Bp (Oil and Chemical Company) and Its E-Commerce Arm

A report on BP (Oil and Chemical company) and its E-commerce Arm ____________________________________________________________ __________________________________ Introduction to BP Several questions arise if we are given the possibility that an oil exploring company wants to use e-commerce for its B2B and B2C operations. These open-ended questions are well replied to by BP’s ‘digital business program’ which has been globally recognized for its present and future initiatives. Before we critically analyze BP’s e-commerce operations I would like to briefly outline BP’s position in the world market. BP Amoco (now known as BP) is one of the largest most integrated oil companies in the world. Operating in more than 100 counties, in six†¦show more content†¦BP also extended its membership to Shell and Brown and Root who joined in the network to assist one another and effectively benefit from cost reduction and knowledge management. Infact during a recent development of the Andrew oil field in the North Sea, BP used the VPN to pass on lessons on the project in real time. This network helped BP and its suppliers and contractors to radically cut costs and time of the project. BP in Alaska and Colombia also used similar techniques. The benefits to their eBusiness operation from the use of VPN are easy to measure: 1. A huge reduction in time consumption to solve problems as a result of interaction between land based drilling engineers and offshore rig crews. 2. A decrease in the number of helicopter trips to offshore oil platforms. 3. A reduction in rework due to better collaboration. 4. The avoidance of a refinery shutdown because experts working elsewhere could assist in eradicating the problem. These are the internal benefits which boost BP’s eBusiness strategy and strengthen the internal structure of the company. BP’s eBusiness strategy BP developed an ‘eBusiness Strategic Intent’. It was based on the use of eBusiness tools in an ad hoc manner to a degree that would benefit both employees and the stockholders. A proactive change was not considered revolutionary unless the real forces of such technology gave way to new business models andShow MoreRelatedTeaching Notes Robert Grant - Strategy 4th Edition51665 Words   |  207 PagesDutch/Shell Group 70 8 Harley-Davidson, Inc., January 2001 77 9 Online Broking Strategies: Merrill Lynch, Charles Schwab and E*Trade 83 10 11 12 Emi and the CT Scanner [A] [B] 88 Rivalry in Video Games 98 Birds Eye and the UK Frozen Food Industry 109 1 CONTENTS 13 14 15 16 Euro Disney: From Dream to Nightmare, 1987–94 116 Richard Branson and the Virgin Group of Companies in 2002 125 General Electric: Life After Jack 131 AES Corporation: Rewriting the Rules of Management 139 2 Introduction Read MoreManaging Information Technology (7th Edition)239873 Words   |  960 PagesCONTENTS: CASE STUDIES CASE STUDY 1 Midsouth Chamber of Commerce (A): The Role of the Operating Manager in Information Systems CASE STUDY I-1 IMT Custom Machine Company, Inc.: Selection of an Information Technology Platform CASE STUDY I-2 VoIP2.biz, Inc.: Deciding on the Next Steps for a VoIP Supplier CASE STUDY I-3 The VoIP Adoption at Butler University CASE STUDY I-4 Supporting Mobile Health Clinics: The Children’s Health Fund of New York City CASE STUDY I-5 Read MoreDamodaran Book on Investment Valuation, 2nd Edition398423 Words   |  1594 Pagesbe viewed with skepticism. The Biases in Equity Research The lines between equity research and salesmanship blur most in periods that are characterized by â€Å"irrational exuberance†. In the late 1990s, the extraordinary surge of market values in the companies that comprised the new economy saw a large number of equity research analysts, especially on the sell side, step out of their roles as analysts and become cheerleaders for these stocks. While these analysts might have been well meaning in their recommendationsRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pagessocial responsibility in the international development of a German company. Eurotunnel – clash of cultures threatens to derail Anglo–French rail link. Ryanair – competitive challenge and strategic choice in the budget airline industry. IKEA – quality and low prices at the Swedish furniture giant News Corporation – corporate logic and corporate management in a worldwide media business. CRH – impressive international growth of an Irish company driven from a ‘lean’ corporate centre. Numico – difficultiesRead MoreHbr When Your Core Business Is Dying74686 Words   |  299 Pagesenergy-producin ity of countries rely on g nations that won the geological lottery, ble ssing them with abunda nt hydrocarbons. And yet , eve of raw resources import n regions with plenty some form of energy. Saudi Arabia, for examp le, the world’s largest oil exporter, imports ref ined petroleum produc ts like gasoline. So if energy independence is an unrealistic goal, how does everyone get the fuel a world of rising demand they need, especially in , supply disruptions, nat ural disasters, and unstable regimesRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 Pageswritten permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone: ( 44) 1865 843830, fax: ( 44) 1865 853333, e-mail: permissions@elsevier.co.uk. You may also complete your request on-line via the Elsevier homepage (www.elsevier.com), by selecting ‘Customer Support’ and then ‘Obtaining Permissions’ British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue recordRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesHughes−Ginnett−Curphy The Art of M A: Merger/Acquisitions/Buyout Guide, Third Edition Reed−Lajoux and others . . . This book was printed on recycled paper. Management http://www.mhhe.com/primis/online/ Copyright  ©2005 by The McGraw−Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a databaseRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesPoint/Counterpoint Employer–Employee Loyalty Is an Outdated Concept 87 Questions for Review 88 Experiential Exercise What Factors Are Most Important to Your Job Satisfaction? 89 Ethical Dilemma Bounty Hunters 89 Case Incident 1 Long Hours, Hundreds of E-Mails, and No Sleep: Does This Sound Like a Satisfying Job? 90 Case Incident 2 Crafting a Better Job 91 4 Emotions and Moods 97 What Are Emotions and Moods? 98 The Basic Emotions 100 †¢ The Basic Moods: Positive and Negative Affect 100 †¢ TheRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pagesof interorganizational relations. Currently, he is exploring the role of constructivism as a practice-based research strategy in management accounting.  ¨ Anthony Hopwood is the Peter Moores Dean of the SaÄ ±d Business School, the American Standard Companies Professor of Operations Management, and Student of Christ Church at the University of Oxford. Educated at the London School of Economics and the University of Chicago, prior to moving to Oxford in 1995 Professor Hopwood had held professorships atRead MoreCase Studies67624 Words   |  271 PagesCase Studies C-1 INTRODUCTION Preparing an effective case analysis C-3 CASE 1 CASE 2 CASE 3 CASE 4 CASE 5 CASE 6 CASE 7 ABB in China, 1998 C-16 Ansett Airlines and Air New Zealand: A flight to oblivion? C-31 BP–Mobil and the restructuring of the oil refining industry C-44 Compaq in crisis C-67 Gillette and the men’s wet-shaving market C-76 Incat Tasmania’s race for international success: Blue Riband strategies C-95 Kiwi Travel International Airlines Ltd C-105 CASE 8 Beefing up the beefless

Overview of Cnidarians

A cnidarian is an  invertebrate  in the Phylum Cnidaria. This phylum includes  corals, sea anemones, sea jellies (jellyfish), sea pens, and hydras. Pronunciation: Nid-air-ee-an Also Known As: Coelenterate, Coelenterata Characteristics of Cnidarians Cnidarians  exhibit radial symmetry, which means their body parts are arranged symmetrically around a central axis. So, if you drew a line from any point at the edge of a cnidarian through the center and to the other side, youd have two roughly equal halves. Cnidarians also have tentacles. These tentacles have  stinging structures called cnidocytes, which bear  nematocysts.  Cnidarians got their name from these stinging structures.  The word cnidarian comes from the Greek word  knide  (nettle).   The presence of nematocysts is a key feature of cnidarians. Cnidarians can use their tentacles for defense or for capturing prey.   Although they can sting, not all cnidarians pose a threat to humans. Some, like the box jellyfish, have very potent toxins in their tentacles, but others, like moon jellies, have toxins that dont have enough power to sting us. Cnidarians have two body layers called the epidermis and gastrodermis. Sandwiched in between is a jelly-like substance called  mesoglea. Examples of Cnidarians   As a large group comprised of thousands of species, cnidarians can be pretty diverse in their form. Overall, though, they have two main body plans: polypoid, in which the mouth faces up (e.g., anemones) and medusoid, in which the mouth faces down (e.g., jellyfish). Cnidarians may go through stages in their life cycle in which they experience each of these body plans. There are several major groups of cnidarians: Anthozoa:  sea anemones, sea pens, and corals. These animals have a  polypoid body plan and attach to a substrate, such as other animals, rocks or algae.Hydrozoa:  hydrozoans, also known as hydromedusae or hydroids. These organisms alternate between polyp and medusa stages and are usually colonial organisms. Siphonophores, which include Portuguese man-of-war and by-the-wind sailors, are examples of animals in the Class Hydrozoa. Most cnidarians are marine organisms, but there are some hydrozoan species that live in fresh water.Scyphozoa or Scyphomedusae:  true jellyfish  are in the Class Scyphozoa. These animals are known for their bell shape with dangling oral arms. Some jellyfish have tentacles also. The lions mane jellyfish is the largest species, with tentacles that may stretch more than 100 feet.Cubozoa:  box jellyfish. These animals have a cube-shaped bell, with tentacles dangling from each corner. The sea wasp, a type of box jellyfish, is said to be the most venomo us marine animal.Staurozoa: stalked jellyfish or Stauromedusae.  These strange-looking, trumpet-shaped animals arent free-swimming like regular jellyfish.  Instead, they attach to rocks or seaweed and are typically found in cold water.Myxozoa:  Ã‚  parasitic microorganisms that evolved from jellyfish  There has been debate over the years over where these animals should be classified - the latest research places them in the Cnidaria phylum, and an important piece of evidence is that these creatures have nematocysts.  Myxozoa species can affect fish, worms, amphibians, reptiles, and even mammals. One economic impact is that they can affect farmed fish such as salmon. Smallest and Largest Cnidarians The smallest cnidarian is a hydra with the scientific name  Psammohydra nanna. This animal is less than half a millimeter in size.   The largest non-colonial cnidarian is the lions mane jellyfish. As mentioned above, the tentacles are thought to stretch more than 100 feet. The bell of this jellyfish can be over 8 feet across. Of colonial cnidarians, the longest is the giant siphonophore, which can grow to over 130 feet. Sources de Lazaro, E. 2015. Myxozoans: Widespread Parasites Are Actually Micro Jellyfish. Sci-News.com. Accessed February 27, 2016.Ocean Portal. Jellyfish and Comb Jellies. Accessed February 27, 2016.  Sadava, D.E., Hillis, D.M., Heller, H.C. and M. Berenbaum. 2009. Life: The Science of Biology, Volume 2. Macmillan.University of California Museum of Paleontology. Introduction to the Hydrozoa. Accessed February 27, 2016.WoRMS. 2015. Myxozoa. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species. February 27, 2016.

Proctor and Elizabeth Relationship Free Essays

‘The Crucible’ is a novel which was written by Arthur Miller in 1953. It takes place during the times of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts. This was a time of much hypocrisy in the people of the town of Salem. We will write a custom essay sample on Proctor and Elizabeth Relationship or any similar topic only for you Order Now Many people believed anything they heard or saw. Although The Crucible is fictitious, the story depicts the historical information of the Salem witch trials, and blends them with fictitious characters to create a very realistic plot and conflict in the story. Miller wrote this play as a response to the political environment in which he lived. The story relates to the McCarthy trials. During the 1950’s Senator Joseph McCarthy accused many American leaders of being communists. This lead to many accusations that people were communists. Some people believed him because they had fear of communism. McCarthy was, in effect, conducting â€Å"witch hunts†. The Red Scare was a witch hunt where the US government was searching for â€Å"dangerous communists. † Accusations came from left and right, much the same as the characters did for â€Å"real witches† in The Crucible. This meant that people were forced to either confess to the crime of witchery or shove the blame towards a different person. As an effect of this bias, the accused were never discharged, but were given the opportunity to confess to the crime of witchcraft to lessen their sentence. With the red scare, the accused were given a chance to give up names of other suspected communists to lessen their sentence as well. In both situations, there were people who confessed even though they had no relation to the crime at all. The majority, however, valued their morals and refused to give into political pressure by lying. This is shown as abuse of power. The puritans were a group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th century. The entire plot of the novel is moulded by the repressive Puritan society. Like many puritan women, Elizabeth Proctor is dutiful and loves her husband dearly. Yet, Elizabeth is hurt by the fact that her husband was having an affair with their â€Å"strikingly beautiful† young servant (Abigail). She finds it hard to show emotion and this affects her relationship with John Proctor vastly. In Act One we can see that there is ‘heat’ and ‘passion’ between John and Elizabeth. When Abigail says, ‘I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near! ’ She’s saying that John still lusts after her, breaking into a sweat when he sees her. She’s holding the affair over his head and reminding him how he has sinned would like to sin again. We can see that Abigail has real feelings for John and they have a sexual attraction between them. With Abigail being a 17 year old puritan girl and John being a married man, this is clearly outrageous and shows that he was prepared to break his rules. Proctor convinced himself he was a sinful man that had done wrong, and to have respect for himself once again, he must break off all ties with Abigail. When Abigail mentioned to Proctor the relationship she and he once had, he said to her, â€Å"No, no, Abby. That’s done with,† and, â€Å"Abby, you’ll put it out of mind. I’ll not be comin’ for you more. Even when Abigail tried to persuade Proctor to admit his love for her, he still denied it and claimed he had no love for her any longer. In all of Abigail’s persuasion to try to get him to admit his love for her, Proctor replied, â€Å"Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby. † Proctor saying to Abigail that they never touched was his way of trying to get through to her that the relationship between the both of them had to end here. In Proctor’s mind, saying that to Abigail was a finalization of their affair and gave him the closure that he needed to truly forget what he and Abigail had between them. The affair between Proctor and Abigail also had made his love for Elizabeth grow stronger. The guilt of the affair made him realize how Elizabeth was a good woman and deserved more than a cheating husband, and he refused to allow Abigail to speak wickedly about her. Abigail said bitterly to Proctor, â€Å"Oh, I marvel how such a strong man may let such a sickly wife be -,† in which he interrupted angrily with, â€Å"You’ll speak nothin’ of Elizabeth! Abigail, realising the respect he now had for Elizabeth as to not let her speak of Elizabeth in such a manner, then tried to convince Proctor otherwise, saying, â€Å"She is blackening my name in the village! She is telling lies about me! She is a cold, snivelling woman†¦ † Elizabeth is shown as a ‘cold’ woman whereas Abigail and Proctor have ‘heat’ – ‘no wintry man’. The anger he felt at this time was not only towards Abigail, but also towards himself. He felt he had sinned greatly and did not provide Elizabeth, a mother of three children, with the respect and loyalty that one would expect out of a husband. How to cite Proctor and Elizabeth Relationship, Essay examples

The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility

Question: Discuss about the Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility. Answer: Introduction: In recent times, the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) has evolved as a critical and important organizational function (Mulyadi Anwar, 2012). However, the businesses are not sure if the focus on CSR activities can really increase the profitability of firms (Khojastehpour johns, 2014). The large organizations in Australia have found it difficult to obtain a balance between the core function of the organization (profitability) and the secondary function of the organization, Corporate Social Responsibility (Yang, 2013). It would be interesting to study if the focus on CSR activities can really improve the profitability of the large firms. Research Aim and Objectives The research would have the aim to establish the relationship between the corporate social responsibility and the profitability of the large, multinational organizations in Australia. The specific objectives of this research work can be discussed as: 1. To establish the relationship between the corporate social responsibility and the profitability of the large, multinational organizations in Australia 2. To research the ways large firms can use CSR function to improve the profitability of the multinational firms in Australia Research Methodology This research work would be based on mix methods of research. This research work would be a two-phased research work. The two phases of the research would be primary research and secondary research. The research would be an exploratory research that would explore the relationship between the corporate social responsibility and the profitability of the large, multinational organizations in Australia. The primary and secondary research methods that would be used in the research can be discussed as. Primary research methods The primary research methods would be based on the online questionnaire. An online survey would be created to collect data from respondents. A random sampling method would be used to collect data. The online survey would have little but useful collection. The survey would have maximum of 10 close ended questions so that the respondents can answer these questions easily (Blumberg Cooper, 2014). Secondary research methods The secondary research would be completed with a thorough literature review. There are various studies and researches in the literature about this topic. The literature review would be done to explore the existing literature to establish the relationship between the corporate social responsibility and the profitability of the large, multinational organizations in Australia (Harrison, 2013). The secondary methods of research, for this research, would be mainly qualitative in nature. For the literature review, the peer-reviewed journals would be used. A lot of information is available on Internet that would be used to do the literature review. The incredible websites like the personal opinions page and blogs would not be used as part of literature review. Data collection and analysis The data collection would be both quantitative and qualitative in nature. The quantitative data would be collected through online survey and the qualitative data would be collected through secondary research. The data collection would happen through the data collection tools like Microsoft Excel (Saunders Lewis, 2014). The tables and spreadsheets would be used to record and to collect the data. The data analysis would be the nest phase of the research. The data analysis would be done through the statistical tools like SPSS. The simpler tools like Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word could also be used for the purpose of data analysis. Once the data analysis is done, the next part would be to make the research report. References Blumberg, B. F., Cooper, D. R., Schindler, P. S. (2014).Business research methods. McGraw-hill education. Harrison, R. L. (2013). Using mixed methods designs in the Journal of Business Research, 19902010.Journal of Business Research,66(11), 2153-2162. Khojastehpour, M., Johns, R. (2014). The effect of environmental CSR issues on corporate/brand reputation and corporate profitability.European Business Review,26(4), 330-339. Mulyadi, M. S., Anwar, Y. (2012). Impact of corporate social responsibility toward firm value and profitability.The Business Review, Cambridge,19(2), 316-322. Saunders, M. N., Lewis, P. (2014).Doing research in business and management: An essential guide to planning your project. Pearson Higher Ed. Yang, Y. L. (2013). Efficiency Evaluation and its Determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility Companies.

How Loneliness Affects Characters in of Mice and Men Essay Example

How Loneliness Affects Characters in of Mice and Men Paper Loneliness is one of the primary themes in Of Mice and Men. Throughout the novel, John Steinbeck shows the enormous effect that loneliness has on the characters. Steinbeck most clearly illustrates this theme through Crooks, Candy, and Curleys wife. Ranch hands are ideal types of people to portray as being lonely, because their constant travel leaves them without someone to talk to or share things with. Steinbeck also shows how important it is for every human being to have a companion. Companionship is necessary in order for someone to live an enjoyable life. Although loneliness affects each one of the characters in Of Mice and Men differently, they all experience negative feelings from their lack of companionship. Crooks-Loneliness has made Crooks a very bitter and isolated person. He is truly not able to leave this situation because of his race. The other men at the ranch do not relate with Crooks unless he is working because he is black. Other than when they are working, the other men shut Crooks out off all of their activities except horseshoes. Crooks are very isolated and not welcome in leisure activities. He has become bitter and known to lash out at people because of the loneliness that he has. Crookss emotions are displayed to the reader when he talks to Lennie in his room about having no one to relate to and communicate with. He exclaimed : Maybe you can see now. You got George. You know hes goin to come back. Spose you didnt have nobody. Spose you couldnt go into the bunk house and play rummy `cuase you was black A guy needs somebodyto be near him In a way, everyone needs someone to talk to, whether it is a friend, family member, or even a pet. We will write a custom essay sample on How Loneliness Affects Characters in of Mice and Men specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How Loneliness Affects Characters in of Mice and Men specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How Loneliness Affects Characters in of Mice and Men specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This is a source of comfort and wealth for the person. Crooks does not have any of these sources. Crooks has never been treated well by any of his co-workers because he is black. This has affected Crooks greatly. He has become bitter and has obtained a passionate animosity toward everyone. He has a certain demeanour toward everyone due to the way he is treated because of his race. In addition, Crooks also does not know how to relate and function normally anymore because of how his loneliness has effected him. Crookss animosity was exemplified when Lennie comes into his room unannounced. He greets Lennie with: Come on in and set a while Long as you wont get out and leave me alone, you might as well set down. Crooks has been lonely for so long that he expects people not to talk to him. When Lennie comes in and does not have any intention of hurting him, he realizes it and he lets his guard down. It may seem that he doesnt desire friendships or affection, but he no longer knows how to deal with his loneliness. It has made him into another person, one that obtains a relentless hostility toward anyone and everyone that gets close to Curleys wife -Curleys wifes loneliness has altered her demeanor towards others tremendously, making her overtly insecure and excessively flirtatious. Curleys wife has become virtually another person because of loneliness. The men on the ranch avoid her because of flirtatious personality to keep out of trouble. No one understands her situation and how loneliness affects her. Her insecurity is evident by the way she dresses and utilizes her make-up. She uses her appearance to receive attention like when [Curleys Wife] was standing there looking in. She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton housedress and red mules, on the steps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers . Curleys Wife feels she must dress this way for people to acknowledge her and give her attention. Her dressing-up is entirely unnecessary because they live on a farm and this is not the typical clothing. The way she dresses/makes herself up proves her insecurity and her inability to feel good about who she really is. Curleys Wife dresses inappropriately along with acting in flirtatious ways. This is another attempt for the attention she believes she does not get. Her coyness is obvious when she, . .. put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward (Steinbeck 31). Curley does not give his wife to love and affection that she desires. This makes her seek it from other people. By not talking to anyone and constantly worrying about what Curley will do, she has attained a slyness that does not appeal to anyone on the ranch. Acting in flirtatious ways is the only way Curleys Wife thinks she can deal with her loneliness. Candy- Candy is isolated in that after the loss of his hand he is unable to work alongside the other men and is reduced to the role of swamper. Once his dog has been shot Candy has little less to live for and is desperately lonely. He is powerless and afraid of the future. He does not go into town with the other men, and sees the inclusion in George and Lennie’s dream as the only way out.

The 4 Mitosis PhasesProphase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase

The 4 Mitosis PhasesProphase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In order to heal an injury, your body needs to replace damaged cells with healthy new ones...and mitosis plays a crucial role in this process! Mitosis is a process of cell division that helps you stay alive and healthy. In other words, in the world of cell biology, mitosis is kind of a big deal! But like with anything science-related, mitosis can be sort of confusing when you first try to understand it. The key idea is that the process of mitosis involves four phases, or steps, that you need to understand if you want to understand how mitosis works. In this article, we’re going to do the following things to break down the four steps of mitosis for you and help you get acquainted with the mitosis phases: Briefly define mitosis and eukaryotic cells Break down the four phases of mitosis, in order Provide mitosis diagrams for the stages of mitosis Give you five resources for learning more about the phases of mitosis Now, let’s dive in! Feature image: Jpablo cadand Juliana Osorio/Wikimedia Commons (Marek Kultys/Wikimedia Commons) What Is Mitosis? Mitosis is a process that occurs during the cell cycle. The role of mitosis in the cell cycle is to replicate the genetic material in an existing cell- known as the â€Å"parent cell†- and distribute that genetic material to two new cells, known as â€Å"daughter cells.† In order to pass its genetic material to the two new daughter cells, a parent cell must undergo cell division, or mitosis. Mitosis results in two new nuclei- which contain DNA- that eventually become two identical cells during cytokinesis. Mitosis occurs in eukaryotic (animal) cells. Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus that contains the cell’s genetic material. A crucial part of mitosis involves breaking down the nuclear membrane that surrounds the cell’s DNA so that the DNA can be replicated and separated into new cells. Other types of cells, like prokaryotes, don’t have a nuclear membrane surrounding their cellular DNA, which is why mitosis only occurs in eukaryotic cells. The main purpose of mitosis is to accomplish cell regeneration, cell replacement, and growth in living organisms. Mitosis is important because it ensures that all new cells that are generated in a given organism will have the same number of chromosomes and genetic information. In order to accomplish this goal, mitosis occurs in four discrete, consistently consecutive phases: 1) prophase, 2) metaphase, 3) anaphase, and 4) telophase. Our in-depth post on mitosis is coming soon, so you can think of this as an intro to what mitosis is and how it works! What we want to focus on in more detail here are the 4 stages of mitosis: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, and what happens during those phases! So let’s get down to it. The 4 Phases of Mitosis: Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase So what are the stages of mitosis? The four stages of mitosis are known as prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase. Additionally, we’ll mention three other intermediary stages (interphase, prometaphase, and cytokinesis) that play a role in mitosis. During the four phases of mitosis, nuclear division occurs in order for one cell to split into two. Sounds simple enough, right? But different things occur in each step of mitosis, and each step is crucial to cell division occurring properly. That means successful cell division depends on the precision and regulation of each phase of mitosis. That’s why it’s important to be able to understand and articulate the role of each phase in mitosis overall. Also: you may have seen or heard the parts of mitosis called different things: mitosis phases, the stages of mitosis, the steps of mitosis, or maybe even something else. All of those different phrases refer to the exact same process. As long as you remember that the phases/stages/steps of mitosis always happen in the same order, it doesn’t really matter which of those phrases you use! Next, we’re going to breakdown the four phases of mitosis in order so you can understand how mitosis occurs through each phase. (Ph. Immel/Wikimedia Commons) Interphase: What Happens Before Mitosis We can think of interphase as a transitional phase. Interphase is when the parent cell prepares itself for mitosis. This phase isn’t considered part of mitosis, but understanding what happens during interphase can help the steps of mitosis make a little more sense. You can think of interphase kind of like the opening act. They aren’t the band you came to see, but they get the audience warmed up for the main event. Interphase occurs prior to the beginning of mitosis and encompasses what’s called stage G1, or first gap, stage S, or synthesis, and stage G2, or second gap. Stages G1, S, and G2 must always occur in this order. The cell cycle begins with stage G1, which is a part of interphase. So how does the parent cell prep itself for mitosis during interphase? During interphase, the cell is busy growing. It’s producing proteins and cytoplasmic organelles during the G1 phase, duplicating its chromosomes during the S phase, then continuing to grow in preparation for mitosis in the G2 phase. In the cell cycle, interphase doesn’t just occur before mitosis- it also alternates with mitosis. It’s important to remember that this is a recurring cycle. When mitosis ends, interphase starts up again! In fact, in the grand scheme of the cell cycle, mitosis is a much shorter phase than interphase. (Kelvinsong/Wikimedia Commons) Phase 1: Prophase Prophase is the first step of mitosis. This is when the genetic fibers within the cell’s nucleus, known as chromatin, begin to condense and become tightly compacted together. During interphase, the parent cell’s chromosomes are replicated, but they aren’t yet visible. They’re just floating around in the form of loosely collected chromatin. During prophase, that loose chromatin condenses and forms into visible, individual chromosomes. Since each of the parent cell’s chromosomes were replicated during interphase, there are two copies of each chromosome in the cell during prophase. Once the chromatin has condensed into individual chromosomes, the genetically-identical chromosomes come together to form an â€Å"X† shape, called sister chromatids. These sister chromatids carry identical DNA and are joined at the center (in the middle of the â€Å"X† shape) at a point called the centromere. The centromeres will serve as anchors that’ll be used to pull the sister chromatids apart during a later phase of mitosis. And that’s what’s happening inside the nucleus during prophase! After the sister chromatids form, two structures called centrosomes move away from each other outside of the nucleus. As they move to opposite sides of the cell, the centrosomes form something called the mitotic spindle. The mitotic spindle will eventually be responsible for separating the identical sister chromatids into two new cells and is made up of long protein strands, called microtubules. Late Prophase: Prometaphase Prometaphase is often referred to as â€Å"late prophase.† (Though it’s also sometimes called â€Å"early metaphase† or referred to as a distinct phase entirely!) Regardless, some really important things occur during prometaphase that propel cell division along and that help explain what happens in metaphase. Prometaphase is the phase of mitosis following prophase and preceding metaphase. The short version of what happens during prometaphase is that the nuclear membrane breaks down. Here’s the long version of what happens during prometaphase: first, the nuclear membrane or nuclear envelope (i.e. the lipid bilayer surrounding the nucleus and encasing the genetic material in the nucleus) breaks apart into a bunch of membrane vesicles. Once the nuclear envelope breaks apart, the sister chromatids that were stuck inside the nucleus break free. Now that the nucleus’s protective covering is gone, kinetochore microtubules move near the sister chromatids and attach to them at the centromere (that spot at the center of the â€Å"X†). Now these kinetochore microtubules are anchored at opposite poles on either end of the cell, so they’re extending themselves toward the sister chromatids and connecting them to one of the edges of the cell. It’s kind of like catching a fish with a fishing pole- eventually, the chromatids are going to be separated and drawn to opposite ends of the cell. And that’s the end of prometaphase. After prometaphase ends, metaphase- the second official phase of mitosis- begins. (Kelvinsong/Wikimedia Commons) Phase 2: Metaphase Metaphase is the phase of mitosis that follows prophase and prometaphase and precedes anaphase. Metaphase begins once all the kinetochore microtubules get attached to the sister chromatids’ centromeres during prometaphase. So here’s how it happens: the force generated during prometaphase causes the microtubules to start pulling back and forth on the sister chromatids. Since the microtubules are anchored at opposite ends of the cell, their back-and-forth pulling on different sides of the sister chromatids gradually shifts the sister chromatids to the middle of the cell. This equal and opposite tension causes the sister chromatids to align along an imaginary- but very important!- line trailing down the middle of the cell. This imaginary line dividing the cell down the middle is called the metaphase plate or equatorial plane. Now, in order for metaphase to progress on to anaphase, the sister chromatids must be equitably distributed across that metaphase plate. That’s where the metaphase checkpoint comes in: the metaphase checkpoint ensures that the kinetochores are properly attached to the mitotic spindles and that the sister chromatids are evenly distributed and aligned across the metaphase plate. If they are, the cell gets the green light to move on to the next phase of mitosis. The checkpoint is very important because it helps the cell make sure that it mitosis will result in two new, identical cells with the same DNA! Only once the cell passes the metaphase checkpoint successfully can the cell proceed to the next stage of mitosis: anaphase. (Kelvinsong/Wikimedia Commons) Phase 3: Anaphase The third phase of mitosis, following metaphase and preceding telophase, is anaphase. Since the sister chromatids began attaching to centrosomes on opposite ends of the cell in metaphase, they’re prepped and ready to start separating and forming genetically-identical daughter chromosomes during anaphase. During anaphase, the centromeres at the center of the sister chromatids are severed. (It sounds worse than it is!) Remember how the sister chromatids are attached to the mitotic spindle? The spindle is made up of microtubules, which start shrinking during this phase of mitosis. They gradually pull the severed sister chromatids toward opposite poles of the cell. Anaphase ensures that each chromosome receives identical copies of the parent cell’s DNA. The sister chromatids split apart down the middle at their centromere and become individual, identical chromosomes. Once the sister chromatids split during anaphase, they’re called sister chromosomes. (They’re actually more like identical twins!) These chromosomes will function independently in new, separate cells once mitosis is complete, but they still share identical genetic information. Finally, during the second half of anaphase, the cell begins to elongate as polar microtubules push against each other. It goes from looking like one round cell to...well, more like an egg as the new chromosome sets pull further away from each other. At the end of anaphase, chromosomes reach their maximum condensation level. This helps the newly separated chromosomes stay separated and prepares the nucleus to re-form . . . which occurs in the final phase of mitosis: telophase. (Kelvinsong/Wikimedia Commons) Phase 4: Telophase Telophase is the last phase of mitosis. Telophase is when the newly separated daughter chromosomes get their own individual nuclear membranes and identical sets of chromosomes. Toward the end of anaphase, the microtubules began pushing against each other and causing the cell to elongate. Those polar microtubules keep elongating the cell during telophase! In the meantime, the separated daughter chromosomes that are being pulled to opposite ends of the cell finally arrive at the mitotic spindle. Once the daughter chromosomes have fully separated to opposite poles of the cell, the membrane vesicles of the parent cell’s old, broken down nuclear envelope form into a new nuclear envelope. This new nuclear envelope forms around the two sets of separated daughter chromosomes, creating two separate nuclei inside the same cell. You might think of the events of telophase as a reversal of the events that occur during prophase and prometaphase. Remember how prophase and prometaphase are all about the nucleus of the parent cell starting to break down and separate? Telophase is about the reformation of the nuclear envelope around new nuclei to separate them from each cell’s cytoplasm. Now that the two sets of daughter chromosomes are encased in a new nuclear envelope, they begin to spread out again. When this occurs, it is the end of telophase, and mitosis is complete. (LadyofHats/Wikimedia Commons) Cytokinesis: What Happens After Mitosis Like interphase, cytokinesis isn’t a part of mitosis, but it’s definitely an important part of the cell cycle that is essential to completing cell division. Sometimes, the occurrence of the events of cytokinesis overlaps with telophase and even anaphase, but cytokinesis is still considered a separate process from mitosis. Cytokinesis is the actual division of the cell membrane into two discrete cells. At the end of mitosis, there are two new nuclei contained within the existing parent cell, which has stretched out into an oblong shape. So at this point, there’s actually two complete nuclei hanging out in one cell! So how does one cell become two cells? Cytokinesis is responsible for completing the process of cell division by taking those new nuclei, separating the old cell in half, and ensuring that each of the new daughter cells contains one of the new nuclei. Here’s how the separation of the old cell is accomplished during cytokinesis: remember that imaginary line running down the middle of the cell and dividing the centrosomes, called the metaphase plate? During cytokinesis, a contractile ring made of protein filaments develops where that metaphase plate used to be. Once the contractile ring forms down the middle of the cell, it starts shrinking, which pulls the cell’s outer plasma membrane inward. You can think of it like a belt that just keeps tightening around the middle of the cell, squeezing it into two sections. Eventually, the contractile ring shrinks so much that the plasma membrane pinches off and the separated nuclei are able to form into their own cells. The end of cytokinesis signifies the end of the M-phase of the cell cycle, of which mitosis is also a part. At the end of cytokinesis, the division part of the cell cycle has officially ended. 5 (Free!) Resources for Further Study of the Steps of Mitosis Mitosis is a complex process, and the mitosis phases involve a lot of big words and unfamiliar concepts that you might want to learn more about. If you’re interested in diving more deeply into the 4 stages of mitosis, take a look at our five suggested resources for further study of the steps of mitosis, explained below! #1: Mitosis Animations Online Reading all about mitosis can definitely be helpful, but what if visuals really help you understand how things work? That’s where web animations of mitosis might come in handy for you. Watching mitosis in action through web animations can help give you an idea of what all those verbal descriptions really mean. They can also help you picture what the phases of mitosis might look like under a real microscope! There are probably a lot of web animations of mitosis that you could take a look at, but we recommend these three: John Kyrk’s Mitosis Animation The Biology Project’s â€Å"Online Onion Root Tips† Cells Alive’s â€Å"Animal Cell Mitosis† We particularly like Cells Alive’s â€Å"Animal Cell Mitosis† animation because it allows you to pause the animation as it loops through the phases of mitosis in order to take a fine-grained look at how mitosis works. Cells Alive’s version also juxtaposes its animation of the mitosis phases with footage of mitosis occurring under a microscope, so you’ll know what you’re looking for if you’re ever tasked with observing cell mitosis in the lab. iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L0k-enzoeOM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen/iframe #2: â€Å"Mitosis: Splitting Up Is Hard To Do† by Crash Course If you’re a bit exhausted from reading dense material and need someone else to put the stages of mitosis into more accessible terms, head over to YouTube and watch Crash Course’s 10 minute video on mitosis, called â€Å"Mitosis: Splitting Up Is Hard to Do.† The nice thing about this video is that, while being a bit more thorough than some of the other YouTube videos you might find out there on mitosis, it’s also really funny. More importantly, it explains mitosis in terms of familiar, everyday biological processes, like when you get a cut and need your body to make new cells to heal. If you need help thinking about the real-world relevance of the mitosis phases beyond just being something you have to memorize for a lab or exam, this is a great resource. #3: â€Å"Phases of Mitosis† by Khan Academy Here’s another YouTube video, but the tone and style of this explanation of the steps of mitosis by Khan Academy is a little different. Watching this tutorial on the mitosis phases feels a bit like you’re sitting in biology class and your teacher/professor is drawing out diagrams of mitosis while talking you through the entire process (except in this case, your teacher is sort of cool and only uses neon colors to draw the diagrams). If you’re looking for a step-by-step tutorial that takes a slow pace and deals with the steps of mitosis thoroughly, Khan Academy has you covered! #4: Creating a Mitosis Flip Book For some learners, the process of creating something to show your knowledge can help with memorization of difficult concepts and/or developing a thorough understanding of how things work. That’s why we suggest trying out some old-school tactics to build your knowledge of the 4 stages of mitosis! A tried-and-true approach to learning the mitosis phases, vetted by biology teachers, is creating a mitosis flip book. Post-It provides a step-by-step guide on how you can create a mitosis flip book on your own, but it’s really pretty simple: you get something to draw with, grab small note cards or sticky notes to draw on, and draw what each phase of the cell cycle looks like on individual note cards/sticky notes! When you’ve finished drawing your version of the stages of mitosis on your cards, you either stick, tape, or staple them together, and voila! You can flip through your mitosis flip book from beginning to end and watch the progression of mitosis through the four phases. Activities like this one can help imprint on your memory what each step of mitosis looks like. Plus, when you finish your flip book, you’ve got a pocket-sized resource that you can carry with you as a part of your study guide or a quick resource for review before a quiz or exam! #5: â€Å"Mitosis Study Set† by ProProfs Flashcards Maybe you’re feeling pretty good about your knowledge of the stages of mitosis but you want some help in testing that knowledge before a formal quiz or exam. That’s where ProProfs Flashcards’ â€Å"Mitosis Study Set,† an online study guide that provides an array of flashcards to help you test your knowledge of the stages of mitosis, comes in. What’s fun about this flashcard set is that you can choose different assessment styles depending on where you are in your knowledge of mitosis. The flashcard set provides traditional question-and-answer flashcards, a flashcard function specifically geared toward memorization, a multiple choice quiz, and matching. If you want to practice being tested on the steps of mitosis before the actual test, check out this resource! ProProfs Flashcards provides several study sets on other topics related to or involving mitosis, so if you need to test your knowledge of mitosis beyond just the four phases, this resource could help out there as well. What's Next? If you want more traditional resources to help you learn about the cell cycle, our list of the best AP Biology study guides has you covered. You’ll probably need to know about more than just mitosis to ace your AP Biology exam. Here’s an expert guide to the test to get your studying started off on the right foot! Taking science classes in high school (and doing well in them!) is an important step on your journey to get into the university of your dreams. Check out this article about which science classes you need to take before applying for college to figure out which classes are right for you.

Revenue Function Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Revenue Function - Assignment Example It is almost impossible to obtain accurate and reliable financial figures for the intangible services being provided (Cleverly,Song , &Cleverly,2011). According to Brown (2012) in Encyclopedia for Business ,the external revenue generation of not-for profit organizations adds to the complexity. These organizations rely on funds from other external sources, which is a challenge itself since there is no incentive for the contributors. The role of the largest client of healthcare organizations, that is government, makes the whole process even more complex due to the complex payment system. For the successful running of HCO understanding of policies, rules and procedures is of utmost importance(Cleverly,Song , &Cleverly,2011). The integral part of economy of any country is composed of Non-profit organizations because of its valuable services. Unaffordable services are made available and approachable through these organizations. This increases the pressure on such organizations to fill the discrepancies which result in the complexity of the revenue functions. Just like profit organizations such not for profit organizations are also a business and the requirements for revenues has to be met for effective functioning of the organization. Cleverly, W. O., & Song, P. H. & Clevrly,J.O. (2011).Financial Envoirenment of Healthcare Organizations.Essentials Of Healthcare Finance(7th Ed.). Retrieved from