10 Big Differences Between Men’s and Women’s Brains

The differences between women and men are not only well-documented, but frequently at the heart of jokes, anecdotes, and good-natured (and not so good-natured) ribbing. Experts have discovered that there are actually differences in the way women’s and men’s brains are structured and in the way they react to events and stimuli. So the next time your wife, boyfriend, or parent starts telling you how you should have done something differently, then refer back to these big differences between men’s and women’s brains.

1. Human relationships. Women tend to communicate more effectively than men, focusing on how to create a solution that works for the group, talking through issues, and utilizes non-verbal cues such as tone, emotion, and empathy whereas men tend to be more task-oriented, less talkative, and more isolated. Men have a more difficult time understanding emotions that are not explicitly verbalized, while women tend to intuit emotions and emotional cues. These differences explain why men and women sometimes have difficulty communicating and why men-to-men friendships look different from friendships among women.
2. Left brain vs. both hemispheres. Men tend to process better in the left hemisphere of the brain while women tend to process equally well between the two hemispheres. This difference explains why men are generally stronger with left-brain activities and approach problem-solving from a task-oriented perspective while women typically solve problems more creatively and are more aware of feelings while communicating.
3. Mathematical abilities. An area of the brain called the inferior-parietal lobule (IPL) is typically significantly larger in men, especially on the left side, than in women. This section of the brain is thought to control mental mathematical ability, and probably explains why men frequently perform higher in mathematical tasks than do women. Interestingly, this is the same area of Einstein’s brain that was discovered to be abnormally large. The IPL also processes sensory information, and the larger right side in women allows them to focus on, "specific stimuli, such as a baby crying in the night."
4. Reaction to stress. Men tend to have a "fight or flight" response to stress situations while women seem to approach these situations with a "tend and befriend" strategy. Psychologist Shelley E. Taylor coined the phrase "tend and befriend" after recognizing that during times of stress women take care of themselves and their children (tending) and form strong group bonds (befriending). The reason for these different reactions to stress is rooted in hormones. The hormone oxytocin is released during stress in everyone. However, estrogen tends to enhance oxytocin resulting in calming and nurturing feelings whereas testosterone, which men produce in high levels during stress, reduces the effects of oxytocin.
5. Language. Two sections of the brain responsible for language were found to be larger in women than in men, indicating one reason that women typically excel in language-based subjects and in language-associated thinking. Additionally, men typically only process language in their dominant hemisphere, whereas women process language in both hemispheres. This difference offers a bit of protection in case of a stroke. Women may be able to recover more fully from a stroke affecting the language areas in the brain while men may not have this same advantage.
6. Emotions. Women typically have a larger deep limbic system than men, which allows them to be more in touch with their feelings and better able to express them, which promotes bonding with others. Because of this ability to connect, more women serve as caregivers for children. The down side to this larger deep limbic system is that it also opens women up to depression, especially during times of hormonal shifts such as after childbirth or during a woman’s menstrual cycle.
7. Brain size. Typically, men’s brains are 11-12% bigger than women’s brains. This size difference has absolutely nothing to do with intelligence, but is explained by the difference in physical size between men and women. Men need more neurons to control their greater muscle mass and larger body size, thus generally have a larger brain.
8. Pain. Men and women perceive pain differently. In studies, women require more morphine than men to reach the same level of pain reduction. Women are also more likely to vocalize their pain and to seek treatment for their pain than are men. The area of the brain that is activated during pain is the amygdala, and researchers have discovered that in men, the right amygdala is activated and in women, the left amygdala is activated. The right amygdala has more connections with areas of the brain that control external functions while the right amygdala has more connections with internal functions. This difference probably explains why women perceive pain more intensely than do men.
9. Spatial ability. Men typically have stronger spatial abilities, or being able to mentally represent a shape and its dynamics, whereas women typically struggle in this area. Medical experts have discovered that women have a thicker parietal region of the brain, which hinders the ability to mentally rotate objects–an aspect of spatial ability. Research has shown this ability in babies as young as 5 months old, negating any ideas that these abilities were strengthened by environmental influences.
10. Susceptibility to disorders. Because of the way men and women use the two hemispheres of the brain differently, there are some disorders that men and women are susceptible to in different ways. Men are more apt to have dyslexia or other language problems. If women have dyslexia, they are more likely to compensate for it. Women, on the other hand, are more susceptible to mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. While handedness is not a disorder, these brain tendencies also explain why more men are left-handed than are women. Men are also more likely to be diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and Tourette’s Syndrome.

source: mastersofhealthcare

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Java vs JavaScript

The Differences between Java and JavaScript

Many people use the words Java and JavaScript interchangeably, or confuse the two.

The JavaScript language resembles Java, but without Java's static typing and strong type checking. JavaScript supports most of Java's expression syntax and basic control flow constructs. In contrast to Java's compile-time system of classes built by declarations, JavaScript supports a run-time system based on a small number of data types representing numeric, Boolean, and string values. JavaScript has a simple instance-based object model that still provides significant capabilities.

JavaScript also supports functions, again without any special declarative requirements. Functions can be properties of objects, executing as loosely typed methods.

JavaScript complements Java by exposing useful properties of Java applets to script authors. JavaScript statements can get and set exposed properties to query the state or alter the performance of an applet or plug-in.

Java is an extension language designed, in particular, for fast execution and type safety. Type safety is reflected by being unable to cast a Java int into an object reference or to get at private memory by corrupting Java bytecodes.

Java programs consist exclusively of classes and their methods. Java's requirements for declaring classes, writing methods, and ensuring type safety make programming more complex than JavaScript authoring. Java's inheritance and strong typing also tend to require tightly coupled object hierarchies.

In contrast, JavaScript descends in spirit from a line of smaller, dynamically typed languages like HyperTalk and dBASE. These scripting languages offer programming tools to a much wider audience because of their easier syntax, specialized built-in functionality, and minimal requirements for object creation.

The following table compares and contrasts JavaScript and Java.

JavaScript	Java
Interpreted (not compiled) by client.	Compiled on server before execution on client.
Object-based. Code uses built-in, extensible objects, but no classes or inheritance.	Object-oriented. Applets consist of object classes with inheritance.
Code integrated with, and embedded in, HTML.	Applets distinct from HTML (accessed from HTML pages).
Variable data types not declared (loose typing).	Variable data types must be declared (strong typing).
Dynamic binding. Object references checked at run-time.	Static binding. Object references must exist at compile-time.
Cannot automatically write to hard disk.	Cannot automatically write to hard disk.

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Medicare vs Medicaid

Difference between Medicare & Medicaid

Medicare and Medicaid are two entirely different programs:

Medicare	Medicaid
Government health insurance program for people over 65 and for those who are on Social Security disability.	Funded jointly by the Federal Government and the individual states. Individuals must meet specific financial and “need for care” requirements in order to receive benefits.
Qualification based on age and/or disability. Participation not subject to income, asset or “needs” test.	Qualification based on “need for care” and financial need. A single (unmarried) individual must be essentially broke (below $2,000 in most states). The spouse of a married patient, under certain conditions, may retain a significant level of assets. Rules allow certain strategies to protect assets.
Provides coverage for hospitalization, doctors and other types of medical expenses. Medicare is a medical insurance program, and except for a limited short-term nursing home benefit, is not coverage for nursing home or other long-term care.	Provides benefits for long-term nursing home care, and, in many states, benefits for other types of long-term care.
In order to get Medicare coverage for a nursing home stay, you must be in an approved skilled nursing facility, have been in the hospital for at least three days prior to entering the facility, and to be deemed by Medicare to be medically benefiting from that skilled nursing. Custodial care is not covered. Technically, there is a maximum of 100 days of nursing home benefit. In actuality, the requirement about medically benefiting usually limits the benefit to a period of 10-20 days for rehabilitation.	Those individuals who meet the definition of “need for care,” as well as the financial requirements, can qualify for nursing home care (including custodial care). There is no maximum limit on the period of time that care can be provided.
Under no conditions does Medicare pay for assisted living, residential care facilities, adult foster care, or similar types of care facilities.	In many states, Medicaid will provide care in assisted living, residential care facilities, adult foster care, and/or similar types of facilities.
Except during the time you're in the hospital, Medicare does not cover medications.	Medications are covered.
Medicare does have some benefit for home health but this is purely for medical reasons, not for caregivers to come in and attend to someone who needs help with personal needs on a long-term basis.	In many states, in-home care is provided to allow for caregivers to come into the home to provide care and help with personal needs and activities of daily living.

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Ms vs Miss

Difference Between Ms and Miss

The difference between Ms. and Miss is that Ms. can stand for Mrs. or Miss, so in essence, the woman who goes by Ms. is not giving away whether she is married or not married. Miss strictly refers to a woman who is not married. Mrs. is the term you would use for a married woman. If you were addressing a woman that you didn’t know, the safest term would be Ms. because you don’t know if she is married or not.

The word Mrs. is followed by a period in the US, but not in the UK. In the US, I would go by Mrs. Cain. In the UK, I would be Mrs Cain. Mrs. stems from Mistress which is the feminine form of Mister or Master. In modern English, however, there Mrs. isn’t short for anything; that is, there is no long form of the word.

A woman may retain the Mrs. in front of her name if her husband dies, or if they divorce. Although most people that I know don’t follow this rule; the formal rule about a woman who retains her last name upon marriage or hyphenates her maiden name with her husband’s doesn’t take the Mrs. in front of her name, but I know of many people who do this anyway. Interestingly, when single mothers were becoming more common but not totally accepted by society, it became custom to refer to them as Mrs. so that they wouldn’t be discriminated against.

In the case of lesbian couples who have taken a common last name, Ms. Manners has suggested the following term when addressing both women; Mmes Cain, but Ms. Manners isn’t the boss of how to address people and I know of one couple who go by Mrs. and Mrs.

In summary, if in doubt about a woman’s marital status, refer to her as Ms. unless she expresses a preference.

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Catholic vs Christian

Difference Between Catholic and Christian

I will summarize the commonalities across all of the Christian followers.

First, Jesus of Nazareth was the son of God and the savior of humanity. The death and resurrection of Jesus is a pivotal belief in all Christian denominations. All Christians believe the path to salvation lies in the acceptance of the church and its doctrine and they all believe Jesus died on the cross to atone for the sins of humanity. The Holy Trinity is a belief that the son (Jesus) the father (God) and the holy spirit are one in the same. The important holy book is the Bible, made up of the Old Testament and the New Testament; also known as the “good news”. The Jewish faith follows the teachings of the Old Testament; maybe it’s the “bad news”. The bad news is that we are all sinners, the good news is that we can all be saved. That last sentence was just my sarcastic brain overcoming my objective brain. I will try not to let it happen again, but I am not making any promises

Roman Catholicism is a denomination of the Christian faith. It makes up, by far, the largest denomination of all the subsets including Lutheranism, Protestantism, and others. The Catholic Church views itself as the one holy church; the true faith. Catholics believe in the 7 sacraments, while other Christian denominations don’t recognize all the sacraments. In addition, the Catholic Church has a spiritual leader, the Pope, who, it is believed is a direct descendant of Peter the Apostle, the one whom Jesus asked to build the church - St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The Bishops are believed to be descendants of the other Apostles.

When you are a Catholic, you are Christian, but you are not a Catholic because you are a Christian. Catholics believe in a literal and spiritual interpretation of the Bible. The literal is used as a tool to teach morals. They also believe in typology; that events in the Old Testament were allegories for events in the New Testament; for example, Moses parting the Red Sea is a reference to Baptism. Catholics also believe that the Scriptures should be closely followed word for word and are not open for interpretation saving that of Bishops who are direct descendants of Jesus’ Apostles. And finally, Catholics believe the end of the world as stated in the Book of Revelations is not a metaphor, but an event that will actually happen sometime in the future.

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Sunni vs Shiite

Difference Between Sunni and Shiite

Both Sunni and Shia Muslims share the most fundamentalIslamic beliefs and articles of faith. The differences between these two main sub-groups within Islam initially stemmed not from spiritual differences, but political ones. Over the centuries, however, these political differences have spawned a number of varying practices and positions which have come to carry a spiritual significance.

Origins - A Question of Leadership

The division between Shia and Sunni dates back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad, and the question of who was to take over the leadership of the Muslim nation. Sunni Muslims agree with the position taken by many of the Prophet's companions, that the new leader should be elected from among those capable of the job. This is what was done, and the Prophet Muhammad's close friend and advisor, Abu Bakr, became the first Caliph of the Islamic nation. The word "Sunni" in Arabic comes from a word meaning "one who follows the traditions of the Prophet."

On the other hand, some Muslims share the belief that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet's own family, among those specifically appointed by him, or among Imams appointed by God Himself.

The Shia Muslims believe that following the Prophet Muhammad's death, leadership should have passed directly to his cousin/son-in-law, Ali. Throughout history, Shia Muslims have not recognized the authority of elected Muslim leaders, choosing instead to follow a line of Imams which they believe have been appointed by the Prophet Muhammad or God Himself. The word "Shia" in Arabic means a group or supportive party of people. The commonly-known term is shortened from the historical "Shia-t-Ali," or "the Party of Ali." They are also known as followers of "Ahl-al-Bayt" or "People of the Household" (of the Prophet).

Distribution

Sunni Muslims make up the majority (85%) of Muslims all over the world. Significant populations of Shia Muslims can be found in Iran and Iraq, and large minority communities in Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, and Lebanon.

Differences in Religious Practice

From this initial question of political leadership, some aspects of spiritual life have been affected and now differ between the two groups of Muslims.

It is important to remember that despite these differences in opinion and practice, Shia and Sunni Muslims share the main articles of Islamic belief and are considered by most to be brethren in faith. In fact, most Muslims do not distinguish themselves by claiming membership in any particular group, but prefer to call themselves simply, "Muslims."

Religious Leadership

Shia Muslims believe that the Imam is sinless by nature, and that his authority is infallible as it comes directly from God. Therefore, Shia Muslims often venerate the Imams as saints and perform pilgrimages to their tombs and shrines in the hopes of divine intercession.

Sunni Muslims counter that there is no basis in Islam for a hereditary privileged class of spiritual leaders, and certainly no basis for the veneration or intercession of saints. Sunni Muslims contend that leadership of the community is not a birthright, but a trust that is earned and which may be given or taken away by the people themselves.

Religious Texts and Practices

Shia Muslims also feel animosity towards some of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, based on their positions and actions during the early years of discord about leadership in the community. Many of these companions (Abu Bakr, Umar, Aisha, etc.) have narrated traditions about the Prophet's life and spiritual practice. Shia Muslims reject these traditions (>hadith>) and do not base any of their religious practices on the testimony of these individuals. This naturally gives rise to some differences in religious practice between the two groups. These differences touch all detailed aspects of religious life: prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, etc.

For more detailed information about the historical context of the Shia/Sunni split, and modern-day interpretations and repercussions, please visit the links to the right.

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Black vs White

Difference Between Black and White

Black can be defined in a few ways. It does not emit any color, nor reflect any light and thus appears black to the human eye. Black can be both the absence of color and a blending of the three primary colors of red, blue and yellow to create a shade resembling black to the human eye.

Black surfaces absorb heat. The photons that hit the surface are absorbed; and since the First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, the photons excite the surface particles of the black object, causing them to move faster. Fast moving particles are warmer than slow moving particles, so black objects are hotter than other colored objects.

White is all the colors in the spectrum. When white light is shined through a prism, the colors that make up the light are separated into their individual colors. White also reflects photons, making it a fabric that is cooler to wear in desert and other hot climates. Thus “never wear white after labor day” rule doesn’t really apply in the Southern hemisphere.

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Baking Soda vs Baking Powder

Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder

Baking Soda

Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. When baking soda is combined with moisture and an acidic ingredient (e.g., yogurt, chocolate, buttermilk, honey), the resulting chemical reaction produces bubbles of carbon dioxide that expand under oven temperatures, causing baked goods to rise. The reaction begins immediately upon mixing the ingredients, so you need to bake recipes which call for baking soda immediately, or else they will fall flat!

Baking Powder

Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate, but it includes the acidifying agent already (cream of tartar), and also a drying agent (usually starch). Baking powder is available as single-acting baking powder and as double-acting baking powder. Single-acting powders are activated by moisture, so you must bake recipes which include this product immediately after mixing. Double-acting powders react in two phases and can stand for a while before baking. With double-acting powder, some gas is released at room temperature when the powder is added to dough, but the majority of the gas is released after the temperature of the dough increases in the oven.

How Are Recipes Determined?

Some recipes call for baking soda, while others call for baking powder. Which ingredient is used depends on the other ingredients in the recipe. The ultimate goal is to produce a tasty product with a pleasing texture. Baking soda is basic and will yield a bitter taste unless countered by the acidity of another ingredient, such as buttermilk. You'll find baking soda in cookie recipes. Baking powder contains both an acid and a base and has an overall neutral effect in terms of taste. Recipes that call for baking powder often call for other neutral-tasting ingredients, such as milk. Baking powder is a common ingredient in cakes and biscuits.

Substituting in Recipes

You can substitute baking powder in place of baking soda (you'll need more baking powder and it may affect the taste), but you can't use baking soda when a recipe calls for baking powder. Baking soda by itself lacks the acidity to make a cake rise. However, you can make your own baking powder if you have baking soda and cream of tartar. Simply mix two parts cream of tartar with one part baking soda.

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Alligators vs Crocodiles

Difference Between Alligators and Crocodiles

Alligators and crocodiles are both crocodilians; but from different families. There are three separate families of crocodilians: Aligatoridae include alligators and caimans, Crocodylidae include crocodiles and Gavialidae include only the gharial. This is only the difference in classification; there are many physical differences between the two animals.

Alligators are found in only two places in the world; the southeastern United States and in China. The Chinese alligator is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. It is found in small bodies of water on the lower Yangtze River. Habitat destruction is the biggest culprit as more and more Chinese land is converted for agricultural uses - we really are insatiable in the West aren’t we? There is hope for them; there are over 10,000 Chinese alligators in zoos and sanctuaries. This is probably enough to maintain genetic diversity. Crocodiles are found in Africa, Asia, North and South America and Australia.

Alligators, in general have a more pointed and stronger jaw that assists them in crunching through the hard shells of turtles that are plentiful in their habitat in the United States. Crocodiles have a weaker jaw. Their jaws are also different. Only the top teeth are visible on an alligator with a closed mouth; their top jaw completely covers their lower jaw whereas crocodiles have jaws that allow their teeth to fit nicely between each other; meaning top and bottom teeth are both visible.

Two more interesting features distinguish alligator from crocodile. Small sensory organs on the skin of both animals are thought to detect changes in pressure, allowing them to locate prey easier. Alligators only have them in the area around their head, whereas crocodiles have them covering most of their body. The second feature is salivary like glands in the tongue that secrete salt. Both alligators and crocodiles have these organs, but they are only active in crocodiles. This is why crocodiles are able to live in ocean and fresh water while alligators live only in fresh water.

As with many things in life, there are exceptions to the rule. The Indian Mugger crocodile actually has a snout resembling an alligator, but is a crocodile in all other ways.

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Alligators and crocodiles have been considered villainous, man-eating monsters for centuries, but that wasn’t always the case. In ancient Egypt, crocodiles were revered and even worshiped, but that worship was tinged with a deep-seated respect for this powerful, awesome creature. Myths sprouted up around these impressive beasts from the earliest time of man, and some persist today. Part of this is due to the fact that crocodiles and alligators have truly ancient roots, going all the way back to the period when dinosaurs still roamed the earth.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALLIGATORS AND CROCODILES

The two are often confused, but visually crocs and alligators are quite different. Alligators have a very broad, wide snout, and crocodiles have a narrower snout and jaw. Also crocodiles often have a lower tooth that juts out noticeably, while an alligator's fourth tooth is hidden.

WHERE THEY LIVE

Crocodilians are a cold-blooded species, and require an average temperature of approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit to survive. This being the case, they are found on warmer continents that have swampy or humid conditions for at least part of the season.

The American alligator lives almost exclusively in the lower southeast regions of North America, from the Carolinas to Texas. The caiman, a smaller species of crocodiles, populate a large section of southern Mexico, Central and South America. The Chinese alligator lives in the lower Yangtze valley in China. The American crocodile is scattered throughout the Everglades and Florida Keys, and in Mexico and Central America. The African Nile crocodile is one of the most notorious, often growing as large as 16 to 20 feet in length. Southeast Asia has the Indo-Pacific crocodile, which lives in Indonesia, to the Philippines, and Australia.

WHAT AND HOW THEY EAT

Crocodilians are pure carnivores and ambush their prey by stealth. They swim either under water or skim quietly along the top of the water until they are within striking range, when they then explode upon the prey, grabbing it in their massive jaws and dragging it under water to drown. What they eat depends upon the species and where they are located. A crocodilians diet can consist of fish, turtles, rodents, birds, both small and large mammals, other reptiles and insects or young or immature crocs or alligators. Also, many species can exist on one large meal for over six months to a year. They store their food energy in fat cells, and draw from these in-between meals. Crocodiles will often “roll” with large prey to rip off chunks of flesh, before swallowing.

APPEARANCE & TRAITS

All crocodilians have webbed feet, which are a defined mark to their life in water. They also have very tough, or armored skin, which is actually an overlapped set of scales. These scales help to protect the salt-water croc and alligators from the harsh salinity of the sea. The eyes and nostrils are set up high on the head and snout to allow it to keep its main body submerged while still being able to breathe and view their surroundings with ease. Crocodiles have a vertical pupil that allows them to hunt effectively at night.

Crocodilians have an excellent sense of smell and hearing. Their jaws are enormously powerful, but only on the downward bite, which give the croc that infamous “snap,” like a spring-loaded hinge. Their teeth continue to grow their entire life. If they lose or break one off, another will soon grow to replace it. They also “shed” their teeth periodically, whether or not there’s been damage.

Their broad, heavily muscled tail assists them in swimming smoothly and quickly. Even though they have short legs, they can move surprisingly fast on dry land. Alligators and crocodiles can live up to fifty years of age on average.

Like snakes, crocodilians lay eggs. Some species build nests of debris and earth, while others excavate holes for their offspring. All species lay their eggs on land, near water but well above the water line. The eggs hatch anywhere from two to three months after being layed. Although the mother may lay as may as fifty eggs, few of the baby crocodilian will survive to adult hood. They are prey for many other animals, from birds to fish.

ARE THEY DANGEROUS?

The answer is yes. Alligators are actually NOT known for being aggressive toward man unless nesting or unexpectedly disturbed, but crocodiles do and have killed humans if they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Crocodilians are territorial, and males will defend their territory from intruders, be it man or beast. The Nile crocodiles are known for the large number of human fatalities they cause every year.

It’s best never to approach one, even for a good “shot” with a camera. They can be very fast, even on land, and if you are in crocodile or alligator territory, it’s advisable never to linger on a bank or decide to go for a swim. They are the masters of disguise, and usually are never seen until it’s too late.

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Mitosis vs Meiosis

Difference Between Mitosis and Meiosis

Mitosis refers to duplication of a non sex cell into two diploid cells (diploid means that it has two sets of chromosomes - one from mom and one from dad) and Meiosis refers to the duplication of sex cells only; sperm and egg. Meiosis of one sex cell results in 4 haploid cells (haploid means that it only has one set of chromosomes to be contributed to another set during fertilization when we receive one set of chromosomes from mom and one set from dad). Mitosis is the duplication of new cells in eukaryotes; cells that have membrane bound organelles (organelles are the organs of a cell such as the mitochondria). The typical cell spends most of its time in a stage where it is performing its normal cellular functions, but because cells wear out, they need to be replaced. Mitosis strictly refers to the duplication of the DNA inside the nucleus. The term Mitotic phase refers to the entire cell division process.

It is important to remember that most cells spend their time performing normal metabolic functions and are not in a state of constant division. This phase is known as the G Zero phase. Some cells in the human body are permanently in this phase; cells that never divide, like neurons for example.

Interphase is the phase of growing bigger and duplicating the DNA and organelles.

Cell division happens like this: First, there is the Gap 1 phase where the cell starts to grow bigger by creating more cytoplasm and more organelles in preparation for division. Next is the Synthesis phase where the cell replicates its DNA within the nucleus, then comes Gap 2 where the cell continues to grow larger and create new organelles.

Prophase is where the loosely bound DNA condenses into chromosomes. Most of the time, your DNA is sitting unbound in the nucleus; stretching its coils as it were. In prophase, the two chromosomes join together to become sister chromatids. When I say two chromosomes here, there are actually four individual chromosomes because remember that each cell already has two sets; one from each parent, so in the Synthesis stage, both sets are duplicating resulting in four chromosomes.

In Metaphase, the sister chromatids line up at the point where the nucleus will split in half.

In Anaphase, the sister chromatids are split up into sister chromosomes, each ready to be inside a new nucleus.

In Telophase, the sister chromosomes are becoming bound into a new nuclear envelope, each ready to become the nucleus of its own cell. While Telophase is happening, Cytokinesis is taking place; the process of the whole cell dividing. Clefts appear on the surface of the cell and deepen. This will be the pinching off point between the two new cells.

The same stages happen in Meiosis, with a few differences. During the Synthesis phase, two sets of chromosomes become four; like before, but the arms of these chromosomes will cross with each other and recombine their DNA, so each chromosome has a different mixture of genes from mom and dad. That is why, with the exception of identical twins, no child of the same parents will look the same as the other as there are millions of possible combinations. In addition, Meiosis goes through this cycle twice instead of just once; Meiosis 1 and Meiosis 2.

Meiosis One

In Prophase, the DNA duplicates as before, but the chromosomes recombine, creating genetic variability. This is unique to Meiosis.

In Metaphase, the cells line up as before.

In Anaphase, whole chromosomes are pulled to the opposite side of the nucleus in preparation for division.

In Telophase, each cell receives 46 chromosomes, but they aren’t in homologous pairs. Each person has 46 chromosomes in the nucleus of their cells, but they are in homologous pairs, meaning that the same genes are in the same places, but the actual genetic information is different. A new nuclear envelope forms around these two sets of haploid cells and cytokinesis begins which splits the cell in half.

In Meiosis 2, all of the same phases occur as before, but each of the two cells created in Meiosis 1 divide resulting in 4 cells, each with 23 chromosomes.

To summarize Mitosis vs Meiosis; Mitosis is the division of non sex cells to create two identical daughter cells with a complete set of chromosomes from both parents; 23 pairs. Meiosis is the division of sex cells to create 4 different daughter cells, each with 23 individual chromosomes.

Differences between mitosis and meiosis

MITOSIS		MEIOSIS
In somatic cells		In reproductive cells
One single division (here below A-E) of the mother cell (m) results in two daughter cells (d)		Two divisions (here below: meiosis I in A-E and meiosis II in F-H) of the mother cell (meiocyte; m) result in four meiotic products (p)
A mitotic mother cell can be either haploid or diploid		A meiotic mother cell (meiocyte) is always diploid
The number of chromosomes per nucleus remains the same after division	Diploid (= 2n) remains 2n Haploid (= 1n) remains 1 n	The meiotic products contain a haploid (n) number of chromosomes, in contrast to the 2 n mother cell	From 2n to n
Mitosis is preceeded by a S-phase in which the amount of DNA is duplicated	Example for a diploid mother cell:	Only meiosis I is preceeded by a S-phase
Normally no pairing of homolog chromosomes	x	Complete pairing of all homolog chromosomes during prophase I
Normally no exchange of DNA (crossing-over) between chromosomes	x	At least one crossing-over per homolog pair of chromosomes
The centromeres are split during anaphase		The centromeres do not separate during anaphase I, but during anaphase II
Conservative process: the genotype of the daughter cells is identical to that of the mother cells		Meiotic products differ in their genotype from the mother cell (increase in genetic variation in the offspring)

The mitotic metaphase can be distinguished from the metaphase I of meiosis as no pairing of homolog chromosomes occurs in mitosis; this is not necessary, even not suitable for the mitotic process (why?). Further, homolog chromosomes separate during metaphase I of meiosis, whereas during mitosis and metaphase II the separating structures are the chromatides. The difference between the separation in mitosis and metaphase II (meiosis) is that halfing of the number of chromosomes has preceeded meiosis II, in contrast to mitosis. Also the meiotic products are genetically diverse with respect to their parent and among each other. This is not the case in mitosis!

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Mass vs Weight

Difference Between Mass and Weight

Students of physics often confuse mass and weight of an object and many also feel that there is no difference between the two, while the fact is that there is a lot of difference between the two.

Mass is the amount of matter present in a body and is an intrinsic property of the body. Mass of an object remains the same always at any place.

Weight on the other hand is the force which a given mass feels due to the gravity at its place. Weight is measured in units of Force like Newton (which is the SI unit of Force).

If your mass is 60 kgs then your weight is approximately 60 x 10 = 600 Newtons. This is because

Force = mass x acceleration (From Newton's second Law)

Thus, weight = mass x acceleration due to gravity

If you go to moon your mass remains same, i.e 60 kgs, but your weight becomes less by 1/6 amount, since moon's gravity is 1/6 that of earth.

Mass of a body is measured by balancing it equally with another known amount of mass. You keep known amount of masses like blocks of 1 kg, 2 kg etc on one side till both the sides balance and then add up the numbers on the known side of mass and thus calculate the unknown mass. This works because, when the masses are equal on both the sides of the balance the effect of gravity cancels out for both (i.e weight cancels out) and hence we can calculate the mass on one side of the balance if we know the mass on the other side of the balance.

Weight is measured using a scale which effectively measures the pull on the mass exerted by the gravity of the earth.

Table 1: Differences between Mass and Weight

	Mass	Weight
1.	Is always a constant at any place and time	Depends on gravity at the place
2.	Is measured in kilograms in SI unit	Is measured in Newtons (not in kilograms as one might think)
3.	Is measured using balance	Is measured using scales
4.	Can never be zero	Can also be zero
5.	Is an intrinsic property of a body and is independent of any external factor.	Depends on 1. Mass of the object which is attracting it 2. Force with which it is being attracted (which in turn depends on the distance between the two)

If an object is in freefall towards the attractor (like earth), even then it has weight, but it experiences weightlessness (like an astronaut in a spaceship around the earth) since it is obeying the force. Weight can be felt only when the body in question tends to oppose the force of gravity (like u and me sitting on the surface of the earth:-)

Remember that even though we are at rest due to the friction between our self and earth's surface, our acceleration is not zero, it is still 9.8 m/s² as the earth is constantly pulling us down towards its center. But we are resisting that pull and feel the force as weight.

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HIV vs AIDS

Difference between HIV and AIDS


HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.

H	-	Human: because this virus can only infect human beings.
I	-	Immuno-deficiency: because the effect of the virus is to create a deficiency, a failure to work properly, within the body's immune system.
V	-	Virus: because this organism is a virus, which means one of its characteristics is that it is incapable of reproducing by itself. It reproduces by taking over the machinery of the human cell.
A	-	Acquired: because it's a condition one must acquire or get infected with; not something transmitted through the genes
I	-	Immune: because it affects the body's immune system, the part of the body which usually works to fight off germs such as bacteria and viruses
D	-	Deficiency: because it makes the immune system deficient (makes it not work properly)
S	-	Syndrome: because someone with AIDS may experience a wide range of different diseases and opportunistic infections.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and it is the virus that causes AIDS; which stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The main difference being that a person can have HIV without having AIDS, but HIV is what causes AIDS.

The progression of HIV to AIDS is a continuum where AIDS is the end result, but different organizations have different definitions about when HIV becomes AIDS. According to the World Health Organization, the progression happens in four stages; the virus is in the body, but the person is asymptomatic, then sores in the mouth and other mucous membranes appear and upper respiratory tract infections start happening more frequently, next the person suffers from chronic diarrhea, tuberculosis and other serious lung infections, and finally brain complications, widespread candidiasis infections and Kaposi’s sarcoma, the hallmark skin lesions seen in AIDS patients. It is in this fourth stage that a person is classified as having AIDS.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV become AIDS when there are fewer than 200 CD4+T Cells per microliter of blood. Nine out of ten patients will develop AIDS within 10 to 15 years after contracting HIV. Treatment with antiretroviral drugs after a diagnosis of AIDS infection can prolong a patient’s life by up to 5 years or more. Without them, a patient can die in a year.

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Gross vs Net

Difference Between Gross and Net

Gross refers to a sum of money given to another person; typically as payment for labor, without any taxes or other deductions taken away. For example, if you earn a salary of $40,000 per year, this amount is your gross earnings, but because we live in a community, we give some of our wages to help pay for the infrastructure of the community we live in. Without taxes, we wouldn’t have roads to drive to work on. If we don’t pay a small amount to ensure that we still receive some money in the event that we are unemployed, then we have no protection in times of crisis. The amount of money that we actually receive on our pay checks after taxes, unemployment and other deductions have been made represents our net earnings; the amount of money that we actually get to keep.

In terms of a corporation, gross earnings refer to the total amount of money that has come into the business over a defined period of time. Net earnings are the actual profit made once all expenses have been paid such as labor, cost of goods sold, overhead like rent and utilities and other expenses.

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Civil vs Criminal law

The difference between civil and criminal law


The difference between civil and criminal law is that criminal law involves the notion of a punishment either by a fine to the government, incarceration or in some U.S. States, execution. Criminal law in the United States for example, divides punishments into 2 different categories: felonies which involve sentences of incarceration for more than one year and misdemeanors, which involve sentences of incarceration that are less than one year. Civil law works on the notion penalizing the defendant for behavior causing losses to the complainant; there is no jail time or fine paid to the government, but rather payment to cover losses suffered; such as loss of privacy, slander, libel and such. Civil law is different from Common Law. Common law is decided by judges and other bodies. So the innocence or guilt of a defendant is dependent upon decisions made in past similar cases. In cases where there are no previous examples in which to base a decision, a judge must set a precedent: create a rule that will apply to future similar cases. Common law is the system used in the United States.

Civil law is based on a system derived in the Roman Empire in the 6th century. Basically, it sets out a list of rules that must be followed that can only be changed by legislation of government. Judges do take into account decisions that have been made in the past, but they cannot change the law. Civil law is the most common system of law in the world. It is also known as European Continental Law. In summary, Common Law is based on rules set forth by judges and Civil Law is based on rules set forth by a governing body.

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Hardware vs Software

Difference Between Hardware and Software

Hardware - It’s physical component of a computer system. E.g. Mouse, Monitor, Key Board come under this category. You relate your physical body to computer hardware like eyes, ears etc.

Software : Is a collection of programs, procedures and documentation that will make physical components in computer to do some task. Your soul is like a software which makes your body parts work.

Hardware refers to the physical components of the computer that run the software; such as the hard drive, the motherboard, the video and sound cards, the monitor, the printer, the keyboard and the mouse. Hardware also includes removable storage devices such as a CD Rom Drive or Zip Drive.

Software refers to things that are used by the hardware, such as programs that you install on your computer including games, word processing programs, spreadsheet programs, graphic design programs and the like.

There is an in between category called firmware or middleware. This is the program initially installed on your computer that allows you to run all other programs. Examples include operating systems include MS Windows, Linux and Mac OS. Basically, firmware is the go between the software and the hardware; translating the software into a language that the computer can understand and respond to.

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Plasma vs LCD

Difference Between Plasma and LCD

The difference between an LCD and a Plasma TV is that a Plasma TV uses charged neon and xenon gas to hit red, blue and green phosphorus to create an image on the screen; whereas a LCD TV uses two pieces of fused, transparent material that uses special glue that holds liquid crystals. A light source allows charged liquid crystals to accept or not accept light in order to create an image.

Here are the similarities: they both have flat screens, they both have sharper images than a CRT, but the Plasma TV has a shorter screen life and generates more heat than a LCD TV. If picture sharpness and brightness of color is important to you, the Plasma TV is a better bet. It is available in larger screen sizes more commonly than is the LCD TV. Another advantage of a Plasma TV is it can be cheaper to buy than an LCD. The main disadvantage of the LCD screen is that if the individual liquid crystals burn out, than there will be little black and white dots on your television screen that cannot be repaired without replacing the whole screen.

The main disadvantage of a Plasma screen is that a picture left on too long can burn a permanent image onto the screen. I also wonder about the safety of having all of those chemicals around: neon, xenon, red, blue and green phosphorus, but sources I have found indicate that Plasma TV’s only generate a small amount of ultra violet radiation, and less than the traditional CRT TV

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Analog vs Digital

Difference between Analog and Digital

Analog and Digital

As a technology, analog is the process of taking an audio or video signal (the human voice) and translating it into electronic pulses. Digital on the other hand is breaking the signal into a binary format where the audio or video data is represented by a series of "1"s and "0"s. Simple enough when it's the deviceanalog or digital phone, fax, modem, or likewisethat does all the converting for you.

Digital versus analog can refer to method of input, data storage and transfer, the internal working of an instrument, and the kind of display. The word comes from the same source as the word digit and digitus.
The digital technology breaks your voice (or television) signal into binary code a series of 1s and 0s transfers it to the other end where another device (phone, modem or TV) takes all the numbers and reassembles them into the original signal. The beauty of digital is that it knows what it should be when it reaches the end of the transmission. That way, it can correct any errors that may have occurred in the data transfer. What does all that mean to you? Clarity. In most cases, you'll get distortion-free conversations and clearer TV pictures. The nature of digital technology allows it to cram lots of those 1s and 0s together into the same space an analog signal uses. Like your button-rich phone at work or your 200-plus digital cable service, that means more features can be crammed into the digital signal. Digital offers better clarity, but analog gives you richer quality. Digital like the VCR or the CD is coming down in cost and coming out in everything from cell phones to satellite dishes.

Phone lines

Digital lines are found in large, corporate phone systems. Though digital lines carry lower voltages than analog lines, they still pose a threat to your analog equipment.

Analog lines also referred to as POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service), support standard phones, fax machines, and modems. These are the lines typically found in your home or small office

There are digital-to-analog adapters that not only let you use analog equipment in a digital environment, but also safeguard against frying the internal circuitry of your phone, fax, modem, or laptop.

Cordless phone

The very nature of digital technologybreaking a signal into binary code and recreating it on the receiving endgives you clear, distortion-free cordless calls.

Cordless phones with digital technology are also able to encrypt all those 1s and 0s during transmission so your conversation is safe from eavesdroppers. Plus, more power can be applied to digital signals and thus, you'll enjoy longer range on your cordless phone conversations.

The advantage to analog cordless products? Well, they're a bit cheaper. And the sound quality is richer. So unless you need digital security, why not save a few bucks and go with an analog phone? After all, in home or small office environments where you may be the only cordless user, you won't have any interference issues.

Keep in mind, when talking about digital and analog cordless phones, you're talking about the signals being transferred between the handset and its base. The phones themselves are still analog devices that can only be used on analog lines. Also, the range of your cordless phoneanalog or digitalwill always depend on the environment.

Cellular Phones

Perhaps the most effective use of the digital versus analog technology is in the booming cellular market. With new phone activations increasing exponentially, the limits of analog are quickly being realized.

Digital cellular lets significantly more people use their phones within a single coverage area. More data can be sent and received simultaneously by each phone user. Plus, transmissions are more resistant to static and signal fading. And with the all-in-one phones out nowphone, pager, voice mail, internet accessdigital phones offer more features than their analog predecessors.

Analog's sound quality is still superioras some users with dual-transmission phones will manually switch to analog for better sound when they're not concerned with a crowded coverage areabut digital is quickly becoming the norm in the cellular market.

Better Sound Quality
Digital offers a better quality of sound. Proponents of digital claimed too that because digital scrambled up the signals into bursts, it was more secure than analog and can help thwart "cloning," an act of grabbing phone account information over the air in order to copy then resell that information for piracy purposes. By some industry estimates, close to $650 million in wireless services has been coveted by these big-eared crooks, which only adds onto the operator's bottom line a cost that is eventually passed on to the customer. Digital has stronger battery life than analog, and for the most part, better, more modern features on the phones.

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Rap vs Hip Hop

Difference Between Rap and Hip Hop

This is a complex and much discussed question to which there are many varying opinions. The generally accepted difference between Rap and Hip Hop is that Rap evolved from Hip Hop. Hip Hop began in the 1960’s and 1970’s in New York when pioneer artist D.J. Kool Herc isolated the percussion in funk, rock and latin beats and mixed it in various ways. Really, Hip Hop evolved from Funk artitsts like James Brown. Rap came about as MC’s created fast talking, rhyming introductions and interludes to DJ’s performances. Rap then took on a life of its own.

Rap, a style of music associated with rapid talking in rhymes to a beat accompanyment, also takes some of its roots from the Beat Poetry of the 1960’s; focussing on the social and political climate of the time. The first big Rap song hit the charts in 1979 with Sugar Hill Gang’s Rapper’s Delight.

If we were looking at Rap and Hip Hop belonging to a family tree, at the very top would be D.J. Kool Herc with his two children being Rap and Hip Hop (obviously with much overlap), related, but separate and distinct.

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Qualitative vs Quantitative

Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative

Qualitative research is a method for gathering data that employs the use of surveys and focus groups with the goal of understanding the attitudes and behavior of the target group. It is looking for people to give their subjective account of an experience or idea. The researcher spends more time with the test subjects and generally tests fewer people compared to Quantitative research.

Quantitative research involves gathering statistical data; usually in the form of questionnaires and focussed interviews and usually involves using the Scientific Method to obtain information. If you have been called upon to fill in a document verbally or orally that asks you to rate on a scale of 1-5, you have participated in Quantitative research. Demographic information falls under this category: age, sex, occupation, area of residence, etc.

There is a tendency in the scientific community to give more credence to quantitative research, but this attitude is a mistake as both methodologies have their place in gathering research. I once assisted on a study that examined perception of crime and safety within a subject’s neighborhood as defined by them. For example, what you consider to be part of your neighborhood, I might not, even though we live next door to each other. When we looked at the answers to the questionnaire where people identified crime “hot spots” in their neighborhood, we found that there were some definite streets, houses and intersections that were widely thought to be centers of criminal activity. This would be considered Qualitative Data, but we also examined demographics as well: income, married status, sex, age, etc. because these two types of data support each other, fill out a more comprehensive picture and raise interesting questions about relationships between two sets of data. For example, is one age group more fearful of a particular area of town than another age group.

Both sets of gathering data are valid and useful, and many researchers employ both methods when studying a phenomenon.

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Sales vs Marketing

Difference Between Sales and Marketing

Obviously they are related and can’t really exist without each other. In the marketing process, a need in the market is identified and a product is designed to fulfill that need and advertising is used to get the message to the consumer. Selling is the last step in the process; delivering the product to the customer. It is considered a “pull” approach. Marketing pulls the consumer to the store to purchase the product. Sales is focussed on convincing the customer to purchase a ready made product. The focus in the sales approach is to move inventory, not to identifiy individual customer needs and custom make a product to match their needs. Sales operates on a “push” approach; pushing the product on the customer.

There is an insinuated higher value placed on the marketing approach as it is more customer focussed, but selling plays an important role in the overall marketing strategy. For example, if you are launching a brand new product such as the plasma car that kids ride, consumers may be interested in buying based on advertisements that they see, but a skilled salesperson is able to present features, advantages and benefits of the product. Very few of these ride on toys would have been sold without the knowledgeable sales people available to answer customer questions and solve problems.

So, in summary, sales pushes an already existing product and marketing recognizes a need to be filled and creates a product to serve that need.

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