, to learn something you. As long as you take away some knowledge from this, I have accomplished my mission.

References

Aanen, D., Eggleton, P., et. al. (2002). The evolution of fungus-growing termites and their mutualistic fungal symbionts. PNAS. 99:14887-14892.

Geurts, R., Federova, E. (2005). Nod factor signaling genes and their function in the early stages of Rhizobium infection. Plant Biology. 8:346-352.

Fraune, S., Bosch, T. (2007). Long-term maintenance of species specific bacterial microbiota in the basal metazoan Hydra. PNAS. 104: 13146-13151.

Mueller, U., Dash, D. (2008). Coevolution between attine ants and actinomycete bacteria: A reevaluation. Evolution. 62: 2894-2912.

Yildiz, F., Visick, K. (2009). Vibrio biofilms: so much the same yet so different. Trends in Microbiology. 17: 109-118

Giving it all to you…

Six years ago I “met” this guy. I put met between quotation marks because we never actually met, we simply chatted online, and eventually started exchanging text mesages and talking over the phone. We were good friends, but somehow we fell out of touch and didn’t hear from each other until eight months ago.

One day I went into Femur, a Yahoo! dominoes room, where we first “met”. There’s a league in there I’ve been a member of for years. Right as I logged on for the very first time in months, I saw someone type out some witty, funny remark. I knew it was him, I knew it was C (I won’t type out his name to avoid him finding this, just in case he occasionally googles himself).

To make a long story short, we ended up talking again. It was as we never stopped. All the talking ended up with us acknowledging that we cared for each other and that we were in a long distance relationship, with plans of meeting before December 2010. We talked every morning and ever night and we texted throughout the day. We watched shows like True Blood, FlasForward, and The Big Bang Theory together. I talked about the book I was reading at the moment and he would explain the video game he played.

All was wonderful and well, or so I thought, until I noticed C was being somewhat distant. I knew something was wrong even though he didn’t want to tell me, but I had to insist. It all came down to the wait being too much for him. Everything ended there.

Yes, I cried that night. Yes, I still miss him. And yes, on a daily basis something random reminds me of him. I will always cherish our moments, because they were special. I hope that in the future I will meet somewhat as great and as special as C, perfect for me.

Wicked ex housemate

Moving out of home for college, I’ve always had to live with other people, because I’ve never had enough money to afford an apartment in which I could live by myself. Even though I knew this was the way things were going to be, I was still excited about leaving home and getting a breather away from family for a while. The roommates/housemates and apartments I lived in were either really good or really bad.

During my first year I lived in a 2 bedroom apartment at the Arce Complex on Martínez Nadal St. I shared a room with one of my good friend to this day, Igdalis, and the rest of the apartment with another girl that studied with us in high school, Ivelisse. There was an enjoyable environment in the apartment. People that went to school with us in high school visited us often. The three of us got along well and the place was always neat and clean. As the end of that year approached, we knew we’d need to find a substitute for Ivelisse, because her sister was graduating and they’d move into a place together. For that second year a girl named Liza joined us. She was a good addition to the apartment and things ran smoothly during that time as well.

For our third year, Igdalis and I moved into a smaller apartment. It was an uncomfortable place, but we managed. By the end of the 3rd year I knew I’d have to find a new place to live and new people to live with as well, because Ig got pregnant and was moving back home. One of my best friends, Brenda, thought it would be a good idea to move in together, I agreed. We found this 3 bedroom apartment in a very accessible location, but we needed one more person to move in with us; so we talked to  this girl that took a class with, Christy, because we knew she was also looking. Boy oh boy what a mistake.

Brenda and her hated each other, to the point where after one semester Brenda decided to move out, and we had to find someone else to move it. We ads papers around campus and one not so lucky day this girl (I deleted her name from my brain) called. She was a whore, she was dirty, AND she used drugs. Needless to say she lasted one semester with us. Christy’s boyfriend moved in with us. I didn’t mind having a guy living in the apartment. When I was home, I spent most of the time in my room anyway.

My only complaint was that I did most of the cleaning. Something that infuriated me was the fact that they ALWAYS had dishes in the sink. They’d never cook, eat, and clean the dishes; instead they would chill and hang out in the sink for days. Another thing that annoyed me was the fact that he (Joseph) played Modern Warfare online and would get excited and start yelling and cussing nonstop; this would happen late at night and even early in the morning.

We parted ways this summer, I’m not going to talk about the two new girls I moved in with because I don’t really know them yet; however, I will talk about what my ex housemate pulled off. I was thinking that I didn’t have to pay rent for the month of may, because the owner would just keep he deposit money. Well, one day she tells me that I need to give her that money and that the owner would give us the deposit money once we moved. I moved out two days before her, so I gave her my account number so she could give me the money later.

One week passed, two weeks passed, and no money. I called her and she said that the owner of the apartment didn’t have our deposit and that he had one month to give us our money back. The first week of July arrived and I would call her and text her, but received no response. I decided to call from another phone, she answered. She would be like, “Oh, my phone is messed up. Sorry for not calling you back. I haven’t got the money yet.. blah blah blah”. This happened more than once. I decided to call the owner of the apartment and asked. He said that he wasn’t going to give her the deposit money, because she never payed rent for May. She OBVIOUSLY lied to me. I called and left a voice mail saying that I would take her to court if she didn’t deposit my money. I have her until the end of the month.

I still don’t understand why she’d do something like that to me. Why would she try to keep money that isn’t hers and lie about not receiving my calls. Apparently looks are deceiving. You never truly know someone… not even after living with them for three years.

Summer, I hate you.

I’ve never been a fan of summer breaks, because they are extremely long, and feel even longer than they are when  you don’t have anything to do.  Summer 2009 was amazing, I worked at University of Michigan taking care of crickets, doing DNA extractions and PCR’s, fixing sequences, and taking pictures of grasshopper genitalia (what I jokingly called grasshopper porn). The summer 2009 greatness made me forget how miserable my previous summers were and now I’m having a difficult time dealing with the summer 2010 boredom extravaganza.

In hopes of avoiding a summer lacking excitement and things to do, I’ve tried looking for a job. I’ve filled out several applications and sent in many resumes, I’ve had no luck. Instead I’ve been spending my summer with my family in Camuy, fighting with the cats, sleeping on the couch because I no longer have a room, watching television, surfing the internet, and reading. Yes, it’s cool to go to sleep late and be able to wake up whenever I want; however, I’d rather be working and doing something productive. I’ve never wanted to be in class more than I have these 2 months. To think that I have one more month of the same routine stresses me out.

I have no choice but to try to “enjoy” this time off. I’ll get mentally ready for what’s left of the semester and the new school year. I’ll finish some books I have pending, watch some movies I haven’t seen, spend quality time with my family, and get plenty of sleep. The truth of the matter is that I’ll do whatever is in my power to not have another summer like this one. Truthfully, I don’t think I’d be able to tolerate it. Hopefully this will be the last time I’ll have to say, “Summer, I hate you!”

Guilty pleasure: Perez Hilton

About two or three years ago I would see an acquaintance of mine visit a website with a pink background and pictures of many celebrities, occasionally altered with the Paint program. Curiosity was killing the cat, so I had do ask her what the hell was that site she kept going to. It turned out to be a blog gone gossip site www.perezhilton.com. It is owned by an outspokenly, extroverted gay guy named Mario Armando Lavandeira, better known by his alter ego Perez Hilton.

The website focuses on mainly exposing celebs’ dirty laundry, in other words, discuss their legal, financial, and dating issues; also criticize the way they dress and the things they might say in the media. You might think that he only criticizes musicians and actos, but no. He takes jabs at models, politicians, and writers as well.

Other than sharing juicy gossip with his readers, he also shares music videos, and on occasions, simply audio with those who visit the site. I’ve been lucky enough to come across great music from several bands and artists that aren’t mainstream (don’t usually play on radio stations). We also get the scoop on new movies, television series, and Broadway shows.

Needless to say that many people in the entertainment world hate him and other people simply hate to love him. Perez Hilton also has made a sister website which focuses on fashion www.cocoperez.com and has also written two books so far: Red Carpet Suicide and True Bloggywood Stories. He has also been on several televesion programs and award shows.

Perez Hilton may not be an academic or someone worthy of a Nobel prize, but he sure has a way with words that makes some people, like myself, keep coming back for more celeb gossip. I must admit that I am somewhat embarrassed for visiting this website several times on a daily bases, but what can I say, I enjoy it.

Online Personality Disorder (OPD)

I thought I was clever enough to come up with the term online personality disorder (OPD) for this post, but the concept already exists. Fortunately for me it means the same thing I had in mind. It describes people who portray themselves differently online than they would when interacting with people that surround them. Not only does it have to do with their personality, but also they might describe their physical appearance different from what it really is. Online personality disorder is a very common occurrence, because not being face to face with someone tends to make people more comfortable to say what they really thing and/or gives them an outlet to not be who they usually are.

I’ve been a resident of cyberworld since my grandmother bought me a desktop for my 15th birthday in 2001. Before that I had no clue about the internet and at the moment it wasn’t the least bit attractive to me. Months passed and I become somewhat of an addict. I spent hours and hours online and my social life declined. During this time I got to chat with several people and we even met in person. I still remain close friends with some of them and there are others I have no idea where they are.

At the time I was young and didn’t really take out the time to observe and really think about the things people say in chat rooms. Lately I’ve noticed how mean and offensive some people are. I’ve also noticed how people I know say things online that they wouldn’t say otherwise. I’m not going to be one to throw the stone and hide the hand. In the past I used a screen name and never disclosed my name or where I was from. I didn’t change my personality or mistreated people, but I felt more comfortable sharing my points of view and discussing different subjects. At the time I was very insecure of myself and ideals, but this helped me not fear expressing my thoughts. Unfortunately many use the internet to hurt people by badmouthing them or by simply being prejudice, racist, sexist, etc. There has also been the case where individuals have lied about their identity by sharing fake pictures and creating fake lives.

The internet has indeed become a powerful place. Not only can we look up information, but also meet people from all around the world. Even though these residents of cyber world might be hundreds of miles away from us, we should treat them as we would someone we met at a party or at a park. Even if we know whoever we’re chatting with, we should treat them as we would when they are standing in front of us. There’s no need for dual personalities. We should be ourselves, always.

Queen

Two days ago I cruised around blogs and read one about rock legends. It focused on the Rolling Stones and on one of my favorite bands of all time, QUEEN! Then I thought, “Priscilla, why haven’t you dedicated a blog to Queen?” Well, here it is. Better late then never.

Queen is a British rock band, best known for their rise to stardom in the’70’s and ’80’s. The band was originally formed by Freddy Mercury (lead vocals), Brian May (guitar, vocals), John Deacon (bass), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals). At the beginning of their career the band was mainly recognizable  in the U.K. it was later in 1974 and 1975 with the release of their albums Sheer Heart Attack and A Night at the Opers, respectively, that they gained international success.

Some of their hits include: Another One Bites the Dust, Killer Queen, Fat Bottomed Girls, Bicycle Race, You’re My Best Friend, Don’t Stop Me Now, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Flash, Play The Game. Their chart toppers and most requested songs are: Bohemian Rhapsody, Somebody to Love, Killer Queen, We Are the Champions, and We Will Rock You. Queen has also done several collaborations. The most known was is Under Pressure, song they recorded with David Bowie. Many of their songs have been used in movies, television, series, and sports events (i.e. We Are the Champions).

Freddy Mercury, the front-man of the band died in 1991 from bronchopneumonia brought on by AIDS. He has been voted, in several outlets, as one of the greatest singers and rock legends of all time. He was characterized for his dynamism and charisma in stage. Not only was Mercury a singer, but he also played several instruments, such as, the piano and the guitar. He also wrote numerous  hit songs for the band.  It was surprising to most when it was publicized that he was a bisexual man. He spent the last 6 years of his life in a relationship with a man. Though he had a very vibrant personality on stage, Mercury was known to be a very shy person, saying, “”When I’m performing I’m an extrovert, yet inside I’m a completely different man.” After his death, in 1992, a tribute concert was held in his honor. Many artists, Guns N’ Roses, Elton John, Annie Lennox, David Bowie, and others; gathered together to sing songs by Queen. All the money raised was donated to AIDS related charities.

Queen still performs with its remaining members. Not many bands can say they’ve been around for nearly 40 years. They’ve influenced new bands like Muse, Radiohead, My Chemical Romance, Green Day, The Killers, etc. We’re fortunate to be able to access their music with to or three clicks online. Their music will indeed live on.

Silence, I miss you.

It’s 1:45 a.m. and even though I’ve been sleepy since 11p.m. I’m still awake. You might ask yourself, “why are you awake, Priscilla?” I have one word for you, JUSTAS!

I’ve been a college student for nearly six years. In all those years I had never been to the Justas LAI festivities. This year wouldn’t have been the exception, but unfortunately instead of me going to Ponce for the Justas, they were brought to Mayaguez instead.

I live somewhat close to town square, and honestly, I thought it wouldn’t be too noisy around the block I live on. Oh, was I mistaken. I’m regretting the fact that I didn’t go to Camuy to spend some quality time with my family. I would be asleep and enjoying the precious sound of silence.

Instead, here I sit on my bed with my laptop on my lap. I’m cranky… grouchy…grumpy. The thought of having to deal with this craziness for two more days makes me want to punch someone (figuratively speaking). I want the music to stop, for the people to shut up, please no more screams, no more laughter. Come back silence. I miss you.

P.S. This is too short to be considered a class blog entry, however, I was extremely frustrated and needed to vent.

Mock Research (APA)

In recent discussions about dating, a controversial issue has been whether people should get to know each other face to face, how it’s traditionally done, or if they should take an online personality compatibility test and date online for a specific amount of time. On one hand, some argue that you can’t really get to know someone well enough without actually meeting them. On the other hand, others argue that this method discards the factor of being superficial at the moment of seeking your other half and decreases the stress that tends to come with dating.

Research on this matter suggests that people should get to know each other on a personal level first and not meet until at least 6 months later. One of the facts that support this is that many individuals tend to focus on physical attraction; by building a strong relationship over time, looks won’t be as important. According to Kramer (2006) physical attraction isn’t fundamental to make a relationship work. Furthermore, she states that getting to know each other from afar, permits personalities to connect on a more profound level.

In addition to this, many people support this argument by stating that this option also minimizes the stress that tends to come with dating. Studies done by Dr. Corey Dowry compare and contrast stress tests done on people who participate in online dating with those that don’t. Dowry (2008) emphasizes, “Results clearly show that online dating is indeed less stressful. When interviewing some of the subjects most said that with dating online they avoided the hassle of courtship, and felt free to act how they truly are, because they don’t feel it’s necessary to put on a front to charm potential dates.” Dowry acknowledges that online dating doesn’t work for everyone; nonetheless he urges his patients to see this as a potential dating option and highly recommends it be tried at least once, especially if all other resources fail.

In recent work, psychologist Dr. Louis Evans has offered harsh critiques on Dowry’s statements, for being so receptive of this dating method. Evans concedes that online dating could certainly be less stressful; however, she claims that according to some collected data, there’s a direct proportional relationship between online dating and cheating. In her journal article, Online dating and its adverse psychological effects, Evans (2003) maintains that, “Most people don’t take the relationship with their so-called-couple seriously. In many occasions they get romantically involved with other people online and/or date people that live nearby them.” Evans takes into account Lisa Marriott’s philosophy on how it’s best to keep it “up close and personal”. Marriott (2001)  claims that relationships formed over the internet tend to be ephemeral and meaningless to one, or in occasions, to both of the people involved. They provide several anecdotes, stories, therapy sessions, etc., to support their argument.

Kramer is right that physical attraction tends to be a deal breaker in some cases, however she seems on more dubious ground when she claims that it eliminates this factor completely. Certainly these people will exchange pictures and the “superficial factor” could still be latent. Meanwhile, Dowry is quick to defend his view, which is, online dating decreases stress levels. Although I agree with Dowry up to a point, I cannot accept his overall conclusion that it always minimizes stress that comes with dating. Though I concede that this might be the case for some people, I still insist that some individuals might worry about fidelity; this could obviously increase someone’s stress levels. On the other hand, Evans arguments fall a bit short. Pinpointing fidelity issues exclusively on online dating is a bit outrageous. It is more than proved that people are equally likely to be unfaithful in whichever type of relationship they might be in. Despite this fact, it can be agreed that meeting people online has indeed been substituting the real thing. Many people prefer to stay home, get online, and chat with people thousands of miles away.

In conclusion then, online dating is an option that can be considered by those who are fearless, even adventurous, and would rather go on a “date” with someone while they work, watch television, listen to music, talk on the phone, instead of going to the movie theater, out for dinner, or for a walk on the beach. It certainly depends on the person’s point of view and lifestyle. One isn’t better than the other, results and success rates vary depending on mainly and attitude going into the dating venue.

References

Dating tips for the clueless. (2009, November 3). Retrieved February 22, 2010, from  http://www.datingtips.org

Dowry, C. (2008). Online dating and stress: How the two are related. Human health and emotions , 77-89.

Evans, L. (2003). Online dating and its adverse psychological effects. Dating Doctor Journal , 60-72.

Kramer, D. (2006). Physical attraction not fundamental for a successful relationship. Human Relations Journal , 30-38.

Marriott, L. (2001). Up Close and Personal. New York: Leonard Publishing.

Playing the believing game

In class, with the use of templates, we’re trying to construct good arguments and also good counterarguments. In order to practice, we were assigned to pick a topic of choice and play the believing game. Compare these two; which is really my belief?

#1

In recent discussions on the matter of life and death, a controversial issue has been whether assisted suicide should be an option for people suffering from painful and/or terminal illnesses. On the one hand, some argue that it devalues human life. On the other, however, others argue that it provides a way of relief when a person’s quality of life is low.

My view on the matter is that we should be able to decide for ourselves whether we want to continue living in agony or if we rather die in peace and on our own terms. Some might say that this will provoke individuals to think intentional ending of  certain human lives as an appropriate and necessary answer to life’s most difficult challenges. On the contrary, life for the patient has now become a burden and no longer a benefit.

#2

When it comes to the topic of assisted suicide, most of us will readily agree that physicians and other medical care people should not be involved in directly causing death. Whereas some are convinced that it provides a way to relieve extreme pain; others maintain laws against euthanasia are in place to prevent abuse and to protect people from unscrupulous doctors and others. They are not, and never have been intended to  make anyone suffer.

My view on this subject is that doctors and nurses are there to take care of patients, in this case with terminal illnesses, who need it. They aren’t there to kill them, but to supply them with medicines which can relief their pain, yet keep them alive. No human being should take the life of another. Only God knows when it’s ones time to stop breathing.