ASK!

Leaves of the Persian shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus) taken from http://www.austinbug.com/larvalbugbio/purpleplants.html

All plants contain chlorophyll, a green pigment that helps the plants photosynthesize and make food. It is this pigment that gives plant leaves their green tint.

As for purple leaves, they usually have high concentration of molecules called anthocyanins. Unlike chlorophyll, anthocyanins can appear red, purple, or blue, and are responsible for the bright colours of many fruits and flowers. Plants that have high anthocyanin concentrations relative to chlorophyll will therefore appear ‘less’ green and ‘more’ purple to our eyes.

Plants with leaf colour other than green can nonetheless perform photosynthesis just like green-leafed plants (if they did not, they would not live). The chlorophyll needed for photosynthesis is masked among the colourful pigmentation. According to said Sven Svenson, a research horticulturist with Oregon State University, “The chlorophyll needed for photosynthesis is ‘hiding’ within the leaf colour, whether it be purple, yellow or red. Our eyes lack the ability to see that chlorophyll is there.”

Source: extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/colored-leaves-have-chlorophyll-too

Check out these other titles recommendations:
1. Plant Parts and Their Uses / J DVD 582 PLA
2. How Do Plants Get Food / J 572 DAV
3. Big Leaves for Exotic Effect / 635.975 GRI

Posted by Lynnette

With many airline companies offering customers the option of reserving seats and even online check in services, it is now easier to get better seats for that long haul flight to your next holiday destination!

An article from The Age (www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/03/15/1173722662092.html), recommends websites such as SeatGuru.com, SeatExpert.com and LoveMySeat.com, which offer seating information for dozens of domestic and international airlines. Such information include assessments of individual seats according to their level of recline, leg room, row position, access to in-flight amenities and proximity to lavatories and the galley. Some even offer ranking systems – something most of us can surely appreciate. SeatGuru.com, for instance, ranks seats according to whether they are “good seats”, “standard seats”, seats with “some drawbacks” or just plain “poor seats”.

Armed with such information, it is now much easier to identify the most desirable seat to ensure a more comfortable flight!

Listed below are some web resources that you might be interested in.

1.Web Resource

Source: http://www.seatguru.com/

Title: Airline Seating Charts – Best Airplane Seats – SeatGuru

Link: http://www.seatguru.com/

Description: The ultimate source for airplane seating, in-flight amenities, and airline information.

Last accessed date: 23 September 2011

2. Web Resource

Source: http://seatexpert.com/

Title: Best Airline Seats – SeatExpert

Link: http://seatexpert.com/

Description: Find the best airplane seat on your next flight. SeatExpert provides detailed airplane seat maps and seating advice.

Last accessed date: 23 September 2011

3. Book

Title: The frequent traveler’s guide / Alexander Anolik & John K. Hawks.

Author: Anolik, Alexander

Publisher: Naperville, Ill. : Sphinx Pub., c2005.

Call No.: English 910.202 ANO -[TRA] year 2005 ed 1st

Description: “What smart travelers and travel agents know”–Cover.

4.Book

Title: The traveller’s handbook.

Publisher: Bath, England : WEXAS Pub., [19--]-, c2006

Call No.: English 910.202 TH -[TRA] year 2006 ed 11th

5. Book

Title: The smart traveler’s passport.

Publisher: Philadelphia, PA : Quirk Books, c2007

Call No.: English 910.202 STP -[TRA] year 2007

Description: Vols. for 2007- by Erik Torkells and the readers of Budget travel magazine. “399 tips from seasoned travelers.”

Visit our online catalogue at http://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg to check on the availability of the books.

Original replied by Janice Ow, Librarian
Posted by Norah Ismail, Librarian, YIPL

According to Singapore Registry of Marriages website, there is a list of relationships between close relatives where marriages are prohibited in Singapore. A marriage between cousins is not one of them therefore it is not illegal for cousins to marry.

Some examples of illegal marriages include males marrying their siblings’ offspring and females marrying their parents’ siblings.

There is however, medical evidence that shows children whose parents are first cousins may be born with genetic defects.

According to a statement by the Human Genetics Commission in the United Kingdom, in cousin marriages, “there is a potential health risk arising from recessive genetic disorders but this risk is often misrepresented, or can seem overly significant… The absolute risk to first cousins having a child with a recessive genetic condition is about 3 in every 100 births… The great majority of pregnancies do not result in abnormalities.”

The above is for general information only. We would advise that you consult a legal or medical practitioner for professional advice.

Sources :-
1. Kindred and Affinity : Prohibited Degrees of Relationship. Retrieved on 4 October 2011, from http://app.rom.gov.sg/internet/efile/prohibited.htm

2. Cousins marriages. Retrieved on 4 October 2011, from http://www.hgc.gov.uk/Client/Content.asp?ContentId=741

Answered by Lynn Koh, Librarian
Posted by Judy Kong, Librarian