The Effect of the Oxygen Concentration in the River on Gammarus Pulex Essay Example Essay Example

The Effect of the Oxygen Concentration in the River on Gammarus Pulex Essay Example Paper The Effect of the Oxygen Concentration in the River on Gammarus Pulex Essay Introduction Rationale: Whilst doing a group study on the biodiversity of life in different parts of the river, I noticed a difference in the number of Gammerus Pulex. I thought this might be due to the difference in abiotic factors such as pH and flow rate. After doing some research on this species I discovered that they are particularly fond of more oxygenated water, thus I constructed my hypothesis to investigate this.Gammarus Pulex: This species is more commonly known as the fresh water shrimp. It is generally found in shallow fresh water rivers, although they have been known to tolerate lakes with a stream running into it for example. This is probably due to the higher oxygen levels in the water. They spend most of their time under stones in the bed of the river and feed on decomposing plant and animal material. They range from being only a couple of millimetres to up to three centimetres and can be any colour from pale orange to grey and brown. They are easy to spot by their arc shaped bodi es and their distinctive movement. They propel themselves through the water by a series of contractions and relaxations and travel on their side. Although it is very difficult to see they are also constantly vibrating. This produces a constant current of water over their gills at the base of their thoracic legs. When the females are carrying eggs or young in their pouches they are carried around by the males.Hypothesis: There will be a greater abundance of gammarus pulex in the more oxygenated sites of the river.Null Hypothesis: There will be no association between the abundance of gammarus pulex and the oxygenation of the river sitesPlanningI have chosen two sites where I think that the oxygen levels will be different:The first site is on Hope Farm which is privately owned. The owners often use the land for grazing animals and it is possible that the soil may have been treated before for agricultural purposes so it is important that I measure the pH and nutrient levels of the water . As few people are allowed access to this site it is pretty much undisturbed. However only about ten metres upstream from site I am using is a small weir. This is likely to incorporate more oxygen into the water. The area is clear from trees and crops and is surrounded by meadow type land. There are reeds and other greenery on the banks. The riverbed itself is mainly made up of shingle and the water is very clear. It was x m deepThe second site is at Letheringsett Ford. It is situated alongside a single-track country road and just about ten metres upstream there is a small ford that leads to a couple of residential properties. It is surrounded by agricultural land used for arable farming. Again the land may have been treated for this purpose so it is important I measure the pH and nutrient levels in the water. The riverbed itself is made up of larger stones. There were some ash trees on one of the banks and grass on the other. It was xm deep, very similar to Home Farm. However the water seemed slightly more turbid. I predict that this site will be less oxygenated as there is not a weir or any other constant water turbulence.Sampling TechniquesThe first thing I must consider is how to take my sample of the gammarus pulex from the river, I have summarized the advantages and or disadvantages of a few possible methods of sampling:Sweep Sampling is a method where a net is swept in front of you while standing in the river in a figure of eight movement or from side to side. It can be measured by timing the amount of time spent sweeping the water. One problem with this is that if the invertebrate you are trying to capture lives in the bed under rocks for example you are unlikely to capture an accurate number of the animal in the area. Another problem is how to keep the action of the net consistent and as the person is deciding on where to put it a bias may be caused.Kick Sampling is a technique where someone stands on the riverbed and kicks forwards and backwards dis turbing the riverbed and holds a net downstream to catch the invertebrates with the current. This can also be easily measured by timing how long to ‘kick’. This measures the number of the invertebrate whether it resides beneath the stones or in the river water itself. As the nature of the kick is produced by the person holding the net care must be taken to avoid bias.Stone Washing is another alternative where stones are removed from the riverbed and washed in clear water to remove any invertebrates on the stone. It is hard to measure and keep it reliable as every stone is a different size and shape. Also some invertebrates may fall off the stone as soon as it is moved which would make it inaccurate. This technique could only be used if the invertebrates being counted live on the stones. Bias could be caused by the person choosing the stones.VariablesIndependent Variable: River SiteDependent Variable: Abundance of gammarus pulexOther possible variables may need to be con trolled or measured and taken account of when analysing the results:Abiotic Factors and how I will control or measure them:FactorWhat I will do about itpH of WaterMeasure with universal indicatorTurbidityImmeasurable because of shallowness of riverSpeed of River FlowMeasure using a flow meterTemperature of WaterMeasure using a thermometerAmmonia, Phosphate and Nitrate Levels in WaterMeasure with testing kitsLight IntensityI will try to do the experiments at both sites quicklyone after the other on the same day to reduce variationAnthropogenic Factors: Distance away from fords, animal crossings etc Pollution of water and riverbedI will have to observe and consider these anthropogenic factors and consider their importance at both sites.All these abiotic and anthropogenic factors can cause variation in the favorability of the habitat for certain species. Even if a factor does not specifically affect the Gammarus Pulex, if they make the conditions better for a predator or competitive sp ecies then the number of Gammarus Pulex will decrease. In another way if the conditions should favour some of the smaller organisms that they feed on then there will be an increase in the number of Gammarus Pulex.Reliability and Accuracy Considerations:The other factors that I must be careful to control involve my procedure. For example my method of sampling must be kept constant and systematic. I must make sure that I do not allow any oxygen into my samples of water for oxygen testing as this could make my results inaccurate. To maintain reliability I will kick sample for the same amount of time every time. I will also take several sets of abiotic data to ensure that the results are reliable. I will ensure that my measuring technique in the identification and counting of the Gammarus Pulex is consistant, again so as not to make my results inaccurate.When performing the Winkler Test in the laboratory I will take care to avoid contamination of other chemicals. I will rinse out my vol umetric flask each time with distilled water. I will take care to read the pipette and burette to the bottom of the meniscus. I will run the liquid through the burette for a while into a waste beaker to make sure the jet is full and there are no air bubbles. All these precautions should improve the accuracy and reliability of the results. I will repeat the titrations to check that they are reliable. I have also taken care choosing my apparatus. I have used the largest amounts possible so as to improve accuracy.Apparatus Net Deep white tray Tape measure Sample bottles Manganese chloride Potassium iodide Sodium hydroxide Thermometer Speed measuring apparatus Safety glasses Magnifying pot Plastic spoon Potassium, ammonia and nitate testing kits pH testing kitRisk Assesment Harmful chemicals – safety goggles Bacteria from water – wash hands, no eating Tripping – glass Care of water levels No lone working Stranger dangerPreliminary investigation Length of time of kic ksKicking Time/secNumber of Shrimps102220263036403950406041Trial Method Kick sample for 30 seconds 2 kicks per second Six sample areas Upstream each time to prevent debris from previous samples Empty net into tray of clean water Empty one at a time into magnifying pot and keep a tally score Release back into river downstream of sampling51627384Trial ResultsSample AreaNumber of ShrimpsRunning Mean12723126.0032929.0042427.7552727.6062627.3372727.2982927.50Total224I have plotted a graph of the running mean to ensure that I have used enough sample areas to make sure my investigation is reliable. As you can see from the graph, my running mean does become more stable. I think I have used enough sample areas although it is not as constant as I expected so I will endeavor to take more sample areas.Changes to the methodAs a result of my preliminary and trial experiments I have chosen to change a few parts of my method. Firstly as soon as I started to kick sample I discovered a considerable v ariable in the speed at which I kicked at and the strength of my kicking. A variation in either of these could mean that I would produce different amount of disturbance to the riverbed and therefore would have a not very reliable number of gammarus pulex. The speed of my kicking I can easily solve by using a stopwatch to measure the amount of kicks I do per second. I decided that a suitable rate would be two kicks a second. As for the strength of the kick, I cannot think of a way of measuring, therefore I will have to monitor this with my own judgment and try and keep it the same. In my preliminary work on the length of kicking time I decided that I would use a kicking period of forty seconds.I have decided to change the amount of samples I take to twelve samples but use the same sampling method, see plan below:951106211731284Otherwise I found that the general method worked well. Whilst working on the river I attempted to keep upstream of anyone else on the river so that their tramp ling did not disturb the conditions for my investigation. I also tried to keep out of their way so I did not affect their experiment, I therefore emptied my gammarus pulex downstream of them. The Effect of the Oxygen Concentration in the River on Gammarus Pulex Essay Thank you for reading this Sample!

Apprentice Catering Assistant Essay

Apprentice Catering Assistant Essay Apprentice Catering Assistant Essay Apprentice Catering Assistant x 1 Employer : Vision West Nottinghamshire College Location: Vision West Nottinghamshire College Derby Road Mansfield NG18 5BH Sector: Retail and Commercial Enterprise Framework: Level 2 Food Service Duration: 15-18 Months AVoL Ref: VAC000483686 Listing Date: 15/08/2014 Closing Date: 31/08/2014 Interview Date: 08/09/2014 Start Date: 15/09/2014 Who are Vision Apprentices? Vision Apprentices is a national recruitment specialist responsible for the recruitment and selection of apprentices into roles with our clients across the country. We work with a large range of businesses in a number of sectors that offer an extensive range of apprenticeships in a diverse selection of careers. We are a subsidiary company of Vision West Nottinghamshire College centres throughout the. For more information please visit our website – www.visionapprentices.co.uk Who is the employer? Where will I be working? Vision West Nottinghamshire College is widely regarded as one of the largest and most successful colleges in the country, offering a wide range of curriculum to meet both the needs of individuals and employers locally, regionally and nationally. The college also owns a number of subsidiary companies that are engaged with the provision of training as well as the development of commercial software products. The college offers training in all major industry sectors and at all levels from pre-GCSE to full degree level. Approaching 30,000 students the college prides itself on providing high quality education and training. The College enjoys a strong financial position and currently holds the Investors in People Gold status to recognise our excellence in developing and supporting staff. There has been significant investment in college facilities, providing an environment that mirrors industry, giving students real life situations and opportunity to learn in state of the art facilities. Why should I apply? What makes this apprenticeship great? The role will require you to take on and work to the college’s values; putting the needs of your Professionalism, taking Responsibility for your actions, and giving Respect to clients and colleagues alike. What work will I be doing? What duties and responsibilities will I have? Catering assistants are key people in helping us develop a high quality food and beverage service, to the satisfaction of our customers. We operate over a number of outlets on College sites, from a full meal service, through to snacks and vending. You should have a friendly and outgoing personality, a flexible approach to working within the team, be customer focused and have the ability to meet high standards of service. You should be able to relate to both staff and students, of all ages and abilities. Main Duties and Responsibilities a) Assist in the preparation of working, service and dining areas. b) Assist in the preparation and service of food and beverage items. c) Clearing and cleaning of all service, preparation and dining areas, equipment and utensils. d) Receive delivery of goods, following appropriate procedures. e) Promote a good customer relationship in a professional manner. f) Assist the smooth running of the unit especially in times of illness of work colleagues. g) Attend all training sessions as required. h) Carry out any duties, as directed, relating to the needs of the business. i) Also specific duties as designated by work rota. Servery a) Ensure a variety of goods are available for sale. b) Ensure all drinks dispensing machines are fully stocked, clean and in working order. c) Ensure service area is clean and tidy at all times. d) Take, record and action, if necessary, food temperatures. e) Take, record and action, if necessary, equipment temperatures. f) Notify cook as food items need replenishing. g) Cleaning duties as directed. Till Area a) Ensure till is attended at all times. b) Ensure sufficient change is available for service. c)

Write-up Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Write-up - Essay Example According to Canner, she was making a documentary on a drug that was a cure to a female disease known as female sexual dysfunction (FSD). In any part of the world, health matters are vital and nobody ever wants to contract a disease if he or she is in a position to avoid it. It is because of this perception that the pharmaceutical company came up with an easy way to make quick profit. The company decided to invent a drug and advertised it in all forms of media in order to get the intended target market, women. Some of the advertisements on television sets claimed â€Å"...40 million women in the US may have FSD disease†¦ (Orgasm Inc., 2011)† According to the documentary, the advertisement worked because in no short time after receiving approval from FDA, people streamed in to pharmaceutical companies and shops in demand for the new drug. Many women went for medical checkups just to be sure of their health status concerning the new disease. During medical checkups, many women tested positive of the disease and encouraged to seek medication, which was costly. According to an interview, one of the women that had undergone medical checkup claimed that doctors told her that she risked death since she had lost a third of her blood volume (Orgasm Inc.,

Passport and Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Passport and Justice - Essay Example As statements made by Knox, she had heard of screams of Kercher proving that she was present in the location and at the time of the murder. At the same time statements of Knox also stressed on the fact that she was mentally pressurized by the investigation team that could have led her to make such statements. Also, the evidences of the blood stains and the matching of DNA with Knox and Kercher could not prove to stand strongly against Knox and her boyfriend. This was primarily because the weapon in which the blood stains were obtained and the injuries on the body of Kercher did not match (Kington, 2011). All these facts reflect on one very important suggestion that the investigation of the murder was done to the proper extent it was needed. Moreover, while the court or the legal system in Italy has been unable to find the match of the evidences with the murder of the young girl, it could also be stressed that the court did not take significant measures to place orders for the identif ication of the truth. The blame was instead completely placed on the team of investigation without any strict rules for them to ensure that the evidences they presented could be strongly used to find the murderers. The US Legal System: Any Difference That Would Have Taken Place: An analysis of the case in concern of the study reflects on the fact there had been a lack in the entire investigation process as well as the legal system that did not contemplate well on what could have actually happened to Meredith Kercher whose throat was slashed and signs of sexual assaults were also found. Rather the judge had made statements that showed that he did not... The case of Amanda Knox reflects on a murder case, which occurred in the year 2007, where Amanda and her boyfriend were charged and given sentences for several years in jail. However, both them have got their releases in the year 2011 (Jones, 2011). The current study focuses on the incidents and the trials that had taken place on this murder, and judgment of the Italian government and how it could be different if the US government was in charge of the case. Also, an overview on the major legal systems in the world would be presented such that an understanding of the legal procedures can be achieved while people move to different countries.There are currently four major legal systems in the world. If any individual travels to different countries, he/she needs to understand the difference in these laws such that they can maintain the decorum applicable in the particular country. Also, in case of any accidents, or criminal acts, the understanding of these laws becomes highly essential. The four major legal systems include the Civil law, the Socialist law, the Islamic law, and the Common law. . If an individual travels to a different country, a study on which law is followed in that country and thus an understanding of that law would assist the individual to keep safe in a foreign country as well.

Writting assessmet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Writting assessmet - Essay Example He was against the concept of family life that was being developed by the bourgeoisie family whose priority had shifted to wealth from love. This exemplifies the contemporary democratic American family lifestyle as Marx predicted in his Communist Manifesto. 3. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Communist Manifesto sheds light on the different classes created during that period. Clash and exploitation have been the main driving force of the relationship two main classes: The Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat. They both remain at conflict with each other because of their economic disparity as the Bourgeoisie Class is associated with wealth, politics and social power while Proletariat’s only source of power is their ability to work. While there remains a constant strive between the two, the irony was that they could not survive without each other. The Bourgeoisie needed the hard work of the Proletariat while the Proletariat was depended on the money and the work provided by the Bourgeoisie. The Proletariat fought for the power to prevent being exploited. It was perhaps on account of this constant striving that labor unions helped provide some power to the Proletariat during the American Steel Revolution. 4. Schumpeter pointed out that the entire society would be able to take advantage of the upsurge of total output. He further pointed out that it was the lower income status group that would be able to enjoy the most advantage. He attributed this prediction to the fact that as the income increased all over Europe, the buying power would eventually increase and people would be more willing to spend on buying and attaining new products and services. 5. David S. Landes, in his book, points out three principal reasons for increase in the average income of the common man in Europe after the Industrial Revolution. Firstly, machines took over the job of people and skills and mastery was no longer in demand; secondly, the concept of mass production where products were

The Concepts Of Partnership And Collaboration Social Work Essay

The Concepts Of Partnership And Collaboration Social Work Essay The concepts of partnership and collaboration have become amongst the most critical themes of new Labours social policy, particularly in respect of the delivery of health and social care. (Lymbery, M, 2005) This is the reason why a reflective summary will be produced in which concepts of partnership, the philosophies and the reducing of negative outcomes for professional, client and organization will be discussed in greater depth. Proposals for minimising negative outcomes will also be covered. CONTENT CONCEPTS OF PARTNERSHIP The definitions of partnership according to Collins English dictionary, 1991 is equal commitment or the state of being a partner. Partnership is also defined as a shared commitment, where all partners have a right and an obligation to participate and will be affected equally by the benefits and disadvantages arising from the partnership as defined by Carnwell, R. and Carson, A. in 2008. Partnership defining attributes are trust and confidence in accountability, respect for specialist expertise, joint working, teamwork, blurring of professional boundaries, member of partnerships share the same vested interests, appropriate governance structures, common goals, transparent lines of communication within and between partner agencies, agreement about the objectives, reciprocity and empathy. Antecedents of partnership are as follow: individual, local and national initiatives, commitment to shared vision about joint venture, willingness to sign up to creating a relationship that will support vision and also value cooperation and respect what other partners bring to the relationship. Partnership provides a number of benefits such as social exclusion will be tackled more efficiently, service provision from different organisations will be less repetitive, activities by agencies will be less diluted and the chance of agencies producing services that are counterproductive to each other will be reduced. However, there are also barriers in working in partnership for instance, complexity of relationships, representativeness of wider public, tokenism and excessive influence of the vocal groups, desire of individuals not to be involved in making decisions about their care, threat to confidentiality, role boundary conflicts, inter-professional differences of perspective and threats to professional identity. (Carnwell, R. and Carson, A. , 2008) PHILOPSOPHIES OF WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP In working in partnership, there are few philosophies that underpin partnership working. The philosophies are empowerment, independence, humanity, equity, trust and respect. Empowerment in the context of health and social care is a process through which people gain greater control over decision and actions that will affect their health. (World Health Organisation, 1998) The reason why empowerment is important in the partnership of health and social care context is because they are the vital foundation of developing an honest relationship between client and professional. They also have become accepted principles in social work practice and have received legislative endorsement as the foundation stones of quality relationships between users and providers of community care services as mentioned by Braye, S. and Preston-Shoot, M., in 1993. Without empowerment, a partnership working will not be effective. Independence according to Oxford, 2010 is free from outside control; not subject to anothers authority. Independence in terms of partnership in the health and social care perspective is the ability to make decision that will affect the life of a person without the control of others, be it health professional, family member etc. Other than that, it can also be described as a situation in which a person is not under the power of others. An example for independence in partnership is between a patient and a health professional, the patient should be given the autonomy to choose the choice of treatment that he wants to undergo, not chosen by the professional. Humanity is the quality of being humane according to Oxford, 2010. Equity means fairness. Equity in health means that peoples needs guide the distribution of opportunities for well-being. (WHO, 1998) Equity in partnership means that every client should be treated and given the access to health services equally. The WHO global strategy of achieving Health for All is fundamentally directed towards achieving greater equity in health between and within populations and between countries. This implies that all people have an equal opportunity to develop and maintain their health, through fair and just access to resources for health. (WHO, 1998) A commitment to partnership working can only be fostered if the partnership itself displays openness in the way it conducts its affairs, open book accounting has to be taken to the extreme if a partnership is to be successful. The reason why trust is important in a partnership is because once distrust enters into a relationship, it is bound to fail. As mutual confidence grows at the individual level so it becomes much easier for the partnership as a whole to become more transparent in its working and thus, encourage trust between partners. (Geddes, M., 2005) Trust in the health and care setting is essential because without trust, it is difficult for a client to be open and honest to the professional. Respect in partnership is important because in partnership, partners work together to achieve common goals and this relationship is based on mutual respect for each others skills and competencies and recognition of the advantage of combining these resources to achieve beneficial outcomes. Partnership in the health and social care context can be linked to the key of successful doctor-patient partnerships in which that patient will be recognised as the experts by the doctor. The doctor is, or should be, well informed about diagnostic techniques, the cause of disease, prognosis, treatment options, and preventive strategies, but only the patient knows about his or her experience of illness, social circumstances, habits and behaviour, attitudes to risk, values, and preferences. Both types of knowledge are needed to manage illness successfully, so both parties should be prepared to share information and take decisions jointly. (Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry, 2001) MODELS OF CARE IN RELATION TO PARTNERSHIP PHILOSOPHIES Models of care are made up of two models. They are the medical model and social model. In medical model, their thinking is that the disability of a person is of their own fault, their future is on the result of the diagnosis, they also tend to be labelled, their impairment becomes the focus of attention, assessment, monitoring, programmes of therapy are imposed to them, separation and alternative services are the only options, their ordinary needs are also put on hold, they are also only allowed to re-enter the ordinary world if they are normal enough otherwise it is permanent exclusion and society remains unchanged. (BFI, 2009) In this model, the independence of patient is being violated as their therapy is imposed on them, not their own choice. Their equity is also defied as they are being excluded socially. On the other hand, in social model thinking, the disabled person is valued, strengths and needs are defined by self and others, barriers are identified and solutions will be developed, outcome based programme are designed, resources are made available to ordinary services, training for parents and professionals are also provided, relationships are nurtured, diversity are also welcomed and child is included and society evolves to accept the disable. (BFI, 2009) In this model, the client is empowered such as the NHS Expert patient programme in which client take control of their own live without the relying on others. Another strategy that fosters empowerment is the Prosumers in which providers (the disabled person) are also the consumers (supporting other disabled person as a support team). (Dickerson, F., 1998) THE OUTCOMES RECOMMENDATIONS As mentioned in the working in partnership concept, partnership offers various advantages to different level of service user be it users, practitioners and organisations. Alas, it also has its own disadvantages which both will be looked into briefly. In working with partnership, the advantage is that workload between practitioners will be distributed equally according to ones own expertise. For example, the partnership between family nurses, the supervisor and social worker in safeguarding vulnerable child. If babies and young people who may have been, or are likely to be, abused or neglected. Family nurses will refer a child to social worker as a child in need, when appropriate, and will act on concerns that the child may suffer or likely to suffer significant harm. Family nurses will also receive weekly supervision and together with the supervisor work closely with social worker with safeguarding responsibilities. (HM Government, 2010) This benefit both the service user (in this case is children) and organisation that the practitioners work for as work will become more efficient. The Working Together 1999 initiative sets out how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people in accordance with the Children Act 1989 and the Children Act 2004. (HM Government, 2010) Partnership with other organisations both involving statutory and voluntary will benefit service users as competition will arise. This will enhance the service being offered by the organisations involved. As an example is the British Red Cross as the voluntary organisation and local department of social work as the statutory. The NHS and Community Care Act in 1990 split the role of health authorities and local authorities by changing their internal structure, so that local authority departments assess the needs of the local population and then purchase the necessary services from providers such as the Red Cross. Community care ensures people in need of long-term care are now being able to live either in their own home, with adequate support, or in a residential home setting. (UWIC, 2010) This adequate support can be obtained from the Red Cross, such as support after being discharged from the hospital until they are fully empowered of themselves to be independent again. Support is imp ortant as seeking help from professional can help client to recover better. This will benefit both client and also organisation. Albeit partnership offers benefits to everyone, it also has its own challenges. One of the major problems of working in partnership is confidentiality. The more people working together on a case, the chances of information to be breached will increase. Along the way, information could also get lost as well. This is because one party will think specific information is not as important as what other parties will think. To overcome this problem in protecting personal data of a client, the 1998 Data Protection Act is the key legislation which covers all aspects of information processed. Additionally, especially in health and social care, to ensure that this act is put into operation, the Caldicott principle is introduced. (Department of Health, 2010) In general, working in partnership is a great way to tackle issues effectively. However, the idea of partnership does not usually work as what is expected ideally in reality. Partnership working can be difficult to do well, it can be costly if not properly managed and it may not deliver the desired outcomes if the aims and objectives are not clear. On the other hand, it can be reduced by having plans and strategies as a guidance that must be revised after a certain period of time by local authority. The principal purpose of guidance is to provide a framework against which to test potential new partnerships and examine existing ones, to ensure that the Authority can be reassured that the partnership under consideration is one which will contributes positively to its agenda. (Rochford District Council, 2009) CONCLUSION Working in partnership in health and social care is beneficial to all service users, inter professional working and organisational that is involved although it has its own negative consequences. These negative outcomes however can be reduced by referring to guidelines and policies that needs to be updated from time to time.

SHARKS :: essays research papers

Out of all the species walking, flying, slithering or swimming, there aren't many who have been around as long, survived as well, or come in so many shapes and kinds as the shark. The earliest evidences of sharks are isolated spines, teeth and scales that appeared about 430 million years ago in the Silurian Period, known as the "Age of Fishes". Sharks have a sleek, streamlined design which helps them swim without using up a lot of energy.They certainly need to conserve their energy because they never really sleep and most of them never stop swimming. Some sharks are fierce predators, and would be happy to eat you if they encountered you. Almost any shark six feet or longer is a potential danger, but three species have been identified repeatedly in attacks: the Great White Shark, the Tiger Shark and the Bull Shark . All three live world wide, reach large sizes and eat large prey such as marine mammals or sea turtles. But most sharks never grow longer than five feet and never even see anyone with legs and arms anyway. People kill thousands more sharks every year than sharks kill people. Sharks take about as long to mature as we do. Some of them become adults in their teens. A mother shark carries her babies inside her body while they develop, sometimes for more than a year. Even so, some sharks are born inside an egg which they have to crack open. They spend early portions of their lives in nursery grounds. Some of the advantages sharks have over people is that they keep growing new teeth, they don't have breakable bones, and they are not prone to get cancer. Sometimes sharks are referred to as swimming computers because of the six senses which they possess: vision, hearing, vibration, smell, taste and electro-perception. Sharks come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. They have different personalities, and they live in oceans all over the world. Not much you can say about sharks is true for all of them, but there are a few things you can say about the anatomy of most sharks. They breathe through gill slits, have rigid fins and they don't have a bladder. The Whale Shark is the biggest creature in the ocean, about eleven times taller than your Mom or Dad, and weighing in at about 2,000 pounds. A Whale Shark wouldn't be too interested in eating you, but you could offer him about half a ton of teeny fish, crustaceans and little drifting invertebrates and he would be very happy.