Amylase, Catalase and Invertase Enzyme Labs Essays - Nutrition

Amylase, Catalase and Invertase Enzyme Labs Essays - Nutrition Amylase, Catalase and Invertase Enzyme Labs IB Biology SL Y1 22 April 2014 Amylase, Catalase and Invertase Enzyme Labs Introduction Catalase Catalase is responsible for converting hydrogen peroxide1, which is harmful within living organisms, into water and oxygen molecules. This experiment investigates the effect of hydrogen peroxide on boiled and raw materials such as potatoes, liver, yeast cells, etc. If boiled materials were put into hydrogen peroxide, there would be no significant enzymatic reaction because the boiling temperature would already denature catalase in those materials, preventing any enzymes from functioning properly. Invertase Sucrose is hydrolyzed into monosaccharide form of fructose and glucose by invertase that catalyzes the hydrolysis1. Invertase can be obtained from yeast, which will be used in this experiment. The yeast suspension solution will show positive result to Benedicts solution test that indicates the presence of sugar. Amylase Amylase is an enzyme that breaks down starch into glucose through the process of hydrolysis2. It initiates the breakdown of starch to glucose in seeds during germination. To identify the presence of starch, iodine test will be used. If the result shows no color change into deep purple, that indicates the absence of starch and implies the presence of glucose that is broken down from starch. Boiled corn seeds would show least amount of color change in agar plate (from dark purple into transparent) because the high temperature would have already denatured amylase in seeds. Aim of experiment These three enzyme experiments aim to investigate each enzymes role in breaking macromolecules into simple molecules of smaller units. Data collection Table 1.0 Qualitative observation of catalase lab Material/extract being testedBoiled extracts reaction on H2O2Raw extracts reaction on H2O2 Liver X (No apparent reaction occurring) Solution quickly fluffed up with fine bubbles; the lower section of solution that was not fluffed was relatively transparent. Corn leafSubtle reaction of tiny bubbles slowly rose; solution remained dominantly clear. Ground meatSolution reacted and created fine, creamy bubbles while lower part remained clear. Yeast Solution was dominantly clear with tiny bubbles rising rapidly from the bottom. PotatoSubtle reaction of tiny bubbles slowly rose; solution remained dominantly clear. Table 2.0 qualitative observation of invertase lab Sucrose solution being testedGlucose strip testBenedicts solution Yeast suspensionLight green spots of 100mg/LLight yellow orangish solution that is translucent and milky Distilled waterLight green shades of 100mg/L but are spread out in a smoother mannerNegative result: dark greenish brown color Table 3.0 qualitative observation of amylase lab Types of corn seedsReaction after applying iodine on agar plates Soaked seedsPlates contained spots of transparent area where soaked corn seeds were place. Overall, there were tiny dots and large patches of dark blackish purple color on agar plate. Boiled seedsNo large patches of dark color, except similar tiny dots that were all over the agars surface. There were transparent spots where seeds were placed. Dry seedsTraces of dark blackish purple color surrounded the areas where corn seeds were placed (transparent). Agar plate was filled with tiny black dots. Agar plate had the darkest shade of color compared to the rest. Conclusion Catalase lab The extracts that were experimented to investigate the enzymatic reaction of catalase on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) included liver, corn leaf, ground meat, yeast, and potato. All the boiled extracts of these materials yielded no apparent enzymatic reaction when tested with H2O2. This proves how temperature, which is one of the factors that can impact enzymatic reaction, is responsible for chemical reactions not happening. Catalase in these materials were boiled at 100, apparently it exceeded each of their optimal temperature. Consequently, catalase within each material was denatured and not able to perform its function properly when tested with H2O2. On the other hand, all the raw extracts reacted to H2O2 at different degrees. Catalase in liver and ground meat extracts caused apparent reactions to H2O2 while catalase in corn lead, yeast, and potato extracts created less apparent enzymatic reaction to H2O2. Their differences in amount of reaction might be explained by various factors su ch as how pH level in raw meat and liver may be closer to the optimal pH level for catalase to catalyze. Invertase lab This lab involves observing effects of adding yeast and distilled water to sucrose solution, which is an example of disaccharide. Despite the poor ability of glucose strips to indicate glucoses presence, the use of Benedicts solution allowed more reliable proof of glucoses presence

3 Cases of Too Many Commas

3 Cases of Too Many Commas 3 Cases of Too Many Commas 3 Cases of Too Many Commas By Mark Nichol This post illustrates several types of sentences that incorporate excessive punctuation. Each example is followed by a discussion and a revision. 1. Much of what happened between the moment Jones sat on a bench to enjoy the view and police opened fire and killed him, has been the subject of contentious debate. A verb is preceded by a comma only when that comma is one of a pair that frames a parenthetical phrase: â€Å"Much of what happened between the moment Jones sat on a bench to enjoy the view and police opened fire and killed him has been the subject of contentious debate.† (An example of the type of exception noted is â€Å"Much of what happened between the moment Jones sat on a bench to enjoy the view and police opened fire and kill him, and why the police reacted the way they did, has been the subject of contentious debate.†) 2. The stakes are high because, without effective management of regulatory risks, organizations are reactive, at best, and noncompliant, at worst, with all of the attendant consequences. The punctuation bracketing the phrases â€Å"at best† and â€Å"at worst† is optional, but because they, in combination with the required commas that set off the sentence’s parenthetical phrase and its subordinate clause, create a cluttered effect, it’s best to omit the discretionary ones: â€Å"The stakes are high because, without effective management of regulatory risks, organizations are reactive at best and noncompliant at worst, with all of the attendant consequences.† (Note that in the case of â€Å"at worst,† only the preceding comma can be deleted, because the one that follows it serves double duty, setting off the subordinate clause as well.) 3. He would replace conservative, Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last month, leaving behind a bitter election-year fight over the future of the court. This sentence is punctuated as if â€Å"Justice Antonin Scalia† is an appositive of conservative- that is, as if the phrase and the word are equivalent to each other- meaning that the parenthetical phrase could be omitted without affecting the validity of the sentence’s grammatical structure. However, the result would be the flawed statement â€Å"He would replace conservative, who died last month, leaving behind a bitter election-year fight over the future of the court.† Conservative is simply part of a descriptor providing additional information about the person named; therefore, no intervening punctuation is necessary: â€Å"He would replace conservative justice Antonin Scalia, who died last month, leaving behind a bitter election-year fight over the future of the court.† (Note that because the descriptor is â€Å"conservative justice,† not simply conservative, justice is not a job title and is therefore not capitalized.) A revision of the sentence that incorporates an appositive and thus validates the parenthetical punctuation, is â€Å"He would replace a conservative justice, Antonin Scalia, who died last month, leaving behind a bitter election-year fight over the future of the court.† (Here, â€Å"Antonin Scalia† - and the framing punctuation- could be omitted without damage to the sentence.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†11 Writing Exercises to Inspire You and Strengthen Your WritingAffect vs. Effect

BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL CASE STUDY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL - Case Study Example Her case presents an insight into the effects that this condition can have on an individual’s life. Bertha started experiencing problems in her health near about the time when her father fell ill. Her initial complain was cough which was then followed by other problems which included visual and auditory problems as well as headaches. She then stopped talking for 14 days which was then followed by episodes of transition between two different personalities. After her father died, her condition worsened. Breuer was the person who was treating her. He used hypnosis on her to treat her condition. HE applied the principle of Catharsis to treat her and he used it for her different symptoms to overcome them. Though the frequency of her personality switch decreased, she was still experiencing the problem. Breuer discontinued his treatment and left her after she told him that she was pregnant and was carrying his child. This was a form of transference and this concept was not well understood at that time. Breuer declared her health to be well and left her. Following this she was sent to an institution and it was found from her reports that she had become a morphine addict and had stopped speaking in her mother tongue which was German. She also lost track of certain happenings in her life and could not remember them. Also there were periods of unconsciousness as well. Even after she left the institution, it was seen that she had two personalities for about another half decade. But she did eventually recover after about ten years and she became actively involved in social work. She worked for the rights of women as well as children. It was believed that in the case of Anna she was a target of emotional as well as sexual exploitation and it was this trauma that led her into the condition of multiple personality disorder. It is also thought that since she was an intelligent lady and women in those times were suppressed, she could have been emotionally disturbed because of this as well. Also her family was strict and she had many limitations and thus her lack of freedom ca n also be associated with this condition. Multiple personality disorder is a condition which is believed to have many reasons that lead to its causation. Biological factors have an important role to play. It has been seen that this condition is associated with trauma and such strain and disturbances can lead to effects on the life of a person. It is believed that the orbitofrontal complex is an important system of the human brain that helps in keeping memories and it is considered to be affected in this condition which can be counted as a reason for the absence of a person’s thoughts and happenings and short term memory loss. It is also involved in maintaining the emotional stability of a person. The development of the nerves and the myelination of the nervous system are at its peak in the last 3 to 4 years of a person’s life. It gets completed by the age of 12 years. Strained relationships with the parents in early ages are seen to be related with affecting this compl ex of the brain. In the case of Anna, as it is believed that she must have been traumatized at an early age due to emotional as well as sexual abuse, a possible correlation with the loss of efficient functioning of the orbitofrontal complex can be related to her condition. It is also notable that since she came from a conservative family and she was an intelligent woman, this could have also affected the early years of her life. The affect on this complex

Deconstruction of the 1998 movie ''ARMAGEDON'' by Michael Bay Essay

Deconstruction of the 1998 movie ''ARMAGEDON'' by Michael Bay - Essay Example The film ''Armagedon'' perhaps has a primary means of advancing the narrative is through spectacular visual elements. In the first two scenes there are two corresponding explosions – a meteor striking the Earth and extinguishing the dinosaurs and an unidentified source destroying the space shuttle. It is not long before a third explosion occurs as a meteor slams into a man selling inflatable Godzillas; one considers the irony in a meteor destroying replica dinosaurs. It is clear that one of the predominant means of narrative advancement is in the film’s implementation of these explosions. While they are worked seamlessly into the narrative, it seems that Bay implements them in large-part as a means of startling the viewer, just like a horror film might implement a murder. In other instances, the explosions seem to function simply as a means of allowing the viewer to revel in the Hollywood special effects. For instance, early in the film asteroids strike New York City in a highly fantastical manner, resulting in falling buildings, statues, and wide-scale havoc. Although such special effects are intrinsic to the plot, it is clear that in this scene the film dwells on the explosions simply for their fantastical nature. Another prominent structural device is the parallel narrative form. The film regularly cuts between scenes featuring Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck, and those centered in mission control. As the film begins the two narratives are entirely removed, leaving the viewer to question why blue-collar oilrig drillers would have anything to do with an asteroid. The film expertly interweaves the plot lines, however, as the Billy Bob Thornton character eventually states that they must bring in the world’s best deep core driller in order to stop the asteroid. The film largely remains tied to a parallel narrative structure throughout. It isn’t until a significant amount of scenes have passed before the first montage is implemented. This occurs as Harry and Grace begin to discuss the members of the team they will need to accompany them on their Earth saving mission; the film then cuts between various individuals in their place of residence or favored pastime. Another montage is implemented as the team is given psychological evaluations by the NASA scientists. To a degree, Bay’s way of dealing with this scene seems to be influenced by Steven Soderbergh’s approach in the Ocean’s Eleven and Twelve films; namely, funky sounding music is overplayed while rapid-pace editing jumps between different funny quips. Of course, the film’s primary montage occurs as the United States president announces to the nation the upcoming mission. During this time various scenes of world regions are featured looking on. The message is one of global unity and is highly poignant and inspiring. Still, it’s noted that this device was also used in a similar disaster film, Independence Day, as the United State s president called on the world to join in the fight against aliens. This fact further establishes the

Research Methods in Clinical Sciences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research Methods in Clinical Sciences - Essay Example Depending on the requirements of the research, methodology can be given either qualitative or quantitative approach. Qualitative approach looks at why a certain trend is taking place (Minichiello, Aroni, Timewell, and Alexander, 1995). It explains reasons as to why a certain behavioural pattern is taking a certain shape, and the forces behind that particular trend. Quantitative research on the other hand looks at the magnitude of a specific phenomenon. It is a deductive process that estimates the quantities of the items involved in the study. It measures the extent to which the involved items in the research affect or are affected by other variables in the study. Most scientific research demands for both types of research methodologies as there may be the need to measure the extent to which the variables involved affect each other and the level of relevance for each (Mould, 1998). An investigation into decision making in health professional’s treating traumatically injured Jeh ovah’s Witnesses will demand for a qualitative approach to the investigation. This research involves explanation as to why a healthcare professional needs to take care of the patients’ interests in regard to their cultural and other beliefs. This may not be explained quantitatively as the data will be given a detailed explanation other than providing statistical overview. When a health professional is dealing with a patient, there are decisions that must be made, some of which may be against the beliefs of the patient. The main objective of this professional will be to ensure that the life of the patient is saved at all cost (Grbich, 1999). To have a full insight into the stages that are involved in this process of making decision during treatment, a qualitative method will be the most appropriate approach. French, Reynolds and Swain, (2001) assert that qualitative research into a topic provides a detailed knowledge into the subject matter, especially when it involves question of why a certain activity or action has taken place in a certain manner. 2.0 Annotated Bibliography Menezes MA., 2010. Life on the front line: exploring personal and professional Impacts on healthcare professionals working with fetal anomaly. Ph D Thesis, The University of Melbourne. Web. 9th January, 2012. In this article, the author explains that currently, health professionals are able to conduct both antenatal screening for pregnant women. This process may reveal certain anomalies in the foetus. In case such a professional detects such a case in a patient, then the professional must strive to rescue such a patient because such anomalies may be fatal if not treated in time. The concerned health professional must therefore make a quick decision on how to approach the issue in order to save the patients life. The main objective of the health expert is to save the life of the patient at all cost, irrespective of beliefs of either the health expert or the patient. Journal of Emergency Primary Healthcare: An International e-Journal of Prehospital Care Research, Education, Clinical Practice, Policy and Service Delivery. Web. 9th January, 2012. This article talks about the management of mass casualty events through adoption of grander scale. Most health experts are faced with very many cases of emergency that require urgent attention.

String, procedure and macros in microprocessor

String, procedure and macros in microprocessor Strings In Microprocessor In order to understand strings, one has to keep in mind that a string is made up of an array of characters. The string data type is an in-built data type that is an array of 256 characters (type string= parked array of chaege). When stored in memory, the processor should know where the string starts and where it finishes. In order to know where the string finishes, in Pascal, the 0th element of a string is defined as the length of the string. So, if you try to access character 0 of a string, the number of characters stored in that array is returned, thus letting the processor to know where the string finishes. The power arc behavior on HV insulator strings is studied with regard to both the testing procedures and the design of guard devices. More precisely, the paper discusses the problems of firing the arc with an impulse or a fuse wire and the importance of the symmetry conditions of the supply and the return circuit in order to obtain reproducible and representative tests. The consequences of such testing procedures in the design of HV transmission lines are shown in some typical cases, that is, for vertical and for V- insulator strings. A string-oriented operating system for Intel-8080-based microcomputers is described. The system consists of a hierarchy of virtual machines. The lowest level virtual machines extend the instruction set of the 8080 to include additional 16-bit arithmetic and logical instructions, new data types, and operators. The data types include strings and string operators derived from the SNOBOL programming language. A table data type is constructed from strings, and table-manipulation operators are provided. A bit-map data type and associated operators are also included. An Input/Output Control System (IOCS) support device-independent IO to multiple devices and diskette files. File name aliases permit many logical IO streams to be dynamically mapped onto a restricted set of physical IO units. Pseudo device handlers expand the capabilities of IO devices and are transparent to application programs. Distributed command decoders interpret IO command strings. Once communication is established with a logical device, a low-overhead IO Vector mechanism may be used for further access. A keyboard monitor provides interactive debugging facilities to application programmers. System resource allocation is implementation dependent and is not embedded in the system nucleus. Multiple implementations over a range of system sizes have demonstrated the utility and adaptability of WIZARD. Apparatus and methods for testing a microprocessor chip using dedicated scan strings A test apparatus and method for design verification of at least one microprocessor chip includes a compatible Joint Task Action Group (JTAG) terminal for access to a plurality of computer functional units contained in the chip. A test input terminal included in the JTAG terminal receives a scan string, the string being coupled to each computer functional unit through a first multiplexer. The scan input string is separated by the JTAG terminal under program control into a series of dedicated scan strings, each dedicated scan string being supplied to a selected functional unit through the first multiplexer. Each functional unit includes start and stop scan clocks for testing the functional under program control using the dedicated scan train for the functional unit. A test output terminal included in the JTAG terminal is coupled to each functional unit through a second multiplexer. The test results of the dedicated scan string under control of the scan clock are supplied to the output terminal through the second multiplexer. The compatible JTAG terminal includes further elements for controlling the scan clocks to select a targeted functional unit for testing purposes while the scan strings for non-targeted functional units remain in an inactive state. Macros In Microprocessor A macro is a set of tasks combined together so that you can run or replay the entire task together with a single command. Macros are a powerful productivity tool. With macros you can perform long or boring tasks just by a single click. If you think you are doing the same task again and again and it is frustrating and wasting your time and energy, you are ready to use macros. Even if it is not getting on your nerve, using a macro is a smart and fun way of working. A microprocessor with a macro-rom exhibits reduced latency time and greater flexibility by including both a macro-rom queue and a main program queue. The arrangement eliminates the undesirable latency associated with fetching program as part of a return sequence from a macro-rom instruction. Also, the arrangement allows parameters to be extracted from the main program queue as the macrosequence is executing from the macro-roms program queue. Field Of The Invention : The integrated chip greatly improved the use for transistors, but it could only do what it was originally programmed to do. It couldnt change programs, and it certainly couldnt remember anything. This invention relates to microprocessor organizations and more particularly to such an organization including a macro-rom. Background Of The Invention : A microprocessor includes a datapath portion and a control portion. Data and addresses are manipulated in the datapath portion. The control portion is operative to decode instructions in a program into a form suitable for controlling that manipulation. Programs typically are stored in a main memory external to the chip and include sequences of instructions and data at specified addresses in the memory. The control portion of the microprocessor conveniently comprises a programmable logic array (PLA) for decoding instructions from main memory as well as auxiliary logic circuitry for applying decoded instructions to the datapath. A PLA includes an input register and an output register each having a set of latches. Instructions from main memory are applied to the latches of the input register typically during a first phase of each clock cycle of operation. During a second phase of each cycle, the latches of the output register are set to provide the binary code for controlling the datapath for the next subsequent cycle of operation. An instruction applied to the input register is called an op-code, and the output of the PLA (output register) is called a line of microcode. Each such line of microcode determines the state of the microprocessor for the instant cycle of operation. A PLA is characterized by feedback loops between the output register and the input register. These feedback loops carry binary data back to the input register to modify some bits of the input to the PLA in a manner to generate a sequence of related states. A PLA is able, thus, to generate a sequence of related microcode lines in response to each of one or more instructions in the program. As is most often the case, data located at more than a single address in the main memory are required in order for even a single instruction to produce useful results. These data must be accessed and moved to (fetched from main memory) on-chip registers in the datapath under the control of consecutive microcde lines in response to the single instruction. It typically takes a number of clock cycles to accomplish this movement of data even in response to a single instruction. The requisite number of clock cycles for such movement is reduced if the microprocessor includes an on-chip queue in which the instructions and data for a portion of a program can be stored. If this portion of the program is prefetched (i.e., fetched during earlier cycles) and stored in an on-chip queue in consecutive locations in the queue, the program can then be executed without wasting extra cycle time to access data stored in the main memory. Instead, the requisite instructions and data, when required, are obtained in a single cycle from the first location in the queue. Instructions in the queue are then applied to the input register of the PLA, and data in the queue are applied to elements of the datapath. Limitations imposed upon the speed of microprocessor operation by the bandwidth of the input/output (I/O) bus which carries instructions from main memory are thus reduced in microprocessors which include such a program queue into which such prefetched instructions and data ar e stored temporarily. A macro-rom is used to store on-chip, frequently-used programs called routines. Such routines are often called for in the execution of certain instructions called macro-instructions. A macro-rom is a word organized, on-chip, read-only-memory (ROM) operative to generate an ouput sequence of binary codes (coded words) in response to a corresponding sequence of input codes. The input codes are applied to the macro-rom from an on-chip register controlled by the output register of the PLA. Operation of the macro-rom is initiated when a program in main memory calls for a macro-instruction to be applied to the input register of the PLA. The PLA responds to generate microcode, specified bits of which set specified latches of the output register of the PLA for configuring the datapath elements (i.e., the queue, counter, address register, . . . ) to execute routines stored in the macro-rom and for activating the macro-rom as well. In turn, the macro-rom applies appropriate portions of the routine to the PLA input register. The routine is selected by the macro-instruction which specifies the addresses in the macro-rom at which the firt byte of the selected routine is stored. Consecutive macro-rom outputs typically are not applied directly to the PLA because a macro-rom instruction is not necessarily aligned in a proper field for the input register of the PLA, and execution is slow due to the requirement of several clock cycles for accessing a macro-rom memory to obtain an instruction. Instead, the selected macro-rom program is also stored in the queue. However, the selected routine cannot be stored in the queue without first erasing all unexecuted data then stored in the queue when the macro-rom is activated. The reason for this is that the queue is a sequential memory which can be loaded only from one end and read out only from the other. In the absence of erasing the unexecuted data, the routine from the macro-rom thus would not be located properly with respect to the unexecuted program already in the queue and would often occupy more space than would be available in the queue. Consequently, for proper operation, unexecuted program is erased and the qu eue is filled with a routine from the macro-rom. Procedure In Microprocessor The suboptimum detection procedure based on the weighting of partial decisions (WPD) was introduced as an improvement of one-bit-quantisation digital matched filtering, also known as binary matched filtering (BMF). The WPD is characterised by minimal additional hardware and software requirements but considerably better performance in comparison with BMF. A primary application of the WPD is the implementation of cost-effective medium-speed voice-band data medem receivers, but it can also be used in a number of other parametric and nonparametric detection problems. Formerly, the WPD was analysed only for binary transmission with an antipodal set of signalling waveforms. In this paper, the concept of the WPD is generalise and analysed theorectically for M-ary transmission with an arbitrary set of equal-energy signalling waveforms. Here, it is treated as the generalise procedure with BMF is its special case. The results of the performance analysis are provided, as well. These Operating Procedures outline the orderly transaction of business of this committee. For the development of standards, openness and due process must apply, which means that any individual with a direct and material interest has a right to participate by: a) expressing a position and its basis, b) having that position considered, and c) appealing if adversely affected. Due process allows for equity and fair play. In addition to openness, due process requires balance, i.e., the standards development process should have a balance of interests and shall not be dominated by any single interest category. Refrences 1- www.macro-automation.htm 2- www.microstat.php.htm 3- www.answers.com 4- www.microprocessor.htm 5- www.micropinv.htm

Goodbye Chicken Little :: essays research papers

The name of my book is Good-bye, Chicken Little, and was written by Betsy Byars. Betsy Byars has written over fifty books for young people. Her first book was published in 1962 and since then she has published regularly. She also won the Newbery Medal in 1971 and the American Book Award in 1981. Good-bye, Chicken Little is a book written for younger readers which I consider to be an adventurous book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Good-bye, Chicken Little takes place in Morgantown, West Virginia. The story is written from a modern-day viewpoint. Jimmie Little, the main character, is a typical young boy who enjoys spending time with his friend Conrad. Mrs. Little, Jimmies mom, is a widow woman who has two children, Jimmie and Cassie. Both of these characters are very effective characters all throughout the novel. Jimmie and Mrs. Little are both very likeable characters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jimmie Little is scard of life. Ever since his father’s death, the world has seemed so unpredictable that Jimmie nicknamed himself Chicken Little. Good-bye, Chicken Little is a perceptive exploration of Jimmies reaction to his Uncle Pete’s death, which takes place at the beginning of the novel. Jimmies uncle is well known for his jokes and pranks. On a cold wintry day, while visiting the bar, Pete, while drunk, was dared to walk across the river which ran through town. As usual, Pete accepted the dare and wasn’t fortunate enough to make it across without falling in and being killed. Because Jimmie was at the river side when Uncle Pete began to cross the river and did nothing more than he did to stop him he feels worse than ever. This terrible feeling of guilt Jimmie has last only until a special party with his relative which provides him with the understanding to face life no matter what happens instead of running away. The novel is fast-moving a nd does a good job of holding your attention until the end. The climax of the story is when Mrs. Little all the sudden decides to have a party which will bring together all of their family that is still living.