Mammals: GIRAFFES

Giraffe

Giraffes are truly giant animals. They are also the tallest animals on earth. They can be found in the wild in the savannah on the continent of Africa. Its species name refers to its camel-like shape and its leopard-like coloring. Its chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, and its distinctive coat patterns.

 

A Giraffe’s Height

Giraffes can grow up to 17 feet tall and weigh as much as 3,000 pounds. The male giraffes, called bulls, are typically larger than the females, called cows. The babies aren't exactly small either. A baby giraffe, called a calf, is 6 feet tall at birth! Their extreme height allows them to eat leaves and shoots located much higher than other animals can reach.

A Giraffe’s Diet

Giraffes are herbivores, meaning they eat plants rather than meat. They use their long necks and tongues (which they can stick out up to a foot and a half!) to get to leaves on trees. Their favorite types of leaves are from the acacia tree. Giraffes don't need to drink water very often because there is so much water in the leaves they eat. However, when they do drink water, they can drink several gallons at a time.

Baby Giraffes

Baby giraffes are called calves. They can walk within a few minutes of being born. Baby giraffes are very vulnerable to predators and many of them do not survive the first week of life. Their mothers do everything they can to protect them. They help them to hide in the grass and will fiercely try to fight off predators. Young giraffes grow very fast and can grow over 2 inches in a single day! They stay with their mothers for about 2 years until they are big enough to take care of themselves.

Baby Giraffe Sleeping

Necking

Male giraffes use their necks as weapons in combat, a behavior known as "necking". Necking is used to establish dominance and males that win necking bouts have greater reproductive success. 

 

Male Giraffes Necking

 

Giraffes communication 

 Fun Facts About Giraffes

• The interesting pattern of a giraffe's coat is likely for camouflage.
• At one time people in Africa called them camel-leopards because they looked like a combination of a camel and a leopard.
• When a giraffe baby is born it will fall five to six feet to the ground and typically land on its head.
• Newborns can stand within 30 minutes of being born and can run after about 10 hours.
• Despite their long necks, they have the same number of vertebrae as a human…seven

Cell Theory Scientists

Robert Hooke 
Robert Hooke (1635-1705). The first person to see a cell was Robert Hooke. He used a very primitive microscope, but when he was looking at cork cells under the microscope, he saw cells for the first time. The shape of the cells reminded him of the monk monasteries and so he nicknamed them "cells".

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek 
Anton Van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723). The first person to see living cells was Anton Leeuwenhoek, a microscope builder. Leeuwenhoek was the first person to observe single celled animals (protozoa) with a microscope. He was also the first person, using a microscope, to observe clearly and to describe red blood cells in humans and other animals as well as sperm cells. Anton Van Leeuwenhoek also improved magnification of microscope by polishing lenses in 1674 and he discovered bacteria from a sample of saliva from his mouth in 1683.

Matthias Schleiden 
Matthias Schleiden (1804-1881) was a co-founder of the cell theory. Matthias Schleiden concluded that all plant tissues are composed of cells and that an embryonic plant arose from a single cell. He declared that the cell is the basic building block of all plant matter. He stated that the different parts of the plant organism are composed of cells.

Rudolph Virchow
Rudolph Virchow (1821-1902) is credited with many important discoveries. His most widely known scientific contribution is his cell theory. He was the first to recognize leukemia cells, and that all cells came from pre-existing cells. He also stated that not all plants are made up of cells, which eventually lead to the creation of the cell theory. He also stated that all living things came from other living things.

Theodore Schwann
Theodore Schwann (1810-1882) discovered that animals were made up of cells. Schwann's theory and observations became the foundations of modern histology. Later, Matthias Schleiden and Theodore Schwann declared that "All living things are composed of cells and cell products". This became the cell theory.  

 

Egyptian History Part 8

EGYPTIAN TEMPLES

In Ancient Egypt, temples were constructed to house the numerous deities (gods and goddesses) that were at the center of Egyptian mythology and religion.

Due to the lack of wood in ancient Egypt, temples were constructed of stone. The walls inside those large temples were covered with scenes that were carved onto the stone then brightly painted. These scenes showed the pharaoh fighting in battles and performing rituals with the gods and goddesses.

This scene shows a person with a table of offerings that have been brought to the temple

There were six main parts to ancient Egyptian temples built during the New Kingdom period.

• The pylon
• The courtyard
• The hypostyle hall
• The second hall
• The sanctuary
• The sacred lake

The Luxor Temple

The temple of Luxor is close to the Nile and parallel with the riverbank. King Amenhotep III who reigned 1390-53 BC built this beautiful temple and dedicated to Gods like Amon-Re, Mut and Khons.
This temple has been in continuous use as a place of worship right up to the present day. It was completed by Tutankhamun and Horemheb and added to by Ramses II.

Layout of the Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple- First Pylon

Avenue of Sphinx leading to Luxor Temple

 

                                                                               Colonnade of Amenhotep III At Luxor Temple

Temple Of Abu Simbel 

In Nubia Egypt, on the west bank of Nile, is Abu Simbel; one of the world’s most impressive temples, carved out of cliffs in 1257 BCE by the order of the Pharaoh Ramses II.

The carving process took about 20 years until the impressive temple in honor of gods Amon-Re and Re-Horakhty was ready. The temples were built as a symbol of religion and to show the power of the pharaoh to the Nubian neighbours and to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh. To represent the battle, the base of the temple was carved with figures of bound captives. Abu Simbel refers to two temples: The Great Temple and The Small Temple.

The Small Temple is a monument to Ramses II most beloved queen (out of his many wives), Nefertari. It is also dedicated to the ancient Egyptian goddess Hathor.

The larger temple is located 120 meters from the small temple of Nefertari. The facade of this structure, the Great Temple of Abu Simbel, is about 35 meters long and 30 meters high

The inside of Abu Simbel Great temple is decorated with grand statues of Ramses II

Temple of Deir El Bahari

The Temple of Deir El-Bahri is one of the most characteristic temples in the whole of Egypt, due to its design and decorations. It was built for the great Queen Hatshepsut (18th Dynasty), to commemorate her achievements and to serve as a funerary Temple for her, as well as a sanctuary of the God, Amon Ra.

Deir El Bahari, Hatshepsut’s Temple
at the West Bank of Luxor, Egypt