back pain and how to get relief

Back Pain and how to get Relief from it:

If you lifted something heavy or swung golf club a little too enthusiastically. Or maybe you have been hunched over a desk or computer for two weeks, battling a deadline. Whatever the reason, now your back is out and you're wishing for something, any thing that will put an end to the agony.
Almost every human suffers from back pain at some point in his or her life. The bad news is that unless you have a major injury or disc problem, your doctor may not be able to do much for you other than prescribe some pain medication and advise you to rest. The good news is that by following some simple steps, you can be back in the swing of things in just a few days. Even better, you can help ensure that you won't have to endure similar discomfort in the future.

Emergency back pain relief.

The following steps are appropriate for anyone who is suffering from back pain due to tight  aching back muscles or a strain. However, if you are experiencing pain, weakness, or numbness in the legs, or a loss of bowel or bladder control, see a doctor without delay.

Take Rest Your Back.

It is almost impossible to do anything without using your back. Even activities that do not seem very stressful on your back usually require some effort on its part. The activity need not be very demanding in terms of muscle strength to cause a problem; maybe the activity is one that your back just isn't used to. Often your back muscles simply overdo it. The end result may be a muscle pull or strain. In fact, most back pain and the majority of back injuries are probably related to muscle pulls and strains. When strained, your muscles need a chance to turn off, rest, and begin to heal themselves. Continuing to be too active can further aggravate a sore back. Find a comfortable position to allow your back to rest. The best position for an injured or achy back is lying down on either your back or side, with the curves of your spine aligned in their natural position. Try lying down on a firm surface like a padded, carpeted floor. You can relax your back by placing a couple of pillows under your knees. If on your side, place the pillows between the knees instead of under them. For your neck's comfort, roll up a small hand towel and place it under your neck to give it a break, too.
Apply Ice to Reduce Swelling.
Immediately after your back is injured, blood rushes into the damaged area. Even though swelling is part of the body's normal healing process, too much inflammation can increase pain and lengthen your recovery time. Applying ice immediately after a strain reduces the amount of inflammation, speeds up the healing process, and can numb some of the pain.
Generally, unless otherwise instructed by a physician, ice should be used instead of heat for the first 48 hours after a back strain. Heat from a hot shower, heating pad, or some popular topical lotion may feel better than using ice, but heat treatments increase blood flow, causing greater inflammation, more pain, and usually a slower recovery. At least for the first two days, stick with ice.
You do have to be careful with ice also, though. Incorrect application of ice can damage the skin. To apply ice correctly, warm a towel or pillowcase in slightly hot water, wring out the water, and quickly place an ice pack, ice cubes, or crushed ice in it. Immediately place the towel or pillowcase over the strained area of the back for no longer than 10 to 15 minutes.

Compress the Area.

Gently compressing an injured area can assist ice in reducing inflammation and pain, while speeding recovery. Compressing the muscles can provide some temporary support for the area, which may allow you to move around more easily while making you more comfortable. Try using an elastic bandage; wrap it around your midsection over the strained area of the back. Make sure you do not wrap it too tightly. (The wrap can be used over an ice pack providing the ice is applied as described in remedy 2 and for no more than 30 minutes.) An alternative to the elastic bandage is a back support, which acts like a corset to compress and support the back and stomach muscles.
Alternate Heat With Stretching.
 Muscles often spasm, or get tight, as the result of a back injury. This can be quite painful. Tight muscles and most sore joints do respond quite well to heat .because the warmth relaxes tight muscles, increases blood flow, and eases pain.
Gently stretching these muscles after the heat application can further relax and lengthen tight tissues, easing movement and reducing pain. Remember, though, in an acute injury, don't use heat until after 40 hours, because it can increase the swelling and slow your recovery. In the first 40 hours after an injury, ice is the better alternative, and ice can also be used with stretching. Ice works a little bit differently than heat; it tends to numb the sensation of pain in sore muscles, which allows you to stretch and relax tight muscles gently.

 Avoid from Harmful Activities.

 The body starts its healing process as soon as an injury occurs. You can help this process by avoiding activities that might make your back condition worse. Depending on the degree of damage to your back, many activities you perform on a daily basis can be stressful to an already sore back. When your back is recovering from a strain or injury, you should consider avoiding or at least being extra careful with the following activities. Avoid obviously stressful activities such as shoveling, in which the back is often twisted while lifting the weight of the shovel and its contents. Loading and unloading groceries from the back seat or the trunk of the car can quickly irritate your back even if the groceries don't weigh too much. In the same vein, be careful picking up children. As your back starts to heal gradually add these activities back into your daily life as your back can tolerate them, but remember, your back takes time to totally rebuild its strength and stamina after a strain or injury.
We hope you can follow these simple steps in your life to avoid get injured from back pain and if you feel pain you can follow these steps to get relief from it.

disease due to eating meat,chicken and eggs

we have lot of search about what the main side effects of eating the meat , chicken and eggs .Today world science has proved it that meat and eggs are very harmful for human life . When we eat meat , chicken and eggs , these food is not digested by our intestine . So this food convert in dangerous form in human body . After this we feel trouble when dangerous disease comes in the front of us .

Here are some names of these disease due to eating meat , chicken and eggs .

 Heartattack,Blocking heart vanes,Eye problems,Cancer,liver problems,Piles,Joint Pain,fatnesslosing,Diabetes,Stones in kidney.

healthy kitchen practices and basic diet concepts

Healthy Kitchen Practices and basic diet concepts:

Here are some practices to make your kitchen healthy .

Healthy Kitchen Practices.

Foods That Require Careful Cooking
Certain foods, especially if they are not properly cooked, cause indigestion. Some people react
Unfavorable to certain foods like beans, cabbage, onions, cucumber, radishes and seafood.
Fried foods as well as rich and spicy foods often cause abdominal discomfort and gas, and
Aggravate the existing condition.
What are some other important considerations
• Excessive smoking and intake of alcohol can also cause stomach upsets.
• Constipation may interfere with the normal flow of ingested matter through the gastro-intestinal tract, resulting in gas and abdominal pain.
• Drinking too much water with meals, insomnia, emotions such as jealousy, fear and anger and lack of exercise are among the other causes of indigestion.

Basic Diet Concepts.

How Fiber in the Diet Lowers Cholesterol in the Blood
The amount of fiber in the diet also influences the cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol can be
Lowered by taking diets rich in fibers. The most significant sources of dietary fiber are
Unprocessed wheat bran, whole cereals such as wheat, rice, barley, rye; legumes such as
Potato, carrot, beet and turnips; fruits like mango and guava and green vegetables such as
Cabbage, lady's finger, lettuce and celery.

medicines by plants

Here are the detail of some  medicines by plants.

 Nelumbo nucifera(Kanwa,kanwal gutta)

known by numerous common names including Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, or simply lotus, is one of two species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae.

 Habitat:

Growing in Lakes, ponds,
Taxonomy:
Kingdom                       Plantae
Division                         Tracheophyta
Class                             Magnoliopsida
Order                            Proteales
Family                           Nelumbonaceae
Genus                           Nelumbo Adans
Species                         Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn
Medicinal use: The Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn- lotus has been used as a medicinal herb for generations in Asia
Used to treat;
Diarrhea, Chronic diarrhea,Sunstrokes,Abdominal cramps,Bloody discharges,Bleeding ulcers,Hemolysis(the breakdown of red blood cells),Lower cholesterol levels,Epistasis(gene interaction),Relax the smooth muscle of the uterus, Enteritis (inflammation of the small intestine).

Parts used for medicinal purposes:

    Leaf juices alone are used for diarrhea and sunstroke when mixed with licorice.
    Flower is used for abdominal cramps, bloody discharges, bleeding gastric ulcers, excessive menstruation and post-partum hemorrhage.
    Stamens of the lotus are used in urinary frequency, premature ejaculation, hemolysis (the breakdown of red blood cells), epistasis (gene interaction) and uterine bleeding.
    Fruit is used for agitation and fever.
    Seed has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and to relax the smooth muscle of the uterus. It has been used for poor digestion, enteritis (inflammation of the small intestine), chronic diarrhea

Nepeta ciliaris Benth(Zofayabis)

Nepeta is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae known commonly as catmints. The genus name is reportedly in reference to Nepete, an ancientEtruscan city. There are about 250 species.

 

 

 

 

Habitat:

Temperate atlantic wet heaths.

Taxonomy:

                Kingdom                          Plantae
                Phylum                            Tracheophyta
                Class                                 Magnoliopsida
                Order                                Lamiales
                Family                               Lamiacea
                Genus                               Nepeta
                Species                             Nepeta ciliaris 
                Scientific_name              Nepeta ciliaris Benth

Medicinal use:

Have good potential as antibacterial compounds and can be used in the treatment of respiratory infections caused by microbes.
As; Pneumonia,fever,dry cough etc.

Parts used for medicinal purposes:

Dried or Fresh leaves, flowering tops, flowers and branches.
Mesdicinal uses of n.sativa linn:
The black cumin or Nigella sativa L. seeds have many acclaimed medicinal properties such as bronchodilatory, hypotensive, antibacterial, antifungal, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and immunopotentiating and are universally accepted as a panacea.
Parts used for medicinal purposes:
Seeds; Black seed oil.(Islamic medicines).
Medicinal uses of n.arvensis L.:
All alkaloids were isolated for the first time from genus Nigella.
Used to reduce the acidity of any solution, also urine acidity and many more.
Black seed oils.
Parts used for medicinal purposes:
Seeds are used for extracting oil.

hormones and their act on body

DEFINITION:

Hormones are chemical substances that act like messenger molecules in the body. After being made in one part of the body, they travel to other parts of the body where they help control how cells and organs do their work.

EXPLANATION:
Hormones are secreted by specialized endocrine glands/tissues.
•    Endocrine: ductless, and secreted straight into the blood.
•    Exocrine: with ducts
It then acts on target organs to produce certain functions, and is important for the balance in the body. Many hormones are released in a pulsatile fashion (in it’s own timing, not all the time).
Here are the major endocrine glands with it’s hormones:
Hypothalamus    TRH, CRH, GHRH, GHIH, GnRH, PIF
Ant Pituitary    HH, TSH, ACTH, Prolactin, FSH, LH
Post Pituitary    Oxytocin, ADH
Thyroid    T3, T4, Calcitonin
Adrenal Cortex    Cortisol, Aldosterone
Adrenal Medulla    Epinephrine, Norepinephrine
Pancreas    Insulin, Glucagon
Parathyroid     PTH
Testes    Testosterone
Ovary    Oestrogen, Progesterone
Placenta    HCG, Human Somatomammotropin, Oestrogen, Progesterone
Kidney    Renin, Erythropoeitin, 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol
Heart    ANP
Stomach    Gastrin
Small Intestine    Secretin, CCK
Adipocytes    Leptin
These hormones are produced either from Amino Acids (proteins) / Lipid Precursors (Cholesterol/Steroids)
•    Amino acid derivatives: thyroxine, serotonin
•    Peptides: Insulin, TSH, TRH, Vasopressin, Somatostatin, gonadotrophin
•    Steroids: Cortisol, sex hormones (testosterone, oestrogens, progesterone)

FUNCTIONS OF HORMONES

1.    Growth & Development
2.    Reproduction (both male & female have receptors for both male & female hormones)
3.    Production, Utilization, Energy Storage
4.    Maintain internal environment of the body
Sexual dimorphism controls the reproductive functions of the human body, this being the difference in the amount and pattern of secretions of the sexual hormones). Therefore, boys can grow into man, and girls can grow into ladies.
CHEMICAL CONSTITUTION:
One of the chemical messengers produced by endocrine glands, whose secretions are liberated directly into the bloodstream and transported to a distant part or parts of the body, where they exert a specific effect for the benefit of the body as a whole. The endocrine glands involved in the maintenance of normal body conditions are pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, pancreas, ovary and testis. However, these organs are not the only tissues concerned in the hormonal regulation of body processes. For example, the duodenal mucosa, which is not organized as an endocrine gland, elaborates a substance called secretin which stimulates the pancreas to produce its digestive juices. The placenta is also a very important hormone-producing tissue. See separate articles on the individual glands.The hormones obtained from extracts of the endocrine glands may be classified into four groups according to their chemical constitution:
(1) phenol derivatives, such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, thyroxine, and triiodothyronine
(2) proteins, such as the anterior pituitary hormones, with the exception of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), human chorionic gonadotropin, pregnant-mare-serum gonadotropin, and thyroglobulin
(3) peptides, such as insulin, glucagon, ACTH, vasopressin, oxytocin, and secretin
(4) steroids, such as estrogens, androgens, progesterone, and corticoids. Hormones, with a few exceptions like pituitary growth hormone and insulin, may also be classified as either tropic hormones or target-organ hormones. The former work indirectly through the organs or glands which they stimulate, whereas the latter exert a direct effect on peripheral tissues.

CHEMICAL NATURE OF HORMONE:
Chemically, most hormones belong to one of three major groups: proteins and peptides, steroids (fat-soluble molecules whose basic structure is a skeleton of four carbon rings), or derivatives of the amino acid tyrosine, characterized by a 6-carbon, or benzene, ring. There are some hormones, such as melatonin from the pineal gland and the locally acting prostaglandins, which cannot be included in any of these groups, but may share a number of their characteristics. The glands which produce protein and peptide hormones are the pituitary, certain cells of the thyroid, the parathyroids, and the pancreas. Steroids are produced by the cortex or outer layer of the adrenal gland and by the ovaries and testes. The tyrosine derivatives are the thyroid hormones, and the catecholamines (adrenaline and noradrenaline) which are produced in the medulla of the adrenal glands.

Knowledge of the chemical nature of a hormone is important as it enables one to predict how the hormone is produced, how rapidly it can be released in response to a stimulus, in what form it circulates in the blood, how it acts, the time course of its effect, and the route of administration therapeutically.

HORMONE ACTION

The chemical nature of the hormone also affects the mechanism of action. All hormones act on cells by way of their 'receptors'. Each hormone has its own receptor to which it binds, matching rather like a lock and key. This is why hormones circulating throughout the body in the blood may leave capillaries to enter the extracellular fluid of many tissues, but act only on those cells which possess the appropriate receptor. Proteins and peptides cannot enter the cell and so act via cell membrane receptors, producing their effects by 'second messengers', which are activated in the cell as soon as the hormone binds to the receptor. Thus peptide hormones can produce quite rapid responses. Steroid and thyroid hormones, by contrast, can enter the cell and bind to intracellular receptors, producing their effects by stimulating the production of new proteins. There is therefore a relatively long lag period before the response to these hormones is seen.

Hormones produce a variety of responses throughout the body and may be grouped according to their actions, although there is overlap between the groups.

First there are the metabolic hormones which control the digestion of food, its storage and use. Such hormones include those produced by the digestive tract, which control secretion of digestive juices and activity of the muscle in the wall of the tract; also the hormones which regulate blood glucose, namely insulin, (which lowers it), and glucagon, growth hormone, the thyroid hormones, and cortisol, which all raise it.

Second are the hormones which regulate the composition of the blood, and hence of all the body fluids. Excluding those that regulate the glucose content, these are: aldosterone and atrial natriuretic hormone (produced in the heart), which control the amount of sodium in the blood; vasopressin or antidiuretic hormone, which controls the amount of water; parathyroid hormone and vitamin D, which raise blood calcium; and calcitonin, which lowers blood calcium. It is perhaps surprising to learn that a vitamin can also be a hormone, but it is similar in many ways to the steroid hormones, and the active form is produced in one part of the body for action an another. The vitamin D taken in the diet or formed in the skin under the action of UV light is not the active form: this is produced after modification takes place first in the liver and then the kidney.

Next are the stress hormones, primarily adrenaline and noradrenaline, which are under the control of the autonomic nervous system: cortisol and a number of the pituitary hormones are also involved in the response to stress.

A further group are those responsible for growth, development, and reproduction. These include growth hormone itself, and the hormones controlling ovarian and testicular function (luteinizing hormone, LH, and follicular stimulating hormone, FSH) - all of which come from the pituitary - and the hypothalamic hormones, which in turn control these pituitary secretions. Included also are the steroid hormones, produced by the ovaries (oestrogens and progesterone) and testes (testosterone), and those hormones involved in birth and lactation, chiefly oxytocin and prolactin.

The final major group includes those hormones that control other endocrine systems, and therefore interact with the other groups. The pituitary hormones adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and the gonadotrophic hormones LH and FSH control the release of some of the metabolic and stress hormones and of the reproductive hormones, whilst hypothalamic hormones in turn control pituitary function.

HOW THEY ACT ON OUR BODY

A hormone will act on target tissues. Imagine it as a homing missile. When the hormone reaches the target tissues, it either acts on the plasma membrane of the cells (peptide hormones and epinephrine) or in the cytosol/nucles (steroid, thryroid hormones, active vit D3, retinoic acid). It is very specific in that sense.
The component that receives the hormone is called a receptor, a protein. When the hormone binds into the receptor’s active site, a series of mechanism takes place which at last produces the intended action. However, the interaction is swift and reversible, so there will be a rapid onset (quick action) and then the action will be terminated (not permanent). The hormones secreted is very very little (in pico/nanomole concentrations) therefore, the receptor affinity must be high, meaning the receptor must be willing to accept the hormone. When the hormone is needed badly, the receptor is up-regulated (increase) or vice versa – down-regulated.
When the hormone binds to the receptor (ligand interaction), the receptor will undergo conformational changes (change shape), which activates G-protein in the cell (which can be stimulatory, Gs, or inhibitory, Gi). Assuming that it is stimulatory, it will cause phosphorylation of GDP to convert to GTP which will bind to the effector (enzyme adenylyl cyclase) coverting ATP to cAMP. cAMP will activate Protein Kinase A which inturn will lead to phosphorylation of intracellular mediators called second messengers (relay message from the hormone) producing intracellular effects.

Since intracellular receptors are in the cell which is bounded by the phospholipid bilayer, hormones have different mechanisms to enter the cell. Steroids are cholesterol derivatives, therefore it is a lipid and will be able enter thru the cell membrane by simple diffusion. Thyroid hormones however enter the cell thru facilitated diffusion.
As usual, when a hormone binds to the receptor, the receptor undergo conformational changes when activated, therefore it becomes competent to bind to DNA stimulating transcription. Small amounts of hormone will bring about major physiologic effect.
Therefore, it is important to have a control/ feedback mechanism to control these actions. Most hormones when in high amounts will bring about a negative feedback, only certain hormones like LH and Oxytocin encourages positive feedback.
Besides the amount of hormone, hormones are also controlled and secreted in bursts, such as during sleep,following a diurnal cycle, aging and stages of development.
Growth hormone: High during strenuous exercise and 1st few hours of deep sleep.
ACTH & Cortisol: High during last few hours before waking up, uptil several hours after waking up.
FSH & LH: Following the normal menstrual cycle.
Hormones can be measured using immunoassay (usually double sandwich ELISA), where monoclonal antibodies will bind to specific epitopes on the hormone, producing a formation of a colored fluorescent product. The amount of these fluorescent products will then be measured using optical methods such as: spectrophotometer, fluro meter, lumino meter, or radio chemical assays.
As we know different hormones are released in different timings, therefore it is best to determine the optimum time to get a blood sample, or by serial measurements.

viruses and their reproduction

Introduction of viruses.

Viruses are infectious pathogens that are too small to be seen with a light microscope, but despite their small size they can cause chaos. The simplest viruses are composed of a small piece of nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat. As is the case with other organisms, viruses carry genetic information in their nucleic acid which typically specifies three or more proteins. All viruses are obligate parasites that depend on the cellular machinery of their hosts to reproduce. Viruses are not active outside of their hosts, and this has led some people to suggest that they are not alive. All types of living organisms including animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria are hosts for viruses, but most viruses infect only one type of host. Viruses cause many important plant diseases and are responsible for losses in crop yield and quality in all parts of the world.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the fascinating microscopic world of plant viruses and to describe the basic concept of a virus, the structure of virus particles and genomes, virus life cycles, the evolution and diversity of plant viruses, as well as the common manifestations of plant virus diseases and major approaches to managing these diseases. We hope to convey to the reader our grudging admiration for these small pathogens and for their success in manipulating their plant hosts so successfully.

Basic Biology.

Viruses represent not just another group of pathogens, but rather a fundamentally different form of life. Unlike all other living organisms, viruses are non-cellular. In contrast to cells, which multiply by dividing into daughter cells, viruses assemble from pools of their structural components. Mature virus particles are dormant; they come alive and reproduce only inside infected cells. In other words, viruses are obligate parasites that cannot be cultivated using any growth media suitable for bacterial, fungal, plant or animal cell types. All viruses lack protein-synthesizing and energy-producing apparatuses. As a rule, virus particles are immobile outside the infected host; they rely on the aid of other organisms or the environment for their dissemination.

Morphology.

There is a simple structural principle that applies to virtually all viruses in their mature form. Virus particles (virions) are composed of two principal parts, the genome that is made of nucleic acid, and a protective shell that is made of protein. In addition, some virus particles are enveloped by an outer membrane containing lipids and proteins (lipoprotein membrane). The protein shells of plant viruses (capsids) are assembled in accord with one of the two fundamental types of symmetry. The first type of virion is helical (roughly elongated). The elongated viruses come in two major variants, rigid rods and flexuous filaments. In both of these variants, the nucleic acid is highly ordered: it assumes the same helical conformation as the proteinaceous capsid. The second type of virus particle is icosahedral (roughly spherical; the variations of this basic shape include bacilliform virions and twin virions composed of two joined incomplete icosahedra . In the icosahedral virions, the genomic nucleic acid forms a partially ordered ball inside the proteinaceous capsid. The icosahedral and elongated virions alike can self-assemble in a test tube if the nucleic acid and protein subunits are incubated under proper conditions.
Viruses are the smallest among all known organisms. The typical diameter of a spherical plant virus is ~30 nm. The rigid, rod-shaped TMV particle is 300 x 18 nm and consists of an RNA genome of about 6,400 nucleotides encapsidated by 2,130 copies of the TMV coat protein. Some of the filamentous viruses reach the length of ~2000 nm or 2 µm. For comparison, the typical size of a leaf mesophyll cell is ~50 µm.
Reproduction
As in other organisms, the information for virus reproduction is contained within its genome.
Althouh the genetic material for most organisms is double-stranded (ds) DNA, only a minority of plant viruses possess ds DNA genomes. Some of the plant viruses have genomes that are composed of single-stranded (ss) DNA. However, the majority of plant viruses do not use DNA at all. Instead, the genomes of nearly all plant viruses are made of RNA. Most of these genomes are composed of ssRNA that is the same (positive-sense) polarity as the messenger RNAs of the cell. Some of the RNA viruses use ssRNAs of negative polarity, and yet others have genomes made of dsRNA. Due to this enormous variation in the very nature of the genetic material of viruses, the reproductive cycles and life styles of different viruses are often very distinct from each other.
Since plant viruses are obligate, biographic parasites, their life cycles start by penetration of the virion into the cell. Plant viruses are unable to penetrate the plant cuticle and cell wall. It is believed that the virion enters the cytoplasm of the cell passively through wounds caused by mechanical damage to the cuticle and cell wall. The next phase of virus infection is the partial or complete removal of the coat protein shell of the virion in the cytoplasm. Next the cell mediates expression of the viral genome by providing a transcription apparatus (for DNA viruses) and a translation apparatus (for all viruses). The DNA viruses must be transported to the nucleus for transcription in order to gain access to the cell proteins required for the production of messenger RNA from viral DNA. Translation of viral RNA in the cytoplasm produces viral proteins that are required for completion of the virus life cycle.
All viruses must direct the formation of at least three types of proteins: replication proteins that are essential for nucleic acid production, structural proteins that form the protein shell and other components contained in the virions, and movement proteins that mediate virus transport between plant cells .The viral replication proteins combine with cellular proteins to produce a complex of proteins that manufactures multiple copies of the virus genome. These newly made genomes interact with the structural proteins to form new virions.

gymnosperms importance

Gymnosperms Importance:

Here is the impotance of  Gymnosperms
Gymnosperm consists of about 700 species of woody plants with seeds which are not enclosed by fruits. It is a group of seed-producing plants that includes Ginkgo, conifers, and cycads, which is an opposed to an angiosperm whose seeds are enclosed fruits or by mature ovaries.

Generations in Gymnospermic plants.

Gymnosperms, like all vascular plants have a sporophyte-dominant life-cycle like the Conifers which are far the most abundant extant group of gymnosperms with six to eight families. It’s a woody plant and most are evergreen, there leaves are long, thin and needle-like not like an ordinary plant leaves. Seeds which are not borne inside a fruit are said to be “naked”. The name of the class comes from the Greek words gymnos which means naked and sperma which means seed. Gymnosperm includes two phyla plants which are the Phylum Cycadophyta and Phylum Coniferophyta   

 Gymnosperms As Ornamentals.

Gymnosperms plants are widely used as ornamentals. Conifers are often featured in formal gardens and are used for bonsai. Yews and junipers are often low-growing shrubs cultivated for ground cover and hedges. Conifers are effective windbreaks, especially those that are evergreen. Cycads are used as garden plants in warmer latitudes, and some may even thrive indoors. Their leathery green foliage and sometimes colourful cones are striking. Ginkgo is a hardy tree, and although it once approached extinction, it is now cultivated extensively and survives such challenging habitats as the streets of New York City. 
Some gymnosperms are weedy in that they invade disturbed areas or abandoned agricultural land. Pines and junipers are notorious invaders, making the land unusable for growing crops    source of Lumber
Most of the commercial lumber in the Northern Hemisphere is derived from the trunks of conifers such as pine, Douglas fir, spruce, fir, and hemlock. Araucaria, kauri, and Podocarpus are important conifers of the Southern Hemisphere used for lumber. The wood is straight-grained, light for its strength, and easily worked. Wood of gymnosperms is often called softwood to differentiate it from the hardwood angiosperms. Wood of angiosperms typically has more kinds of elements than does softwood of gymnosperms. In addition to its use in building construction, gymnosperms wood is used for utility poles and railroad ties. Aromatic wood of cedar is frequently used in the construction of closets or clothes chests and apparently repels cloth-eating moths. Most plywood is gymnosperms. Fibres of conifers make up paper pulp and may occasionally be used for creating artificial silk or other textiles. Conifers are frequently planted in reforestation projects. Conifer bark is often the source of compounds involved in the leather tanning industry. Bark is also used extensively as garden mulch.

Manufacture of paints and varnish.

From conifer resins are derived turpentine, rosin, and wood alcohol (methanol). A hardened form of resin from a kauri (Agathis australis), called copal, is used in the manufacture of paints and varnishes. Some resins, such as balsam (from hemlock) and dammar (from Agathis) are used in the preparation of mounting media for microscope slides. Many types of amber are derived from fossilized resin of conifers.

Source of Oil use in Scents.

 Commercially useful oils are derived from such conifers as junipers, pines, hemlock, fir, spruces, and arborvitae. These oils serve as air fresheners, disinfectants, and scents in soaps and cosmetics.
•    Source of Food
Seeds are often food sources. Roasted pine seeds are a delicacy eaten plain or used as a garnish on bakery products. Seeds of Ginkgo and cycads may be poisonous unless detoxified. “Berries” (in reality the fleshy cones) of juniper are used to flavour gin.
Although gymnosperm consist of about 500 species only, the rank among most economically important plant; many species of the group are significant as timber trees, food and medicinal plants. In forest, gymnosperms are important in erosion control, protection of water sheds and enhancement of aesthetic value of natural communities.

Biological Importance.

Gymnosperms are of great biological importance because of their diversity of form and structure, and of their well documented fossil record. Of interest, too, to naturalist is the tallest tree representative of the gymnosperm, the Giant redwood ( Sequoia-dendron giganteum )which rise to more than 100 meters above the ground. Gymnosperms have major economic uses like the fir; spruce, Pine, and cedar which are all examples of conifers that are used for lumber. Some other common uses for gymnosperms are soap, varnish, nail polish, food, gum, and perfumes.

The tallest flora in the world

The giant redwood (Sequoiadendron giganteum) a coniferous plant is the reigning tallest living organism in the world. The tallest redwood tree is more than 112 meters in height. It can be found in the Redwood National park in California. Coast redwood is one of the most valuable timber species in the lumbering industry which is the sole living species of the genus Sequoia in the cypress family Cupressaceae. Which is the tallest tree living now on Earth.
Gymnosperms account for approximately 75 percent of the world's timber and a large amount of the wood pulp used to make paper. In North America the white spruce, Picea glauca, is the main source of pulpwood used for newsprint and other paper. Other spruce wood is used by to manufacture violins and similar string instruments because the wood produces a desired resonance. The Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii, provides more timber than any other North American tree species and produces some of the most-desirable lumber in the world. The wood is strong and relatively free of knots. Uses for the wood include house framing, plywood production, structural beams, pulpwood, railroad ties, boxes, and crates. Since most naturally occurring areas of growth have been harvested, the Douglas fir is being grown in managed forests. The wood from the redwood Sequoia sempiternal is used for furniture, fences, posts, some construction, and has various garden uses.

Importance in paper industry.

In addition to the wood and paper industry, gymnosperms are important in making resin and turpentine. Resin, the sticky substance in the resin canals of conifers, is a combination of turpentine, a solvent, and a waxy substance called rosin. Turpentine is an excellent paint and varnish solvent but is also used to make deodorants, shaving lotions, medications, and limonene-a lemon flavoring used in the food industry. Resin has many uses; it is used by baseball pitchers to improve their grip on the ball and by batters to improve their grip on the bat; violinists apply resin to their bows to increase friction with the strings; dancers apply resin to their shoes to improve their grip on the stage.