Free Essays on Contemporary Moral Issues - Abortion

Abortion has been one of the most hotly debated subjects of this past decade, with the sentiment conflicting between the groups labelled as â€Å"pro-choice† and â€Å"pro-life†, as if an imaginary line has been drawn in the sand creating an identifiable good or bad person based on the feelings they have towards the status of an unborn child. The vehement protesters for both sides have gone on to create public debate through many different means; some benign, some not. Lines become somewhat blurred when the situation turns them into a principal player in the decision about what is correct, especially if you are the one who is shaking a doctor’s hand after hearing the word, â€Å"congratulations†. I feel that I have a unique perspective on the entire idea of abortion, as I have personally witnessed or assisted with thirty-five vacuum desiccation abortions during my time with various medical facilities. My role in this situation was to provide moral support and simply a comforting presence to the woman undergoing the procedure. Truth be told, I have cried every time that I have been a part of the procedure, as it is extremely unpleasant and psychologically unsettling to the woman who is having the procedure done. Through this, however, I am still very set in my stance that abortion is morally permissible, and often a correct route of action, depending on the circumstances that surround the situation. As such, I also feel that a woman’s rights override those of the fetus. The situations that I am outlining below are situations that I have personally witnessed, and these have led me to be very firm in the opinion that I have, that the rights of a woman fully outweigh the rights of a fetus. First, to decide whose rights are paramount in an abortion situation, there should also be a consideration of the circumstances that brought about the pregnancy. First off, sometimes pregnancies can put a woman in direct physical harm. F... Free Essays on Contemporary Moral Issues - Abortion Free Essays on Contemporary Moral Issues - Abortion Abortion has been one of the most hotly debated subjects of this past decade, with the sentiment conflicting between the groups labelled as â€Å"pro-choice† and â€Å"pro-life†, as if an imaginary line has been drawn in the sand creating an identifiable good or bad person based on the feelings they have towards the status of an unborn child. The vehement protesters for both sides have gone on to create public debate through many different means; some benign, some not. Lines become somewhat blurred when the situation turns them into a principal player in the decision about what is correct, especially if you are the one who is shaking a doctor’s hand after hearing the word, â€Å"congratulations†. I feel that I have a unique perspective on the entire idea of abortion, as I have personally witnessed or assisted with thirty-five vacuum desiccation abortions during my time with various medical facilities. My role in this situation was to provide moral support and simply a comforting presence to the woman undergoing the procedure. Truth be told, I have cried every time that I have been a part of the procedure, as it is extremely unpleasant and psychologically unsettling to the woman who is having the procedure done. Through this, however, I am still very set in my stance that abortion is morally permissible, and often a correct route of action, depending on the circumstances that surround the situation. As such, I also feel that a woman’s rights override those of the fetus. The situations that I am outlining below are situations that I have personally witnessed, and these have led me to be very firm in the opinion that I have, that the rights of a woman fully outweigh the rights of a fetus. First, to decide whose rights are paramount in an abortion situation, there should also be a consideration of the circumstances that brought about the pregnancy. First off, sometimes pregnancies can put a woman in direct physical harm. F...

10 Facts About Corals

10 Facts About Corals If youve ever visited an aquarium or gone snorkeling when on holiday, youre probably familiar with a wide variety of corals. You may even know that corals play a fundamental role in defining the structure of marine reefs, the most complex and diverse ecosystems in our planets oceans. But what many dont realize is that these creatures, which resemble a cross between colorful rocks and various bits of seaweed, are in fact animals. And amazing animals at that. Weve explored ten things we should all know about coral, what makes them animals and what makes them so unique. Corals Belong to the Phylum Cnidaria Other animals that belong to the Phylum Cnidaria include jellyfish, hydrae, and sea anemones. Cnidaria are invertebrates (they do not have a backbone) and all have specialized cells called nematocysts that help them capture prey and defend themselves. Cnidaria exhibit radial symmetry. Corals Belong to the Class Anthozoa (a Subgroup of the Phylum Cnidaria) Members of this group of animals have flower-like structures called polyps. They have a simple body plan in which food passes in and out of a gastrovascular cavity (stomach-like sac) through a single opening. Corals Typically Form Colonies Consisting of Many Individuals Coral colonies grow from a single founder individual that divides repeatedly. A coral colony consists of a base that attaches coral to a reef, an upper surface that is exposed to light and hundreds of polyps. The Term Coral Refers to a Number of Different of Animals These include hard corals, sea fans, sea feathers, sea pens, sea pansies, organ pipe coral, black coral, soft corals, fan corals whip corals. Hard Corals Have a White Skeleton That Is Made of Limestone (Calcium Carbonate) Hard corals are reef builders and are responsible for the creation of the structure of a coral reef. Soft Corals Lack the Stiff Limestone Skeleton That Hard Corals Possess Instead, they have little limestone crystals (referred to as sclerites) embedded in their jelly-like tissues. Many Corals Have Zooxanthellae Within Their Tissues Zooxanthellae are algae that form a symbiotic relationship with the coral by producing organic compounds that the coral polyps use. This food source enables the corals to grow faster than they would without the zooxanthellae. Corals Inhabit a Wide Range of Habitats and Regions Some solitary hard coral species are found in temperate and even polar waters and occur as far as 6000 meters below the surface of the water. Corals Are Rare in the Fossil Record They first appeared in the Cambrian period, 570 million years ago. Reef-building corals appeared during the middle of the Triassic period between 251 and 220 million years ago. Sea Fan Corals Grow at Right Angles to the Current of the Water This enables them to efficiently filter plankton from the passing water.