William completed his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in 2013. He current serves as a lecturer, tutor and freelance writer. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, walking his dog and parasailing. Article last reviewed: 2022 | St. Rosemary Institution © 2010-2024 | Creative Commons 4.0

Leprosy & Hansen’s Disease: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

Leprosy or Hansen’s disease is a chronic, infectious disease that mainly affects the skin, mucous membranes, and nerves.  A rod shaped bacillus named Mycobacterium leprea, causes the virus.  Mycobacterium leprea is very similar to the bacillus that causes tuberculosis.  The reason Leprosy is also known as Hansen’s disease, is because it was first identified in…

The Canterbury Tales: Character Analysis of Chaucer’s Knight

Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, written in approximately 1385, is a collection of twenty-four stories ostensibly told by various people who are going on a religious pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral from London, England.  Prior to the actual tales, however, Chaucer offers the reader a glimpse of fourteenth century life by way of what he refers to…

Bioluminescence in Fungi: History & Mechanism

What is Bioluminescence? The current paper’s main focus is on bioluminescent Fungi but the basic features of bioluminescence discussed are common to all bioluminescent organisms. Bioluminescence is simply light created by living organisms. Probably the most commonly known example of bioluminescence by North Americans is the firefly, which lights its abdomen during its mating season…