How Do Animals Protect Themselves

Squid can give off black ink that darkens the water around to confuse their enemies

Whales have a thick layer of fat under their skin


Animals living in very cold habitats have a thick layer of fat under their skin. The whales, dolphin, polar bear and penguin keep their body warm with the help of the fat under their skin.

Centipede can bite their enemies

Centipedes, cobras, wasps and scorpions can defend themselves from their enemies by using their poison.

Centipedes and cobras can bite their enemies to weaken or kill them.

Wasps and scorpions can sting their enemies to weaken or kill them.

A millipede curls up its body and pretends to be dead

Some beetles and millipedes pretend to be dead when they are attacked or threatened.

Tiger have sharp claws to fight-off and injure their enemies

A pangolin will roll up into a ball-like shape to protect itself

For example in this case we are taking a pangolin as an animal that can protect itself from danger. A pangolin will roll up into a ball like shape to protect itself as its behaviour besides its has a hard scales as its special characteristics to protect itself. Animals have different physical characteristics that protect themselves from their enemies. These include:
a) a hard shell
b) thick skin
c) dry, hard scales
d) horns
e) spines
f) sharp claws
g) body shape or colour that matches the surroundings
h) good eyesight and hearing

PLANET ADA LAUTAN DITEMUI

Gambaran pelukis tentang planet Gliese 581 d (tengah) dan planet Gliese 581 e (kiri) yang dikeluarkan oleh Organisasi Eropah untuk Penyelidikan Astronomi di Hemisfera Selatan, kelmarin.- AP

HATFIELD, England 22 April - Para astronomi Eropah hari ini melaporkan penemuan luar biasa, satu planet yang mempunyai saiz hampir sama dengan bumi di luar sistem solar dan sebuah lagi planet yang mungkin mempunyai lautan yang luas.
Penyelidik Eropah itu berkata, mereka bukan sahaja menemui eksoplanet terkecil, yang dipanggil Gliese 581 e, tetapi juga mendapati sebuah planet berada berdekatan yang ditemui lebih awal iaitu Gliese 581 d, berada dalam zon habitat yang mempunyai potensi kehidupan.

"Penyelidikan terbaru eksoplanet yang dipanggil The Holy Grail itu mengesan planet berbatu seperti bumi di 'zon habitat'," kata penyelidik astronomi, Michel Mayor dari Universiti Geneva, Switzerland.

Eksoplanet ialah planet di luar sistem solar. Gliese 581 e hanya mempunyai saiz 1.9 kali lebih besar daripada bumi, manakala planet-planet yang ditemui di luar sistem solar sebelum ini mempunyai saiz hampir sama dengan planet planet Jupiter yang menurut (NASA) saiznya yang terlalu besar itu seolah-olah boleh menelan lebih 1,000 planet Bumi.

Kedudukan Gliese 581 e ialah berada di kawasan yang paling hampir dengan bintang yang terdekat dengan bumi, menjadikannya terlalu panas untuk didiami oleh kehidupan.
Mayor berkata, tetapi ia tetap satu kejayaan, kerana penemuan itu yang terletak 20 1/2 tahun cahaya dari Bumi dalam sistem solar, ''satu contoh terbaik bahawa kita mencapai kejayaan bagi mengesan planet yang menyerupai Bumi."
Saintis turut mendapati orbit planet Gliese 581 d yang ditemui pada 2007 terletak dalam 'zon habitat' - satu kawasan sekitar bintang seperti matahari yang membolehkan air menjadi cecair di permukaan planet itu. - AP

Clouds

Pemandangan menarik....

Where in the World is this place???

You'll never guess that its.......

Sungai Jagong Waterfall at Sungai Jagong (Kedah), Malaysia

BALLOON COMPETITION

The Lemon Festival in Menton-- a town located on the coast of the French-Italian border...

Minggu PPSMI di SK Methodist PB

Minggu PPSMI telah diadakan pada 23 - 27 Mac 2009 dengan jayanya. Pelbagai aktiviti dijalankan melibatkan murid2 tahap 1 dan 2. Antara aktiviti yang dijalankan ialah persembahan murid, hand-on and mind-on, pameran buku math dan sains, ceramah helth teeth, info sains dan mewarna. Foto-foto menarik telah dirakamkan dan bolehlah lihat bersama....

KEMENTERIAN PELAJARAN

Menteri Pelajaran Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

Timbalan Menteri Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong

Timbalan Menteri Dr. Mohd Puad Zarkashi

 

Keajaiban Matahari

Fenomena ini dirakamkan pada jam 12.50 tengahari pada hari Rabu ( 8 April 2009). Fenomena ini diambil di Sekolah Kebangsaan Methodist Parit Buntar..

Sila beri komen berkaitan fenomena ini..

Animal Creatures

Info from :

http://www.animalscreatures.com/

BBC News Whale's carcass is spotted in sea A large whale carcass has been seen floating off the coast of Cornwall, the county's wildlife trust says. The Cornwall Wildlife Trust said the carcass was last seen on Sunday about a quarter-of-a-... (photo: GFDL / Contradictus)

Micro world

source: http://www.stayinginshape.com/3chsbuffalo/libv/o09.shtml

Microorganisms

They are invisible to us, but each day we are exposed to multitudes of very tiny microorganisms. Microorganisms live everywhere - in air, soil, rock and water. For the most part, they do us no harm, but sometimes we encounter disease-causing (pathogenic) microorganisms that make us sick. These can be spread to humans from:
- other humans from sneezing or coughing
- animals by droppings or saliva (Read about "Animal & Insect Borne Diseases")
- insect bites (Read about "Insect Bites")
- contaminated food or water (Read about "Food Safety")

Once microorganisms invade our bodies, they can settle in. They can gobble up nutrients and energy, and can produce toxins, which are like poisons. Those toxins can cause symptoms of common infections, like fevers, sniffles, rashes, coughing, vomiting and diarrhea. (Read about "Diarrhea") There are four major groups of microorganisms: bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa (a type of parasite). Disease microorganisms (most people call them germs) can be from any of these four categories.

Bacteria

Bacteria are microscopic living things that have only one cell (unicellular) and are one of three shapes, rods, balls or spirals. Some bacteria cells exist as individuals while others cluster together to form pairs, chains, squares or other groupings. Vast numbers of bacteria live in, and on, our bodies. Some are beneficial. For example, some bacteria help us digest food, destroy disease-causing cells and give the body needed vitamins. (Read about "Vitamins & Minerals") However, some types of infectious bacteria can make you ill. Some examples of diseases caused by bacteria are:
- anthrax (Read about "Biological Health Threats")
- bacterial vaginosis (Read about "Bacterial Vaginosis")
- botulism (Read about "Biological Health Threats")
- campylobacteriosis (Read about "Campylobacter")
- e-coli (Read about "E. coli")
- group B strep (Read about "Group B Strep")
- impetigo (Read about "Impetigo")

Symptoms include:

-watery diarrhea (at least three bowel movements per day for two or more days)
-fever
-loss of appetite
-nausea
-abdominal pain/tenderness

Viruses

Viruses are the most primitive of microorganisms and are much smaller than bacteria. A virus is basically a tiny bundle of genetic material carried in a shell called the viral coat or envelope. Viruses only exist to reproduce. To do that, they have to take over suitable host cells. They invade the cells and once inside, multiply, killing the host cells in the process. This is what makes you sick. Viruses are easily destroyed by disinfectants outside the body, but can be difficult to eliminate once infection has taken place. The following are examples of viral infections:
-AIDS (Read about "HIV / AIDS")
-avian influenza (Read about "Bird Flu")
-chicken pox (Read about "Childhood Illnesses")
-common cold (Read about "The Common Cold")
-dengue fever (Read about "Dengue Fever")
-fifth disease (Read about "Fifth Disease")
-flu (Read about "Influenza")
-hand, foot and mouth disease (Read about "Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease")
-hepatitis viruses (Read about "Hepatitis A" "Hepatitis B" "Hepatitis C" "Hepatitis D" "Hepatitis E")
-herpes (Read about "STD's" "Herpes")
-human papillomavirus (Read about "STD's")
-measles (Read about "Childhood Illnesses")
-molluscum contagiosum (Read about "Molluscum Contagiosum")
-mononucleosis (Read about "Mononucleosis")
-mumps (Read about "Childhood Illnesses")
-noroviruses (Read about "Noroviruses")
-rabies (Read about "Rabies")
-respiratory syncytial virus (Read about "Respiratory Syncytial Virus"
-Rocky Mountain spotted fever (Read about "Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever")
-roseola (Read about "Roseola")
-rotavirus (Read about "Rotavirus")
-rubella (Read about "Childhood Illnesses")
-severe acute respiratory syndrome (Read about "SARS")
-shingles (Read about "Shingles")
-smallpox (Read about "Biological Health Threats")
-viral meningitis (Read about "Encephalitis & Meningitis")
-viral pneumonia (Read about "Pneumonia")
-viral croup (Read about "Croup")
-warts (Read about "Warts")
-west Nile virus (Read about "Arboviral Encephalitides")

Fungi

There are many, many different kinds of fungi, but only a small number of them make us sick. A fungus is actually a primitive plant that is found in air, in soil, on plants and in water. Some common fungi include mushrooms, yeast, mold and mildew. The body normally hosts a variety of fungi. Some of these are useful to the body, but others may form infections. A fungal infection of humans is called a mycosis. Mycoses can affect skin, nails, hair and internal organs. Some examples of common fungal infections include:
-athlete's foot (Read about "Tinea")
-diaper rash (Read about "Diaper Rash")
-jock itch (Read about "Tinea")
-ringworm (Read about "Tinea")
-thrush (Read about "Thrush")
-vaginal yeast infections (Read about "Vaginal Yeast Infections")

Protozoa

Protozoa are a group of microscopic, single-celled animals. They can be free-living or parasitic in nature. While protozoa can be an important source of food for animals like snails, clams and sponges, they can also cause serious infections in humans. Protozoa can be transmitted to the body by eating contaminated food or water, person-to-person contact, or through the bite of an insect like a mosquito or fly. While many protozoan infections are more common in the tropics and subtropics, they can also affect people in temperate zones as well. Some common examples of protozoa illnesses are:
-malaria (Read about "Travel & Health")
-giardiasis (Read about "Giardiasis")
-cryptosporidiosis (Read about "Cryptosporidiosis")
-toxoplasmosis (Read about "Toxoplasmosis")
-trichomoniasis (Read about "STD's")

Protect yourself

The best way to protect yourself from germs is to steer clear of the things that can spread them. Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze and cover your mouth when you cough to keep from spreading germs. Remember the two words germs fear - soap and water. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, washing your hands with soap and water is one of the best ways to prevent infectious disease. Wash your hands every time you cough or sneeze, before you eat or prepare foods, after you use the bathroom, after you touch animals and pets, after you play outside and after you visit a sick friend or relative. Boil water if you don't know that is it safe to consume and make sure food is fresh and has been stored properly. (Read about "Food Safety")

Hidden Planet Discovered in Old Hubble Data

A new technique has uncovered an extrasolar planet hidden in Hubble Space Telescope images taken 11 years ago
The new strategy may allow researchers to uncover other distant alien worlds potentially lurking in over a decade's worth of Hubble archival data.
The method was used to find an exoplanet that went undetected in Hubble images taken in 1998 with its Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). Astronomers knew of the planet's existence from images taken with the Keck and Gemini North telescopes in 2007 and 2008, long after Hubble snapped its first picture of the system.
The planet is estimated to be at least seven times the mass of Jupiter. It is the outermost of three massive planets known to orbit the dusty young star HR 8799, which is 130 light-years away from Earth. NICMOS could not see the other two planets because its coronagraphic spot — a device that blots out the glare of the star —blocked its viewof the two inner planets.
"We've shown that NICMOS is more powerful than previously thought for imaging planets," said the scientist who found the planet, David Lafreniere of the University of Toronto in Canada. "Our new image-processing technique efficiently subtracts the glare from a star that spills over the coronagraph's edge, allowing us to see planets that are one-tenth the brightness of what could be detected before with Hubble."
Taking the image of an exoplanet is not an easy task. Planets can be billions of times fainter than the star around which they orbit and are typically located at separations smaller than 1/2,000th the apparent size of the full moon, as seen from Earth, from their star. The planet recovered in the NICMOS data is about 100,000 times fainter than the star when viewed in the near-infrared spectrum.
Over the last two decades, scientists have spotted more than 300 extrasolar planets circling other stars in our Milky Way galaxy.
Lafreniere adapted an image reconstruction technique that was first developed for ground-based observatories.
Using the new technique, he recovered the planet in NICMOS observations taken 10 years before the Keck/Gemini discovery. The Hubble picture not only provides important confirmation of the planet's existence, it provides a longer baseline for demonstrating that the object is in an orbit about the star.
"To get a good determination of the orbit we have to wait a very long time because the planet is moving so slowly (it has a 400-year period)," Lafreniere said. "The 10-year-old Hubble data take us that much closer to having a precise measure of the orbit."
Hubble is due to be serviced by a NASA shuttle crew in May for the fifth and final time. The shuttle Atlantis was rolled out for the mission on Tuesday and is due to launch May 12.
NICMOS's view provided new insights into the physical characteristics of the planet, too. This was possible because NICMOS works at near-infrared wavelengths that are severely blocked by Earth's atmosphere due to absorption by water vapor.
"The planet seems to be only partially cloud covered and we could be detecting the absorption of water vapor in the atmosphere," said team member Travis Barman of Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz. "Measuring the water absorption properties will tell us a great deal about the temperatures and pressures in the atmospheres, in addition to the cloud coverage."
With the success of this planet hunt, scientists hope they can find more extrasolar planets lurking in the enormous catalogue of images that Hubble has taken in its lifetime.
"During the past 10 years Hubble has been used to look at over 200 stars with coronagraphy, looking for planets and disks. We plan to go back and look at all of those archived images and see if anything can be detected that has gone undetected until now," said Christian Marois of the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, Victoria, Canada.
If the team sees a companion object to a star in more than one NICMOS picture, and it appears to have moved along an orbit, follow-up observations will be made with ground-based telescopes. If researchers see something once but its brightness and separation from the star would be reasonable for a planet, they will also do follow-up observations with ground-based telescopes.
NASA's recently-launched Kepler mission will also be hunting for extrasolar planets in our home galaxy, though it will be looking for ones that are Earth-sized.
Top 10 Most Intriguing Extrasolar Planets
Vote: The Best of the Hubble Space Telescope
Images: Hubble's Greatest Hits
Original Story: Hidden Planet Discovered in Old Hubble Data