KING COCONUT (THE MAGICAL WATER )

 

King Coconut is a type of Coconut which native to Sri Lanka. It is a popular fruit in the world, and it has many benefits. Scientific Name is Cocos nucifera var. aurantiaca. King Coconut water has sweet taste. King Coconut is an orange colour coconut and Sri Lankan people called it as “Thembili”.

King coconut has liquid edible endosperm (King coconut water) and solid endosperm which is called kernel. King coconut kernel is a delicate spongy material which is rich in antioxidants, flavonoids and phytochemicals.

King coconut water is nutritional beverage which contains sugar, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. King Coconut water is a perfect drink that helps to keep human body rehydrated. Also, it can delay exhaustion. Further, it can be used as a refreshing drink to balance body electrolytes. King coconut is rich in Vitamin C, So it can be used as a dietary antioxidants. It directly influence on rapid intestinal absorption. Other than that, King coconut water helps to blood sugar restoration.

King coconut water has anti-aging effects to the skin. Magnesium maintains low blood sugar level against the type 2 Diabetes. It good at blood circulation in the kidneys. That causes to profuse diuresis. Further, king coconut water affect cardio protection. Therefore, King coconut water is identified as a medicine. It keeps the body away from diseases. And, develops internal functions of the human body. King coconut water is relaxation beverage in the sunny days. It has a cool effect that keep a healthy body. Further, King coconut water is used to make Vines. Also, it is added to various meals. Therefore, it is difficult to identify King coconut as a fruit. It is a medicine as well.

In Sri Lanka, King coconut is mostly cultivated in Kurunegala, Gampaha and Galle districts. Sri Lanka is a popular country for King coconut. King coconut water is exported as a beverage. There is a good demand from other countries.

Saffron

 

Saffron is made from stamens of Crocs flower (Crocus Sativus). Saffron is expensive and popular thing in the world. There are many benefits we can get from saffron. Mainly, saffron is used to increase the beauty and also, it is used as a medicine as well.

Crocus flower has only three saffron stamens. It needs 200,000 crocus flowers to made kilogram of saffron. Then, it needs huge human effort Therefore, saffron is very expensive. However, saffron has large number of benefits.

There are four anti oxides in saffron. They are Crosin, Crocetin, Safranal and Kaempferol. These ingredients repair damaged, irritated skin and keep youngest look of the human skin. Also, it can protect the skin from sunlight. Saffron has large portion of Vitamin C. Therefore, it gives soft smooth skin and remove dark spots and pimples. Moreover, Saffron can increase the hair growth and it can reduce the weight of the body.

Further, Saffron is used to reduce the high blood pressure and mental stress of the people. Recent analysis results found that saffron develops vision of the eyes and it helps to prevent from cancers.

There are many saffron treatments in the world. Indian and Middle East women drink milk with saffron. So, we can add saffron to our glass of milk or water. Also, saffron can be used as a cooking ingrediant. Some people add saffron to rice or milk rice, curd and yought to maintain a healthy life.

However, there is a limit to take saffron with our meals. If we take ,more than 1.5g of saffron per day, it can damage to the body. Therefore, it’s better to e saffron with consultation of the physician.

TYPE OF NERVOUS SYSTEMS IN ANIMALS

   

         During the course of evolution, nervous systems have become more complex. This is largely because animals have become larger and more mobile, requiring more neurons than a sedentary animal. The most fundamental function of aa nervous system is,

• To receive a stimulus
• Transmission of a stimulus to a central “brain”
• Interpretation and analysis of the stimulus
• Proper response by effectors

                       with the evolution of a complex nervous system and bilateral symmetry, cephalization (formation of a head) has taken Place, and the ganglia in  the head became large enough to called a brain, which is the main nervous control center of the body.

there are several type of neural organization in the animal kingdom. In the unicellular from, the single cell functions both as receptor and effector, there are no structural specializations.

In the cnidarians (Coelenterates) specialized cell are found in the body which functions as neurons or nerve cells. These neurons are multipolar and non-myelinated and organized in the from of a diffused nerve net. This nerve network is located in the body wall (mesoglia)

In platyhelminthes a more complex nervous system basically resembling a ladder is present. In its basic from, a nerve ring or pair of cerebral ganglia is present in the anterior end of the body. The neurons of cerebral ganglia is present in the anterior end of the body. The neurons of this nervous system are non-myelinated. From this nerve ring two lateral solid nerve cords originate and passes towards the posterior end of the body. These two lateral nerve cords are connected by several transverse nerves which give a ladder like structure. Therefore platyhelminthes have a rudiment of a central nervous (brain and nerve cords) and peripheral nervous systems (transverse nerves). 

 

HIKKADUWA BEACH

Hikkaduwa seashore is one of the most beautiful beaches in Sri Lanka.This is a remarkable feature of the beautiful coral reefs and its enormous sea creatures
                                 Located about 100km away from Colombo, this beach is easy to watch and easy to get by train from Colombo

DUMBULLA CAVE TEMPLE

                     The Golden temple ( Dambulla  Cave Temple) of dambulla is the largest well preserved and sacred cave temple site in Sri lanka. The site location in the central port of the Sri lanka at distance of 142Km from the Eastern port of Colombo. 72Km from North of kandy. It is believed that when King Vatta Gamini was fleeing from his enemies in the 1st Century BC, he was sheltered by ascetic monks who lived in these caves. The caves further, enlarged by King Nissankamall in the12th century with five temples built in to them. The Dambulla cave temple has 153 Buddha statues, 4 statues of Other gods including the Hindu Gods, Vishnu and Ganesh and 3 statues of the Kings who ruled Sri Lanka in the ancient times. The 5 important caves of the temple have been transformed in to shrine rooms, Consisting of Buddha statues, Mural paintings and statues of hindu details and Sri Lankan Kings. The Golden Buddha statue is of particular significance rising to a height of 100ft. The work towards the construction of the Golden Buddha statue on March 6, 1998 and installed after three years on Vesak full moon day that fell on may 6,2001 amidst rituals performed by the religious priests.

GALLE DUTCH FORT

                           Galle is the main town of Galle District in Southern Province in Sri Lanka. The Galle Dutch Fort is located in Galle town. It  is the largest Dutch Fort in Sri Lanka. Galle Fort was built first in 1588 by the Porthuguese and then expansively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th Century form 1648 on wards. It has area of 52ha. inside the walls defended by 14 bastions. The northern fortified gate, protected by a drawbridge and a diteh, bear the date 1669. During the 18th century, protected by sea wall finished in 1729, the city reached full development. The fort of Galle was handed over to the English only on 23rd February 1796, one week after the surrender of Colombo. Dutches made a gate put in between the moon bastion and the sun bastion, a lighthouse installed on the untrcht bastion, and a tower erected for the jublilee of Queen Victoria in 1883.

BEST PLASE TO VISIT IN SRI LANKA

• Kandy - Temlpe of the Tooth
• Dambulla - Cove Temple
• Bentota and Beruwala Beech
• Sigiriya Fort
• Nuwara Eliya
• Yala National Park
• Anuradhapura Ancient City
• Colombo
• Kumana Bird Paradise
• Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
• Sinharaja Rainforst
• Arugam Bay
• Trincomale
• Galle- Fort
• Hikkaduwa Beach

BEE AND FLOWERS

             Karl Frich (1886-1982) was an Austrian zoologist who studied how bees communicate with other. In 1973 he received a Nobel Prize for his work on animal behavior.

             The sent from a flower that has produced nectar through the air. It may stimulate the receptor cell of a honey bee and the insect flies towards it. As it get closer, the bee uses its eyes to find the flower, its eyes are sensitive to ultraviolet light. This make some of the pale markings we see in normal light stand out more distinctly to help the bee identify the flower. Some of the markings are lines running down the inside of petal. They are called honey guides and direct the bee towards the nectar.

             

Rabindranath Tagore

                Rabindranath Tagore is the greatest writer of modern indian literture, bengali poet, novelist, educator, and an early advocate of independence for India . Tagore wan the Nobel prize for literature in 1913. Two years later he dered it in 1919 as a protest against the massacre of Amritsar, where British troops killed some 400 Indian demonstrators.
   Tagore's influence over Gandhi and the founders of modern indian was enormous, but his reputation in West as a mystic has perhaps misled his Western readers to ignore his role as a reformer and critic of colonialism.
                                        Rabindranath Tagore was born in kolkota into a wealthy and prominent family. His father was Maharishi Debendranath Tagore, a religious reformer and scholar.

RESPIRATORY STRUCTURES IN ANIMALS

                           The simplest respiratory is surface, is the body covering. You may have noticed that some animals are small and shaped in a way that allow the body surface of the animal to be the gas exchange surface. However, as animals, as animals become bigger and complex their body surface to volume ratio gets decreased. Therefore, gaseous exchange through their body surface by simple diffusion become inefficient. Thus, s

COUNTRIES AND CULTURE

What is a culture?
                             Is it characterized by art or literature? Does it include actions, feelings, or thoughts? Is it ideas, objectives, or ways? What about beliefs or values, or customs or tradition? Is it something as simple as a field of activity or as complex as a never ending experiment? Culture is all of these. In everyday conversation, the word culture might refer to such fields as literature, art, or music; yet scientists who study culture see it as something more complex, a way of life as well as acting, feelings, and thinking. And even within these ‘definitions’ of culture there are different views on what exactly culture is. Western Culture began in Ancient Greece. There and in the Roman civilization it developed until the start of the Middle Ages when it largely vanished from Europe. During the Middle Ages, Western Culture resided, instead, in the Arab / Persian world to a modest degree.

MEDICINE

                      The practice of medicine is based on diagnosis and treatment. A hundred years ago, the physician felt the pulse and came to various conclusions about illnesses.
             He had only a few instruments to diagnose a disease. Within the last hundred years, medical technology developed. Now the physician has sophisticated medical instruments to diagnose diseases.
              X ray machine that was invented in 1895, came into regular use.

            Medical technology continues to develop very rapidly. Today the changes of the body can be observed and measured.      These findings are the key to diagnosing diseases and deciding treatment.

                   The E.C.G machine was invented during the last century. It is used to find how the heart works. The damage caused by a heart attack can be measured on this machine.

                Modern technology is able to support failing organs. Ventilators are used to maintain oxygen levels to assist breathing.

           Sir Alexander Fleming, whose discovery of penicillin led to the discovery of many other antibiotics. The antibiotics help in treating a large range of bacterial infections. 
                                  Modern technology has helped immensely to develop surgery. Now lasers are used in surgery. Kidney stones and gall bladder stones are removed through laser surgery. Laser treatments are used for treating eye diseases too.
      Medical science and technology has developed so much that surgeons transplant organs from one body to another. Kidney transplantation was first attempted in 1902. Today it is a well established operation. Heart transplantation was first performed in South Africa, in 1967. It was done by the surgeon, Christian Barnard.
                                          Immunization programmers are carried out to give protection to children. This has greatly decreased previously common diseases. 

ENCYCLOPAEDIA

 

                        The encyclopaedia has developed from the dictionary in the 18th century. A dictionary is mainly on worlds and their definitions. It provides limited information, for the word defined. Sometimes the definition given in the dictionary may not give enough understanding of the word to the reader. He may not understand the meaning, or significance of the word. He may not understand the broad meaning.
                An encyclopaedia is a complete summary of information. This information can be on all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge.
               An encyclopaedia on the other hand gives a full account on the subject. It gives the most relevant knowledge gathered on that subject. It often includes maps, illustrations, charts. as well as statistics to show relationships.
             The word "encyclopaedia" comes from the classical Greek word meaning, " a general education" The idea of producing an encyclopaedia is very old. The term was first used in 1541.

• Britannica
• wikipedia
• Encarta

MOTHER THERESA

Mother Theresa was internationally respected for her work to relieve the sufferings of the poor, the sick and drying. She began her work of desperately poor of India by bringing persons from the streets into a home, where they could die in peace dignity. She also established an orphanage. Through her untiring efforts she succeeded in forming a congregation of sisters whose work has now spread to five continents.
                                          Mother Theresa was born in Skipje, Albania, on August 27, 19910, and was named Agnes Gonxha Bejaxhini. She left her home at the age of 18 to join the Institute of Blessed Virgin mary in Dublin. She entered the order of the Sister of Our Lady of Loreto when she was 18 years old. She was sent to Calcutta by the Sister of Loreto and she became a Geography teacher in a school in Calcutta. While travelling on a train on September 10, 1946, she heard the cries of some sick and helpless people, which inspired her to help the poor. This experience she described as a “call within a call” to help the desperately poor of India.

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

The pinnawala Elephant orphanage is in the kegalle District(Sri Lanka). The road that leads to the orphanage is about two kilo metres from Kegalla town, on the Kandy road.

                It was started in 1975. There are baby and adult elephants in the orphanage. They are all rescued elephants. Farmers shoot at elephants when they come to their villages. Sometimes they throw fire brands to scare them away. Some elephants fall into pits, well and water-holes, when come in search of water in the dry season. Some injured elephants fall on the way. They cannot get up because of pain, hunger and thirst. Such elephants are rescued and brought to the orphanage.

Discovery of Antiseptic

                Joseph Lister was born in Upton, Essex, in England in 1827. He was educated at the universities of London and Edinburgh, 1852. In 1856 he became a surgeon in the Edinburgh royal Infirmary or hospital. In 1861 he was appointed surgeon of the Glasgow royal Infirmary in the new surgery unit designed to reduce gangrene and other infections. At that time, it was more dangerous to go to hospitals for surgery. One famous doctor said that it was very dangerous to to go to hospitals for surgery than to be a soldier in a war. This was because many died from infection. Despite his efforts to keep surgical instruments and rooms clean, the mortality rate remained closed to 50 percent.

Speed and Grace of the Cheetah

All children are sure to know about the cheetah. You would know that fastest land animal on Earth with the ability to run at speeds of 112 to 120 km/h (70 to 75 mph), accelerating from 0 to over 100 km/h (62 mph) in just three seconds. The speed and grace of this member of cat family have astonished humans and the sight of a stop us in our tracks.

                             Scientists think that about 10,000-12,000 years ago, at least 99 percent of the world king cheetah population may have died within a short period, resulting in the population getting as low as one pregnant female. The main difference between the king cheetah and the normal spotted cheetah is in the cat pattern. The standard cheetah’s fur coat is usually yellow, tawny or golden in color with a circular spotted pattern of small black markings, 0.75 to 1.5 inches in diameter, distributed fairly evenly across its body. The animal also displays the famous black ‘tear streaks’ down either cheek.

How Cruel the man on earth..?

              According to a wild life magazine, the total number of insects so far is in between one and two million.

               And….about ten thousand new species are identified annually.

     It could take another of that magazine, who is a conservationist, birdwatcher and active and dedicated supporter of wildlife conservation organizations… insects are the most abundant and successful animals on earth.

              Do you know the total number of other species living in this world today…?

                               The same wildlife magazine reveals that also …., But…, the total number of species living in this world today…, is staggering.

             These species are broadly categorized into Mammals, reptiles, Fish, Crustaceans, (shellfish like crabs and lobsters) amphibians, birds, insects and plants.

               Accordingly, there are nearly 4,600 species of mammals, 6400 species of amphibians, 8250 species of reptiles, 9700 species of birds, 26000 species of crustaceans, 20000 species of fish, 310000 species  of plants, and estimated four to six million insects living today.

       The variety of species in the forests of the world tigers, wolves, elephants, serpents, eagles, painted storks, caterpillars, luminous beetles. Insects, plants with leaves that close upon touch and pitches trap insects, was amazing. Don’t you think so…?

                                     The world’s largest mammal is the Blue whale, which can grow over 33 metres, long, and the smallest is the tiny bat from Thailand. Its size is about the size of a bumblebee and weighs just two grams.

                    The highest number of amphibians of any country on the earth is reported from Brazil. That is 751 species.

                           The largest living bird is, without doubt – the Ostrich. That magnificent bird stands a 2.7 metres high and weighs as much a 160 kg.  

                  The smallest bird in the world, is the ‘Hummingbird’ from Cuba, which weighs a mere 1.6 grams.

               However large number of animal species may be, many are under the threat of extinction, owing to poaching of wildlife, over fishing of the oceans, destruction of wildlife habit and climate change. 

          All of which have been brought by the most successful species on this earth-‘The man’. The number of species under threat is alarming..!

                              One fifth (1/5) of the mammalian species, one tenth(1/10) of birds, one third(1/3) of fish, one half(1/2) of plants, are under the threat of extinction, unless… immediate action is taken, to save them.