Saturday, December 29, 2007

Business

In economics, a business is a legally-recognized organizational entity existing within an economically free country designed to sell goods and/or services to consumers, usually in an effort to generate profit.

In predominantly capitalist economies, where most businesses are privately owned, businesses are typically formed to earn profit and grow the personal wealth of their owners. The owners and operators of a business have as one of their main objectives the receipt or generation of a financial return in exchange for their work - that is, the expense of time and energy - and for their acceptance of risk-investing work and money without certainty of success. Notable exceptions to this rule include cooperative businesses and government institutions. This model of business functioning is opposed by socialists, who advocate either government, public, or worker ownership of most sizable businesses; and to a lesser extent by individuals advocating for a mixed economy of private and state-owned enterprises.

The etymology of business refers to the state of being busy in the context of the individual as well as the community or society. In other words, to be busy is to be doing commercially viable and profitable work. The term business has at least three usages, depending on the scope - the general usage, the singular usage to refer to a particular company or corporation, and the generalized usage to refer to a particular market sector, such as the record business, the computer business, or the business community-the community of suppliers of goods and services.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Clothing

Clothing protects the vulnerable nude human body from the extremes of weather, other features of our situation, and for safety reasons. Every article of clothing also carries a enriching and social meaning. Human beings are the only creatures known to wear clothing, with the exemption of pets clothed by their owners. People also decorate their bodies with makeup or foundation, perfume, and other ornamentation; they also cut, dye, and organize the hair of their heads, faces, and bodies, and sometimes also mark their skin. All these streamers contribute to the overall effect and message of clothing, but do not constitute clothing per se.

Articles carried rather than worn are normally counted as fashion garnishing rather than as clothing. Jewelry and eyeglasses are usually counted as accessories as well, even though in general speech these items are described as being worn rather than carried. The practical function of clothing is to protect the human body from dangers in the surroundings: weather, insects, noxious chemicals, weapons, and get in touch with with abrasive substances, and other hazards. Clothing can protect against many things that might injure the naked human body. In some cases clothing protects the environment from the clothing wearer as fine.

Humans have shown intense inventiveness in devising clothing solutions to practical problems and the difference between clothing and other protective equipment is not always clear-cut. See, among others: air inured clothing, armor, diving suit, swimsuit, bee-keeper's uniform, motorcycle leathers, high-visibility garments, and protective clothing.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Microbes

The first form of life to develop on the Earth was microbes, and they remained the only form of life on the planet until about a billion years ago when multi-cellular organisms began to appear. Microorganisms are single-celled organisms that are generally smaller than the human eye can see. They include Bacteria, Fungi, Archaea and Protista.

These life forms are found in almost every location on the Earth where there is liquid water, including the interior of rocks within the planet. Their reproduction is both rapid and profuse. The combination of a high mutation rate and horizontal gene transfer ability makes them highly adaptable, and able to survive in new environments, including outer space. They form an essential part of the planetary ecosystem. However some microorganisms are pathogenic and can post health risk to other organisms.