Thursday, March 19, 2020

Using the Spanish Conjunction Y

Using the Spanish Conjunction Y Although the Spanish conjunction y usually is the equivalent of the English and, it also can be used in a few ways that arent exactly the way and is in English. Keep in mind that y  changes to  e when it comes before certain words. Basically, it become e when it precedes a word that begins with the i sound, such as iglesia. Using Y To Link Similar Grammatical Units Most of the time, y is used to connect two sentences or words or phrases that are the same part of speech or fulfill the same grammatical function. Thus, for example, it can join two or more nouns as well as two or more direct objects. Grammatically, y in this usage is known as a copulative. Un perro y una vaca son los protagonistas del libro. (A dog and a cow are the books main characters. Y joins two nouns.)Tà º y yo sabemos lo que es vivir tan lejos. (You and I know what it is to live so far away. Y joins two subject pronouns, although it could can join a noun and a pronoun if they are both subjects.)Cantbamos y tocbamos mejor que nadie. (We sang and we played instruments better than anybody. Y joins two verbs.)Es el mejor regalo para à ©l y ella. (Its the best gift for him and her.) ¿Por quà © ese idiota es rico y yo no? (Why is that idiot rich and Im not?)El presidente y el vicepresidente tienen un mandato de cuatro aà ±os. (The president and vice president have a four-year term.)Vi la pelà ­cula y la encontrà © buena. (I saw the film and I found it to be good.)Me duele mucho y estoy preocupada. (Im in much pain and I am worried.) If y is used to join a series of three or more entities, a comma is not used before the final entity unless needed for clarity. This is in contrast with English, where the comma is optional or a matter of; when it is used in English, it is known as the Oxford comma. Tà º, ella y yo vamos a la playa. (You, she, and I are going to the beach.)El leà ³n, la bruja y el armario fue escrito por C.S. Lewis. (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was written by C.S. Lewis.)Venimos, comimos, y nos fuimos. (We came, we ate, and we left.)Esa idea es estereotà ­pica, incorrecta e inautà ©ntica. (That idea is stereotypical, incorrect and inauthentic.) Y in Questions To Mean ‘What About?’ In beginning questions, y can carry the idea of what about? or how about? Although the and of English can be used the same way, the Spanish usage is much more common. No puedo nadar.  ¿Y tà º? (I cant swim. How about you?)No sabà ­a que David estaba enfermo.  ¿Y Casandra? (I didnt know David was sick. What about Casandra?) ¿Y quà ©? (So what?) ¿Y si mi hijo no se toma la medicacià ³n? (What if my son doesnt take the medication?) Y as an Indication of Contrast In some contexts, y can be used to indicate a contrast in a way that the English and standing alone doesnt. In these cases it usually can be translated by and yet or and still. Estudiaba mucho y no sabà ­a nada. She studied a lot and still didnt know anything.Juan es asesino y lo amamos. Juan is a murderer, yet we still love him.Antonio y Casandra son hermanos, pero à ©l es alto y ella es baja. (Antonio and Casandra are brother and sister, but he is tall even while she is short.) Using Y To Suggest a Large Amount As with the English and, when y connects a word or phrase that is repeated, it suggests a large, indefinite amount: Corrieron y corrieron hasta llegar a casa. (The ran and they ran until they arrived at home.)Es una ciudad muerta desde hace aà ±os y aà ±os. (It has been a dead city since years and years ago.)Mi madre estudiaba y estudiaba a todas horas. (My mother studied and studied all the time.) Key Takeaways Y is most often the direct equivalent of and, being used to join two or more works, phrases, or sentences that have the same grammatical status.Y can also be used at the beginning of a question to mean what about.In some contexts, y emphasizes the contrast between two or more grammatical entities.

Monday, March 2, 2020

Overview of Aquatic Biomes

Overview of Aquatic Biomes The aquatic biome includes the habitats around the world that are dominated by water- from tropical reefs to brackish mangroves, to Arctic lakes. The aquatic biome is the largest of all the worlds biomes- it occupies about 75 percent of the Earths surface area. The aquatic biome provides a vast array of habitats that, in turn, support a staggering diversity of species. The first life on our planet evolved in ancient waters about 3.5 billion years ago. Although the particular aquatic habitat in which life evolved remains unknown, scientists have suggested some possible locations- these include shallow tidal pools, hot springs, and deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Aquatic habitats are three-dimensional environments that can be divided into distinct zones based on characteristics such as depth, tidal flow, temperature, and proximity to landmasses. Additionally, aquatic biomes can be divided into two main groups based on the salinity of their water- these include freshwater habitats and marine habitats. Another factor that influences the composition of aquatic habitats is the degree to which light penetrates the water. The zone in which light penetrates sufficiently to support photosynthesis is known as the photic zone. The zone in which too little light penetrates to support photosynthesis is known as the aphotic (or profundal) zone. The various aquatic habitats of the world support a diverse assortment of wildlife including virtually many different groups of animals including fishes, invertebrates, amphibians, mammals, reptiles, and birds. Some groups- such as echinoderms, cnidarians, and fishes- are entirely aquatic, with no terrestrial members of these groups. Key Characteristics The following are the key characteristics of the aquatic biome: largest of all the worlds biomesdominated by waterlife first evolved in the aquatic biomea three-dimensional environment that exhibits distinct zones of communitiesocean temperatures and currents play a key role in worlds climate Classification The aquatic biome is classified within the following habitat hierarchy: Freshwater habitats: Freshwater habitats are aquatic habitats with low salt concentrations (below one percent). Freshwater habitats are further classified into moving (lotic) bodies of water and standing (lentic) bodies of water. Moving bodies of water include rivers and streams; standing bodies of water include lakes, ponds, and inland wetlands. Freshwater habitats are influenced by the soils of surrounding areas, the pattern and speed of water flow, and local climate.Marine habitats: Marine habitats are aquatic habitats with high salt concentrations (more than one percent). Marine habitats include seas, coral reefs, and oceans. There are also habitats where freshwater mixes with saltwater. In these places, youll find mangroves, salt marshes, and mud flats. Marine habitats often consist of five zones including the intertidal, neritic, oceanic pelagic, abyssal, and benthic zones. Animals of the Aquatic Biome Some of the animals that inhabit the aquatic biome include: Anemonefish (Amphiprion): Anemonefish is marine fish that live amongst the tentacles of anemones. Anemonefish has a layer of mucus that prevents them from getting stung by the anemones. But other fishes (including those that are predators to anemonefish) are susceptible to the anemone stings. The anemonefish is thus protected by the anemones. In return, anemonefish chases away fishes that eat anemones.Pharaoh cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonic): Pharaoh cuttlefish are cephalopods that inhabit coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific ocean and the Red Sea. Pharaoh cuttlefish have eight arms and two long tentacles. They have no external shell but do have an internal shell or cuttlebone.Staghorn coral (Acropora): Staghorn corals are a group of corals that includes about 400 species. Members of this group inhabit coral reefs around the world. Staghorn corals are fast-growing reef-building corals that form a variety of colony shapes (including clumps, branches, antler-like, and plate-like structures).Dwa rf seahorse (Hippocampus zoster are): The dwarf seahorse is a tiny species of seahorse that measures less than an inch in length. Dwarf seahorses live in the seagrass beds in the Gulf of Mexico and in the waters around the Florida Keys, Bahamas, and Bermuda. They use their long tails to hold onto blades of seagrass as they graze on tiny plankton that drifts by in the current. Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias): Great white sharks are large predatory fishes that grow to about 15 feet in length. They are skilled hunters that have several hundred serrated, triangular teeth that grow in rows in their mouth. Great white sharks inhabit warm coastal waters throughout the world.Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta): The loggerhead sea turtle is a marine turtle whose range includes the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and the Indian Ocean. Loggerhead turtles are an endangered species whose decline is largely attributed to their becoming entangled in fishing gear. Loggerhead sea turtles spend the majority of their life at sea, venturing on land only to lay their eggs.Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus): The blue whale is the largest living animal. Blue whales are baleen whales, a group of marine mammals that have a set of baleen plates in their mouth that enable them to filter tiny plankton prey from the water.