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Polyethylene Terephthalate

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Polyethylene Terephthalate

Polyethylene terephthalate – a lengthy compound.

  • ‘Polyethylene terephthalate’ is also known as ‘PET’, ‘PETE’, ‘PETP’, ‘PET-P’ and ‘Dacron’, which is a brand name.
  • Polyethylene terephthalate is a strong, light and safe plastic that is often made into containers to store foodstuff or liquids such as drinks, film – often for the packaging industry, and it is also used significantly in the textile industry.
  • Of all the production of polyethylene terephthalate, approximately 30% is used in plastic bottles and more than 60% is produced as textile fibre.
  • Polyethylene terephthalate is a type of polyester, and is named as such when used in textiles.
  • Polyethylene terephthalate is made of a chemical structure of (C10H8O4)n.

PET, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Bottle, Code, PETE, 1, recycling, Plain, Bottom, Ten Random Facts

  • Polyethylene terephthalate is fully recyclable and has a recycling code of ‘1’, by which PET can be recognised.
  • Polyethylene terephthalate was first patented in 1941 by chemists from England, named John Whinfield and James Dickson, invented for textile purposes.
  • Polyethylene terephthalate is made from two organic compounds, dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene glycol that go through a heating and distilling process.
  • Polyethylene terephthalate has become a very popular recycled material, as it can be recycled a number of times, and is generally converted to flakes or pellets to be further processed into fibres, film or formed in moulds, which are often made into carpets, fabrics, containers and other items.
  • Polyethylene terephthalate is typically transparent when in thin sheets, but can be opaque when thick.
 Bibliography:
PET Basics, n.d, NAPCOR, http://www.napcor.com/pdf/v4-11_NAPCOR_PET_Interactive.pdf
Polyethylene terephthalate, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_terephthalate

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Paris

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Paris

‘It is tossed by the waves, but does not sink’ – Paris’ motto.

  • Paris is the capital city of France, found in northern France, Europe on River Seine, and is among the leading cities in cuisine, fashion, education as well as other arts.
  • Paris is the largest city in France, and is among the largest in Europe, with over 2.2 million residing in the city in 2013, and over 12 million residents when including the wider Paris area.
  • Paris has one of the top Global Domestic Products (GDPs)  in the world, with a GDP of US$845 billion in 2011.
  • ‘Paris’ is also known as the ‘City of Love’, ‘Paname’, and the ‘La Ville-Lumière’ (City of Light’) and was historically known as ‘Lutetia Parisiorum’ during the Roman times in 0 to 400 AD.
  • The name ‘Paris’ was probably derived from the name of the Gaulish tribe, ‘Parisii’ that settled there.
Paris, Panorama, City, Lights, From Eiffel Tower, France, Ten Random Facts, FlickrPanorama of Paris
Image courtesy of MK B./Flickr
  • Paris has a metropolitan area of approximately 2,850 square kilometres (1,100 square miles).
  • Every year, Paris attracts approximately 28 million tourists who visit its gardens, cathedrals, festivals, arts, museums including the Louvre that houses many famous paintings including the Mona Lisa, and architecture including the Eiffel Tower.
  • Paris was the host of the 1889 World Fair, with the Eiffel Tower among the main attractions.
  • Paris is the home of the Métro, a subway system that is used by 9 million people per day.
  • Soccer (football) is a popular sport in Paris, and the city held the international soccer world cup, FIFA, in 1938 and 1998 as well as hosting the Olympic Games of 1900 and 1924.
Bibliography:
Paris, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris
Paris Facts & Figures, 2013, A View on Cities, http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/parisfacts.htm

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Asparagus

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Asparagus

Long asparagus.

  • Asparagus are long, spear-headed, edible vegetables that are popular across the globe.
  • Asparagus can be green, white or purple in colour, and is native to west Asia, north Africa and Europe.
  • The scientific name of asparagus is ‘asparagus officinalis’, which is one of the 300 species in the asparagaceae family, although some other asparagus species are edible.
  • Asparagus are the young shoots of the perennial plant with the same name that grows from 1 to 1.5 metres (3 to 5 feet) in height.
  • Historically, asparagus was commonly eaten in Ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, Spain and Syria.

Asparagus, Green, Long, Sticks, Multiple, Spears, Lily, Ten Random Facts, Australia, Vegetable

  • Asparagus is is 93% water and very high in vitamin K, and is high in vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, folate and iron.
  • In 2010, China was by far the biggest producer of asparagus, harvesting nearly 7 million tonnes (7.6 million tons) of the vegetable.
  • The word ‘Asparagus’ has Latin, Greek and Persian origins, originally meaning ‘shoot’ or ‘sprout’ in Persian,  and was originally termed as ‘sperage’ in English.
  • After consumption, asparagus can cause a foul smell emitted from the consumer’s urine due to the organic chemicals found in the vegetable.
  • Asparagus is served and eaten in stirfries, soup, raw in salad, grilled, and pickled, and when raw or lightly cooked, it has a crunchy texture.
Bibliography:
Asparagus, 2013, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=12
Asparagus, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus

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Mother Teresa

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Mother Teresa

“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” – Mother Teresa

  • ‘Mother Teresa’ is also known as ‘Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, M.C’, MC being for ‘Missionaries of Charity’.
  • Mother Teresa was a Roman-catholic nun, whose real name was ‘Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu’.
  • Mother Teresa started a a charity, named Missionaries of Charity, in 1950, which helped the dejected and ‘poorest of the poor’, and can now be found in numerous countries throughout the world.
  • Mother Teresa was known for her work amongst poverty, receiving over 120 awards including the Noble Peace Prize in 1979.
  • Mother Teresa was born on 26 August, 1910, in what is now called the Republic of Macedonia, Europe, to Albanian parents, but spent most of her life in India.
Mother Teresa, Collage, Holding kid, Nun, White, Old, Pray, Books, Colour, Black and white, Ten Random Facts, FlickrBlessed Teresa
Image courtesy of Peta de Aztlan/Flickr
  • Mother Teresa suffered a number of heart attacks from 1983, before her death, caused by an attack, on 5 September 1997.
  • Mother Teresa left her family home at 18 years of age, and became a nun in 1931, choosing the name ‘Thérèse’, or ‘Teresa’ in Spanish after the patron saint of missionaries, Thérèse de Lisieux and became known as ‘Mother Teresa’ on the 24 May 1937, when she took her final vows.
  • Mother Teresa could clearly and confidently speak five languages, being English, Hindi, Albanian, Bengali and Serbon-Croatian.
  • Mother Teresa has a public holiday in Albania named after herself, celebrated on 19 October and known as ‘Mother Teresa Day’.
  • Mother Teresa was involved in a convent school in Calcutta for nearly 20 years, until 1948, being a teacher and later the principal at the school.
Bibliography:
Mother Teresa, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Teresa
Short Biography, n.d, Mother Teresa of Calcutta Center, http://www.motherteresa.org/layout.html

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Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly

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Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly

Big orchard swallowtail butterflies flying through the sky.

  • ‘Orchard swallowtail butterflies’ are also known as ‘large citrus butterflies’, and are often the largest butterfly found in their native environment.
  • The scientific name of orchard swallowtail butterflies is Papilio aegeus and they are from the family Papilionidae, which is the family of swallowtail butterflies.
  • Orchard swallowtail butterflies are native to Papua New Guinea and eastern Australia.
  • Orchard swallowtail butterflies are sometimes considered pests, since the larvae (caterpillars) eat citrus leaves.
  • Orchard swallowtail butterflies have a wingspan ranging from 10 to 14 centimetres (4 to 5.5 inch), with females being slightly larger than the males.

Orchard swallowtail butterfly, brown, Wings out, wingspan, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Orchard swallowtail butterflies have orange-red and blue markings on their white and black coloured wings.
  • Orchard swallowtail butterfly caterpillars have a concealed forked organ that appears and repels a foul smell when threatened.
  • Orchard swallowtail butterflies generally flutter slower than most butterflies, but can move quickly if needed.
  • New orchard swallowtail butterfly larvae are camouflaged white, grey and brown, taking on the appearance of bird waste.
  • Male orchard swallowtail butterflies pursue black and white creatures, including birds, that move in their territory.
Bibliography:
Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly – Papilio aegeus, 2013, Brisbane Insects, http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_butters/Orch_butt.htm 
Papilio Aegeus, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_aegeus

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Snake Antivenom

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Snake Antivenom

Snake antivenom is a human life-saver… but comes from horses!

  • ‘Snake antivenom’ is also known as ‘snake antivenin’ and ‘snake antivenene’.
  • Snake antivenom is typically a liquid substance that contains antibodies that help destroy snake venom.
  • Snake antivenom is created by injecting the snake’s venom, which has been ‘milked’, into an animal, such as a horse, which will create antibodies that are later extracted.
  • Snake antivenom should always be given to a snake-bite victim if the snake is poisonous and the venom has spread through the victim’s body.
  • Allergic reactions can occur after a patient has been given snake antivenom, but it only occurs in 10% of patients.
Snake antivenom, antivenin, Wyeth brand, North American Coral Snake, Bottle, Ten Random FactsOriginal Source: Unkn0wn
  • Snake antivenom should be administered when symptoms such as headaches, pains, loss of consciousness, paralysis and nausea occur, and a snakebite may have occurred.
  • Snake antivenom should not be frozen but instead refrigerated, and usually has a storage life of three years.
  • Snake antivenom was invented in 1894 by Léon Charles Albert Calmette, a French immunologist.
  • Snake antivenom can cost up to $1600 per vial, depending on the type, while a single person with a snake bite can use as many as 20 to 25 vials.
  • Snake antivenom can take years to make, and take more years for approval by the World Health Organization (WHO) before the product is usable.
Bibliography:
Australian Snake Bites, 2011, University of Sydney, http://www.anaesthesia.med.usyd.edu.au/resources/venom/snakebite.html
Main D, How to Make Antivenom—And Why the World is Running Short, n.d, Popular Mechanics, http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/med-tech/how-to-make-antivenom-why-the-world-is-running-out#slide-1
Snake Antivenom, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_antivenom

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