Academic Articles

     Genetic diversity is the variation in the characteristics inherited from the parent organisms in a population of a specific species.  This diversity is extremely important for the survival of a species as it allows for the survival of certain members when a portion of the group is destroyed either through disease, changing environments, or other factors that are detrimental to their survival.  Genetic diversity can come about through a number of ways: mutations, sexual reproduction, migration, and population size.      Mutations are changes in the alleles that introduce new genetic information into a group.  While some mutations are readily visible (two-headed snakes, five-legged sheep, frogs with six-eyes, etc.), many other mutations are not so obvious.  An organism that is susceptible to a certain disease, for example.  While mutations will introduce new characteristics into a populatio...

     China’s history has been long and varied throughout her existence.  From ancient times to modern, she has seen and made great strides both in her influence around the world, and amongst those of her own people.  China is the originator of inventions such as paper, printing, the compass, and gunpowder.  The Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, and the Yun Gang Grottoes are only a touch of the magnificent architectural structures that the Chinese have forged in her long history.  However, China has also experienced devastating times that have nearly destroyed it and its people.  From the feudal dynasties of the past to the failed and disastrous policies of the “Great Leap Forward”, China has seen and experienced times that were almost her undoing. In the midst of her roller coaster ride however, one thing has remained constant: the Sino-centrism of the Chinese people.     ...