Dna Sequences Using Polymerase Chain Reaction - 1605 Words

Amplification of 16S Ribosomal DNA Sequences using Polymerase Chain Reaction Edwina Abou Haidar, Houssam Al Koussa, Mary AbedAlAhad. Department of Biology, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon Abstract The 16s rRNA gene sequencing is a widely common amplicon sequencing method used to identify and compare bacteria in a given sample. This method is well established and allows to study phylogeny and taxonomy of complex microbiomes. In this study, an unknown sample of extracted microbial DNA was analyzed by performing the polymerase chain reaction followed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The results were accurate since three distinct bands (1500 basepairs) corresponded to our sample (duplicates) and the positive control. This indicates clearly the amplification of the 16s rRNA gene whose further sequencing technique constitutes a pivotal tool in the accurate identification of bacterial isolates as well as the discovery of novel bacteria in clinical microbiology laboratories. Abbreviations rDNA: ribosomal DNA rRNA: ribosomal RNA bp: base pair PCR: Polymerase Chain Reaction Introduction Physiological and biochemical tests constituting the basis of conventional differentiation between bacterial species are somehow cumbersome, consume a lot of time and require different approaches [1]. Furthermore, the commercial identification systems failed to identify commonly encountered bacteria and uncommon isolates. In fact, these commercial systemsShow MoreRelatedForensic Science : An Effective Tool For The Law Enforcement1319 Words   |  6 Pagesways to do so come from the effectiveness of DNA analysis. Forensic scientist play a vital role in helping catch criminals, using different devices so as DNA markers and DNA testing along with many more different types to help catch a criminal. It is possible for DNA analysis to have unfounded results that can lead to an unjust conviction, with most of the time, resulting from human error. Although there remains diverse thoughts on the issues of DNA analysis being the most effective too l for theRead MoreAbstract. Taq Polymerase Is Essential In Polymerase Chain1446 Words   |  6 Pages ABSTRACT Taq Polymerase is essential in Polymerase Chain Reaction(PCR) experiments to obtain a PCR amplification of an unknown gene. The unknown gene is then ligated into a vector plasmid, which is placed in a bacterium Escherichia Coli to transform and multiply. Ultimately, identification and characterization of the unknown gene is done using electrophoreses and gel imaging. Cloning techniques such as the one performed have been used for many years to isolate genes from a variety of species.Read MorePolymerase Chain Reaction Essay1003 Words   |  5 Pagesgenetic molecular level, where a piece of DNA is copied on a large-scale by genetically copying tens to hundreds of thousands of identical DNA fragments. Researchers are developing new methods of cloning by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR was introduced in the 1980s and in recent years Kary Mullis won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his invention of PCR. Today, Scientists today are researching the various sub-fields of cloning , using PCR, in new ways using terminators, enzyme insertion, andRead MoreDna Barcoding Using Coi For Species Identification For Conservation1573 Words   |  7 PagesDNA Barcoding using COI for Species Identification for Conservation Introduction and Literature Review The DNA Barcoding is becoming more popular in the present times due to its accuracy in the identification of different species. It has been approved to be more accurate than other taxonomic methods. The DNA Barcoding employs in the use of Polymerase Chain Reaction to magnify the COI gene. The amplified COI genes of the organisms are sequenced and compared with a known database of the organismsRead MoreOxidatic Polymorphism In Oral Cancer Lab Report884 Words   |  4 Pagesantioxidant enzymes and the thiol were assayed and analysed by using spectrophotometric methods. Gene GSTT1 was analysed by using polymerase chain reaction(PCR). The some biochemical technique was used for the study of oxidative stress and the genetic polymorphism of the antioxidant enzymes level or status in patient with oral cancer. The main Aim is study of genetic polymorphism in the patients suffering with oral cancer and also the isolation of DNA, for this various methods are used. Genetic polymorphism-Read MorePcr Rflp Report : Pcr1166 Words   |  5 PagesPCR-RFLP Report PCR What is it: The Polymerase Chain Reaction is a method that uses the capability of DNA polymerase to synthesize to new DNA strands which are matching to the template strand. A primer needs to be added to the first nucleotide due to the fact that DNA polymerase only can add a nucleotide only onto a 3 -OH group that already exists. Because of this condition, we are able to define a chosen region of template sequence which we can then generate millions to billions of copies. ThisRead MoreThe Community of Microorganisms that Reside in the Epithelia of Humans1034 Words   |  5 PagesThis information could only be acquired through processes such as DNA extraction, amplification of specific genetic target by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), agarose gel electrophoresis, restriction enzyme digestion, cloning of DNA fragments into plasmid vector, transformation and blue/white clone colony screening. Through the phylogenetic tree analysis Introduction This lab consisted in the amplification of 16s rRNA gene sequence, PCR based sequencing of forearm bacterial components. The 16s geneRead MoreScience947 Words   |  4 PagesDNA Technology Task 3 – Poster DNA fingerprinting, also known as DNA profiling, is a technique used in forensic science that identifies individuals based on various characteristics of their DNA. Although the DNA sequences between humans are 99.9% identical, DNA fingerprinting is able to distinguish between individuals due to the presence of specific sequences within the non-coding region of the genome known as satellite DNA. This satellite DNA consists of long stretches of DNA made up of repeatingRead MoreA Segment Of The Will Die Slowly Gene From Drosophila Melanogaster1688 Words   |  7 PagesTA cloning, sequencing and sequence analysis of a segment of the will die slowly gene from Drosophila melanogaster.† Abstact: A seemingly novel gene sequence has been discovered in fruit flies from Nicholas Harden’s lab at Simon Fraser University using random PCR primers. Attempts at purifying and characterizing this gene have been elusive. Here, we show methods for isolating, amplifying, and purifying the gene of interest for analysis. Using polymerase chain reaction to amplify the gene, it isRead MorePolymerase Chain Reaction ( Pcr )1564 Words   |  7 PagesMBB/BIO 181 | Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Name: Teresa Naval INTRODUCTION Scientifically, why is the study of Alu insertions interesting? (10 pts) Alu insertions are biological tools that can trace human history, evolution, and migration. In particular, Alu is often used to understand prehistory because all primates (including humans) with Alu insertions at specific locations can be traced to common ancestors [3]. Alu is sometimes referred to as a â€Å"jumping gene† because it copies itself

Animal Farm Monologue Essay - 719 Words

(Enters stage from the left) Good Afternoon Cairns Wwriters Ffestival , Im honored to be performing a monologue as a transformation of Moses, a little-mentioned character in the esteemed George Orwells Animal Farm. This monologue underlines the struggle of war, not just on the soldiers, but on those whose faith is manipulated for the use of continuing war. This monologue will be of a Chaplin in the First World War who has had his faith questioned by the suffering he has witnessed. This is tied in with Moses’s emotions after the ‘purge in chapter 7 and gives a unique look on Mosess feelings. (Pacing slowly)I know that to break the chains that hold me it will break the man that I am. I can’t be expected to tell these men to die. (Throws†¦show more content†¦What can I do, but let this massacre continue?! If I refuse my orders Ill be sent over the top to die like those I encourage to do the same. Instead, I sit quietly obeying the every whim of the generals that patronize and manipulate those that are dying for their freedom. They speak in their arrogant tones to me about how my faith can save millions of people away from the front lines , but its hard not to think about the ghost of men that I have seen running to their demise like lambs to the slaughter. They dont know that the faith that has been spoon fed to them has come straight from the headquarters, where the generals play with their mens lives as if they were just pawns on a chess board. (hands on head) What am I meant to do?! Give me a sign! Anything!... (slight tilt of the head to look at the floor) n oNo .. of course not, but a man as weak as I cannot be expected to endure such a test in character as to guide so many fates . In a world this cruel the ‘moral high ground’ must be nothing more than a charade to further the false hope crammed into our (emphasise) thick skulls to silence us like children at the dinner table. (Aggressive) If were to be seen and not heard how can we muffle our screams at the real monsters, not those fighting against us, but those that dare to call themselves our equals whilst pulling our strings like puppeteers? There’s nothing for me to do butShow MoreRelatedBeloved Essay3346 Words   |  14 PagesBeloved Essay In today’s modernized world, it is crucial to be able to comprehend and recognize conflicts dealing with racial tensions due to the increased growth of diversity in nations all over the world. Countries like North America are inhabited by people of different backgrounds, cultures, and colors. Since there is intermingling among everyone, the differences between the diverse ethnic backgrounds could stir up trouble which can lead to serious skirmishes like Watts Rebellion in 1965. ToRead MoreThe Outsiders And John Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men 1776 Words   |  8 PagesAmerican Dream† is what initially drew a large amount of immigrants in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s because it was viewed as the land of freedom and most importantly, opportunity. â€Å"The American Dream† can be, and is a widely used phrase but in this essay shall be used to refer to many characters’ own hopes and dreams for their future. Characters in Of Mice and Men and in The Outsiders are frequently disenfranchised and held back from ‘The American Dream’ by an aspect out of their control, such as raceRead MoreThe Outsiders And John Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men 1776 Words   |  8 PagesAmerican Dream† is what initially drew a large amount of immigrants in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s because it was viewed as the land of freedom and most importantly, opportunity. â€Å"The American Dream† can be, and is a widely used phrase but in this essay shall be used to refer to many characters’ own hopes and dreams for their future. Characters in Of Mice and Men and in The Outsiders are frequently disenfranchised and held back from ‘The American Dream’ by an aspect out of their control, such as raceRead MoreThe History of American Literature3501 Words   |  15 Pagesarose from the debate over ratification of the Constitution. Federalists supported the strong central government outlined in the Constituti on, while an anti-Federalist faction opposed it. A series of essays supporting ratification was published in 1787 and 1788 and circulated in pamphlets. The essays, later published as The Federalist, were written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay . Slave narratives recorded another side of life in America. The Interesting Narrative of the LifeRead MoreAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 Pagesto communicate effectively fear of eroding traditions and grief over loss of the past Genre/Style: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · highly experimental allusions in writing often refer to classical Greek and Roman writings use of fragments, juxtaposition, interior monologue, and stream of consciousness writers seeking to create a unique style Effect: ï‚ · common readers are alienated by this literature Historical Context: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · overwhelming technological changes of the 20th Century World War I was the firstRead MorePopulation Problem in Bangladesh14871 Words   |  60 PagesThe Bangladeshi English Essay Book An Analysis by Robin Upton, January 22nd 2006 Public Domain under (cc) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0 Jan 2006 - Robin Upton - http:// www.RobinUpton.com/research Contents Purpose........................................................................................................... 1 Introduction to Essay Books .......................................................................... 1 Impact of Essay Books .................Read MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 PagesThe necessary degree of intimacy is usually established by the author in setting a scene or through the dialogue itself. When a character addresses no one in particular, or when others are not present, his speech is called a monologue, although, strictly speaking, monologues occur more frequently in drama than in fiction. e) The quality of the exchange. The way a conversation ebbs and flows is important, too. When there is real give-and-take to a discussion, the characters can be presumed to beRead MoreThe taste of melon by borden deal11847 Words   |  48 Pageslooking around, then he bent, and I know he was looking at the depression in the earth where the melon had lain. He straightened, a great strangled cry tearing out of his throat. It chilled me deep down and all the way through, like the cry of a wild animal. My father jerked himself out of the chair, startled by the sound. He turned in time to see Mr. Wills lift the shotgun over his head and hurl it from him, his voice crying out again in a terrible, surging yell of pain and anger. â€Å"Lord, what’s

What Do You Want About Vaccinations - 1337 Words

â€Å"The United States is on the verge of a public health crisis,† says Anthony Ciolli, a Juris Doctor (Ciolli). Communicable diseases are spreading quickly, because of lack of vaccinations due to religious and philosophical exemptions. In 2013, one hundred forty-five thousand, seven hundred (145,700) people died globally from measles alone, a preventable disease (â€Å"Measles†). Vaccines are beneficial to everyone, especially those who cannot be vaccinated but still contract the disease. A well-known medical journalist said, â€Å"Vaccines were responsible for stopping meningococcal disease outbreaks in the 1990s and early 2000s, and more recently, helped end the influenza pandemic in 2009† (Walkinshaw). Vaccines should be mandatory regardless of religious and philosophical objections, because they protect the world population as a whole from deadly diseases. In order to understand the importance of a life-saving vaccine, it is essential to learn how they work. Amy Boulanger discusses the process in â€Å"What Do You Want to Know About Vaccinations?†. A vaccine injected into one’s body contains a weakened germ, which is responsible for causing that specific virus. By injecting that vaccine, the body is now able to recognize a new virus. It then activates and begins making antibodies. The body also â€Å"remembers† that virus. Through this process, immunity to the potentially deadly virus or disease will be quicker, therefore keeping vaccinated people protected from harm (Boulanger) .Show MoreRelatedThe Importance of Vaccinations for Childrens Health821 Words   |  3 PagesWhy do we have vaccinations? Is it so that vaccinations help people not get diseases and can help people get over what they have? Vaccinations are a good thing to have so that it helps to stop a virus and not get other people around you sick. Many people believe that vaccinations are good things to get. Vaccinations can save your children’s life because of all the advantages in medical science. Children all over the world can or could have been protected by many diseases and cure the diseases.Read MoreWhy Do We Have Vaccinations?819 Words   |  3 PagesWhy do we have vaccinations? Is it so that vaccinations help people not get diseases and can help people get over what they have? Vaccinations are a good thing to have so that it helps stop a virus and not get others around you sick. Many people believe vaccination is a good thing to have. Vaccinations can save your children’s life because of all the advantages in medical science, children all over the world can be protected by diseases and more. Diseases that have killed children have been lookedRead MorePersuasive-Flu Shot Essay1251 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction: Hi my name is Marah and today I am going to persuade you to get a Flu vaccination. I recently got a job working at Walgreens Pharmacy. Every day that I work I see people coming in to pick up their prescriptions that don’t look like the feel very great, with a tissue in one hand and their money in the other. No one wants to be sick, it’s not fun and it makes you feel like crap and you get absolutely nothing done. So it would only make sense if everyone was taking the precautionary measureRead MoreVaccines1112 Words   |  5 Pagesantibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases. In the past 50 years, vaccinations have saved more lives worldwide than any other medical product or procedure. The intriguing story of vaccination goes all the way back to ancient Greece. Ever since the invention of the first vaccine more than two centuries ago, there has been plenty of controversy over the morality, ethics, effectiveness, and safety of vaccination and immunizati on. Parents should be required to vaccinate their children. ThroughoutRead MoreMaking All Vaccinations Mandatory : Are We Hurting Or Helping? Essay1671 Words   |  7 Pages Making all Vaccinations Mandatory - Are We Hurting or Helping? Vaccines: More help or more hurt? No parent wants to hinder the health of their baby nor do they go into parenthood with the idea that they would love to have a child with any disease at all. Parents will do anything and everything in their power to keep their children safe. When following the recommendation of most doctors, children will receive upwards of 38 vaccinations by the time he or she is 18 months old. The idea of making vaccinationsRead MoreA Child Is A Parent s Most Prized Possession1619 Words   |  7 Pagesvirus, imagine the fear it would cause you and the possible deviations that can come from the disease. In serious cases: lifelong brain damage, deafness, and even death can occur. The average child grows up being nurtured and protected from everything the parent can protect them from. Parents want nothing but the best for their children and they would do everything they could to keep them healthy and safe. But now there’s controversy arising over vaccinations that are required for your child. ThereRead MoreVaccinations : Really Worth The Shot?1584 Words   |  7 PagesVaccinations: Definitely Worth the Shot Vaccines are safer than ever and widely considered one of the greatest medical achievements of modern civilization. Childhood diseases, that were once a major problem, are now rare due to vaccinations. Immunizations are effectively changing the United States in so many ways. This includes: protecting others you care about, saving families time and money, and protecting future generations to come. Some citizens are objecting to vaccinations because of minorRead MoreSitting In That Room, You Wait Anxiously For The Arrival1343 Words   |  6 PagesSitting in that room, you wait anxiously for the arrival of the nurse with the bag of â€Å"goodies.† As the door opens, she walks in and sets the needles beside you. Then a stench of alcohol is released in the air as she rubs the wipe on your arm. Then she counts down, â€Å"3-2-1.† That is when you feel the pinch of a needle. That was not so bad, considering that the vaccine is going to protect you. Parents should make thei r kids get vaccinated because it protects them from the diseases that run throughRead MoreA Research Study On Unofficial Vaccination Education Essay1440 Words   |  6 PagesUnofficial Vaccination Education When parents are trying to decide whether to vaccinate their child, they generally research the risks and benefits of vaccination. Johnson and Capdevila stated that in their study, â€Å"The participants stated that they had learned about†¦ vaccinations through media coverage, the Internet, health professionals†¦ and other mothers† (2014.) The media can be seen as friend or foe because they always cover popular controversies; however, it is well known that what mass mediaRead MoreThe Debate Over Vaccinations for Adults and Children Essay1043 Words   |  5 Pageshave arisen about immunizations and there are quite a few people who are either hesitant to or will not have themselves and their children immunized. I am a person who believes that children and adults should be immunized, by not receiving vaccinations it is possible to be putting the public at risk for more diseases. It should not matter what the parents’ philosophical or religious views are. In my opinion vaccinations for all children and adults should be mandatory. Without vaccinations it is possible

HUMAN RIGHTS Essay Summary Example For Students

HUMAN RIGHTS Essay Summary HUMAN RIGHTSThoi nguyenThat due a person or claim a person has by virtue of being a human being. The term human rights is relatively recent. It was first used by U. S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a 1941 message to the United States Congress in which he propounded four freedoms- -freedoms of speech and religion, and freedoms from want and fear. The idea of human rights is an elaboration of what used to be called natural rights or the rights of man. These are a particularly Western idea that grew out of the medieval concern for the rights of specific groups, such as lords, barons, churchmen, kings, guilds, or towns. With the Enlightenment, philosophers began to consider whether people in general had any rights. John Locke in particular argued in his influential second Treatise of Government (1690) that all people have a natural right to freedom, equality, and property. He directly influenced the American Declaration of Independence, which almost a century later (1776) decla red that We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. During the French Revolution the French National Assembly approved the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen (1789), which proclaimed that the goal of political association is the preservation of the natural and inalienable rights of man, of liberty, private property, personal security, and resistance to oppression. Such rights were further defined in the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States, among them the freedom of speech, religion, and assembly. These and other rights have been included in many other constitutions and now are part of an International Bill of Rights. This comprises the 1945 United Nations Charter (Articles 1 and 55), the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted by the UN Gene ral Assembly, and the two international covenants passed by the General Assembly in 1966, one on Civil and Political Rights (CPR) and the other on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ESCR). There is now a UN Human Rights Commission that can investigate alleged violations of human rights and also receive and consider individual complaints, a momentous advance for human rights in the state-centered international system. And there is the Helsinki process that began with the Helsinki Accord of 1975, with its Basket Three on human rights and periodic meetings to assess the progress of human rights among the signatories. In addition, human rights have been pursued in several regions. To mention just some of this activity, the Council of Europe adopted the European Convention on Human Rights and Europe now has the European Court of Human Rights and the European Commission on Human Rights. The Organization of American States also adopted the American Declaration on Human Rights, and furt her the American states have created the Inter-American Convention and Court on Human Rights. And due to the Organization for African Unity there is now the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights. Moreover, there have been numerous formal conferences among states and interested international government organizations on human rights, such as the World Conference on Human Rights among 183 nations in Vienna during June 1993. Human rights have also been the concern of numerous private organizations that have sought to further define and extend human rights (such as to a clean environment), observe their implementation among governments, publicize violations by governments (as of the right against torture and summary execution), or pressure governments to cease their violations. Some of the many such organizations include the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Anti-Slavery Society, Amnesty International, the International League for Human Rights, and the International Com mission of Jurists. In sum, human rights now are very much a part of international relations and law. They define fundamental moral canons for criticizing international and national conditions and behavior. As such they are imbedded in the practice of nations and treaty prescriptions. Many states now even include human rights monitors or representatives within their foreign ministries. For example, the United States Department of State has a Bureau of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs run by an assistant secretary. States have even generally agreed to moderate their warfare to preserve certain human rights, as precisely defined in the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional Protocols. And under international law there is now a fundamental core of human rights, for which there is universal jurisdiction, that no state can violate without risking mandated sanctions by the UN Security Council. Such is piracy, slavery, and genocide, for example. Along with all this activity on human rights the number of such rights has multiplied in the last half-century. There are at least forty human rights listed in the basic UDHR, CPR, and ESCR international documents on human rights, and even these have been further extended, as for the right to development that was declared an inalienable human right by the UN General Assembly in 1982. All these rights may be divided into those that concern individuals and those regarding collectivities. The former, which comprise the vast majority of rights, may be further divided into those rights of the individual against the state, usually the traditional Western rights, and those rights that make claims on the state. We can list an internationally recognized core of rights against the state from those listed in the UDHR. These include the rights to life, liberty, security of the person, recognition as a person before the law, equal protection of the law, remedy for violation of rights, fair and public trial, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty if charged with a penal offense, leave any country and return, seek asylum from persecution, nationality, marriage, property, the secret ballot and periodic elections, freely chosen representatives, form and join trade unions, equal access to public service, and participation in cultural life; to freedom of movement and residence, thought, conscience and religion, opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association, and of parents to choose their childrens education; and to freedom from slavery or servitude, torture, degrading or inhuman treatment or punishment, arbitrary arrest or detention or exile, arbitrary interference with privacy or family or home or correspondence, deprivation of nationality, arbitrary deprivation of property, and being compelled to join an association. George Orwell Research EssayBIBLIOGRAPHYDonnelly, Jack. INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1993. Donnelly, Jack, and Rhoda Howard, eds. INTERNATIONAL HANDBOOK ON HUMAN RIGHTS. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1987. Forsythe, David P. THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS. Lexington, Massachusetts: Lexington Books, 1991. Glaser, Kurt and Stefan T. Possony. VICTIMS OF POLITICS: THE STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS. New York: Columbia University Press, 1979. Humana, Charles. WORLD HUMAN RIGHTS GUIDE. London: The Economist Publications, 1986. Lawson, Edward H. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HUMAN RIGHTS. New York: Taylor and Francis, 1990. Rummel, R.J. DEATH BY GOVERNMENT. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 1994. Sieghart, Paul. THE INTERNATIONAL LAW OF HUMAN RIGHTS. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985. Strauss, Leo. NATURAL RIGHT AND HISTORY. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1953. UNITED NATIONS YEARBOOK ON HUMAN RIGHTS. Geneva: United Nations, biennial.

Challenges of my Life free essay sample

Peer pressure leads many high school students to follow the crowd and not do what they believe to be the right thing. I myself was one of those students, who for the longest time was caught up in the crowd. It took me two years of high school to realize that I was capable of standing on my own two feet and taking on the challenge of wrestling. If you had asked me as a freshman if I could see myself on a mat in a singlet wrestling another person, I would have said that you were crazy. To say that I have grown from this experience would be an understatement. Wrestling has had a long history in my family. My grandfather wrestled for East High School in the late 1940’s and he was a New York State Champion. My two uncles also wrestled for Auburn High School in the 1970’s. We will write a custom essay sample on Challenges of my Life or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The tipping point for me was the constant urging of my family to wrestle. I can remember my grandpa telling me the story of how he won his championship match and the feeling he had when they announced his name as New York State Champion. I never could have imagined that feeling till the night I won my first match. The one thing that scared me away from this sport was the uniform which was a tight fitting singlet that exposed your entire body. I also never realized the physical demand that wrestling took on one’s body. The long hours of learning new moves, lifting weights, and the mental preparation that you need to prepare for this sport is overwhelming. I had to learn to manage my time between school, home, work, family, and friends. Learning to manage a constant diet of food on a daily basis became more important than stopping by McDonalds for a hamburger and a milk shake. This no longer could happen. Wrestling is more of an individual sport but it also requires the help and support of a team to be successful. The coaches taught us to respect ourselves and also the opponents that we face on the mat. As a team at Christmas, we were able to bring toys to Upstate Hospital cancer unit for the unfortunate children who were facing a major illness and could not be home for the holidays with their families. This taught me a valuable lesson not to be afraid of those things that frighten me. Here I was able to witness little children who never knew if they were even going to be able to leave the hospital and live a normal life. This made me realize that I need to live each day to the fullest because who can tell what life has in store for us? Wrestling has taught me that I am capable of being my own individual. I cannot go back in time to change the past, however; the confidence that I have gained has allowed me the possibility of furthering my wrestling career in college. From this sport, I now know that in order for one to be successful you must not be afraid to try something new.