RELG 340 - Science and Religion
Course Notes for Module 8
Practicing Science, Living Faith : chapters 5, 6 & 9
- p.93 - chloroplast
- Chloroplasts are organelles found in plant cells. Chloroplasts take part in photosynthesis - they collect energy from sunlight, and store it as the compound ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). See the Links Page for links to more information
- p.93 - cytochromes
- Cytochromes are a family of chemical substances which are important for cell function. They contain an atom of iron which can take part in oxidation/reduction processes. See the Links Pages for links to more information
- p.95 - organelle
- An organelle is any structure in a cell. See the Links Page for links to more information
- p.95 - prokaryotic
- Prokaryotes are entities, such as bacteria, which do not have a cell nucleus. See the Links Page for links to more information
- p.95 - eukaryote
- Eukaryotes are organisms which have a nucleus in their cells. See the Links Page for links to more information
- p.95 - zygote
- A zygote is the cell formed when two gamete cells join by means of sexual reproduction. In multicellular organisms, it is the earliest developmental stage of the embryo.
- p.95 - meiosis
- Meiosis is the process which takes place in a cell nucleus as the initial step in sexual reproduction. See the Links Page for links to more information
- p.97 - eureka moment
- "Eureka", pronounced you-REE-ka, is the Greek word for "I have found it", and comes from the story about the Greek scientist Archimedes (ca. 287 BC - ca.?212 BC). As the story goes, Hiero, the king of Syracuse suspected that his goldsmith had cheated him by mixing silver in with gold in what was supposed to be a pure gold crown. Hiero asked Archimedes if there was a way of finding out if the crown was pure gold without destroying it. Archimedes was in his bath, watching the water slop over as he got in, and realized that he could use a similar process to measure the volume of the crown. Weighing the crown would give its mass. Then he could calculate its density. Gold is more dense than silver. If the crown was an alloy of gold and silver it would be less dense than gold. So Archimedes jumped out of the bath and ran through the streets of Syracuse shouting "Eureka!"
- p.97 - Barbara McClintock
- Winner of the 1983 Nobel Prize for Medicine. See the Biographies page for more information
- p.98 - Karl Peters
- Dr. Karl E. Peters is a professor of philosophy and religion. He is a Unitarian Universalist. See the Biographies page for more information
- p.98 - theos
- "theos" is the Greek word for god. The Greek prefix "a-" means "no". Hence a theist is someone who believes that there is a god, and an atheist is someone who believes that there's no god.
- p.98 - theologian
- Dr. Goodenough uses this term to describe herself and Karl Peters, but it might be more accurate to call them "philosophers". Philosophy also deals with questions of ultimacy.
- p.99 - my cup runs over
- This is a reference to Psalm 23:5 "
- p.101 - Platonic "forms"
- Plato (427-347 BC) was a Greek philosopher who studied with Socrates, and then developed his own philosophical ideas. He believed that there are entities, which he called "ideas" which are realities, such as "the Good", which exist on some other plane, but which are mirrored here on earth. See the Links Page for more information on Forms, and the Biographies Page for the life of Plato.
- p.105 - Actin and Myosin, Actomyosin
- Actomyosin is a complex formed by the muscle proteins actin and myosin. It was investigated by Ken Holmes and co-workers at the MRC, Cambridge, and the MPI, Heidelberg. To quote the introduction the the "Annual Reviews of Biochemistry", vol 68, 1999 -
" Actin is the most abundant protein in most eukaryotic cells. It is highly conserved and participates in more protein-protein interactions than any known protein. These properties, along with its ability to transition between monomeric (G-actin) and filamentous (F-actin) states under the control of nucleotide hydrolysis, ions, and a large number of actin-binding proteins, make actin a critical player in many cellular functions, ranging from cell motility and the maintenance of cell shape and polarity to the regulation of transcription. Moreover, the interaction of filamentous actin with myosin forms the basis of muscle contraction. Owing to its central role in the cell, the actin cytoskeleton is also disrupted or taken over by numerous pathogens. . . . "
I worked with Ken Holmes in both Cambridge and Heidelberg (though not on Actomyosin).
For other information, see the Links Page.
- p.110 - ubuntu
- Ubuntu is an African word which has a range of meanings involving human personhood. According to Archbishop Desmond Tutu "One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu - the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality - Ubuntu - you are known for your generosity." For more information, see the Links Page
- p.114 - Trypanosomiasis
- Trypanosomiasis, aka Sleeping Sickness, is endemic in Africa. It is caused by micro-organisms called Trypanosoma, and is spread by the Tsetse fly. For more information, see the Links Page
- p.169 - religious objections to eating pork or blood products
- Both pork and blood can carry serious diseases (particularly when not thoroughly cooked). So the command not to eat them may be for our own good, as well as to give a means of showing obedience to a higher power.
- p.170 - the village of cretins
- Dr. Satoto comments that "God was doing genetic engineering in the village". Another (more scientific) explanation might be that there is some as yet undiscovered factor in their environment which is causing the cretinism. A better strategy might be to search for a possible natural cause rather than to blame God.
Copyright © 1999 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved
