Nanostructure Optical Biosensors

Nanostructure Optical Biosensors 5.1 Mach–Zehnder nanowire biosensor for detection of E.coli Silica nanowires [208] offer several advantages over other types of nanowires since they are based on materials used in the most important photonic and opto-electronic applications within the visible and the near-infrared ranges and as a result their optical properties are familiar [209]. Light guided along the optical nanowire leaves a large fraction of the guided field outside the wire as evanescent waves [210], [211] making it highly sensitive to the index change of the surrounding medium. Phase shift of the guided mode caused by index change of the surrounding medium is used as a criterion for sensitivity estimation. Our simulation shows that optical nanowire waveguides are very promising for developing high-sensitivity optical sensors of significantly reduced sizes. In the aforementioned work, changes in the optical field profile, the power confinement, and the propagation constant of the guided optical mode along the sensing arm have been studied. In the present work, the aforementioned structure has been analyzed using the more rigorous and versatile FEM approach and the variation of the effective index; the optical power distribution of the guided optical mode in both the reference and the sensing arm of the sensor have been studied, by optimizing the sensitivity of important silica nanowire parameters, such as the fibre core diameter, the specimen refractive index, the wavelength, and the temperature. 5.2 Mach–Zehnder based sensor structure The proposed Mach–Zehnder-based biosensor system is formed by using two uniform silica nanowires: one used as a reference arm and the other as a sensing arm is presented in Figure 5.1(a). Both arms are immersed in aqueous solution and the surface of the sensing arm is silanized and biomodified with specific receptors for higher selective detection. A layer around the wire is formed by the complex of chemical linker, antibody and E.Coli respectively as shown in the cross section of the composite waveguide in Figure 5.1(b). The chemical linker is MUDA [mercapto undecanoic acid], its RI is 1.463 and thickness is 1.69nm and is used as linker for antibody (RI is 1.41 and thickness is 2.98nm) and the target antigen is E.coli with average RI of 1.37 and average thickness of 0.4 – 0.7 microns [212]. (a) (b) Figure 5.1: Schematic diagram of (a) the proposed sensor and (b) the cross section view of the composite waveguide, with a specimen layer. A probe light that is launched through the nanowire propagates through the first 3 dB coupler, operating as an optical splitter, which divides it between the sensing and the reference arms, and it finally recombines via the second 3 dB coupler, working as an optical combiner, as shown in Figure 5.1(a). The phase shift caused by the index change due to the specimen placed in the sensing arm is numerically calculated and evaluated from the simulated signal output of the lower nanowire, as presented in Figure 5.1(a). 5.2.1 Modal Solution Initially, the optical properties of the reference and the sensing arm of the single mode silica nanowires immersed in aqueous solution have been examined, where the latter is coated with the linker, antibody and E.coli under detection and the 3-D optical field profile of the mode of the two arms, for a core diameter, D, of 400 nm is presented in Figure 5.2. Figure 5.2: (a) 3-D field profile of the Hx mode for the reference and the sensing arm for D = 400 nm The refractive index of the single-mode silica nanowire and the aqueous solution were considered to be 1.482 and 1.355, respectively, at an operating wavelength of 325 nm [213]. As can be seen from the field profiles of the optical mode for a core diameter, D, of 400 nm, in the reference arm shown in Figure 5.2 (a), the optical field is more confined in the silica core and the aqueous solution does not have much effect on the field profile. However, for a core diameter, D, of 400 nm, in the sensing arm shown in Figure 5.2 (b) a small change in the refractive index profile produces a larger change in the field profile. As can be concluded evanescent field in the sensing arm expands more outside due to change of refractive index in the aqueous solution. The optical field confinement in the reference and the sensing arms can be better viewed from the normalized field profile along the horizontal (x)-axis, as presented in Figure 5.3 for nanowire core diameter, D, of 150 nm. As can be seen from the earlier curves in Figure 5.3, the normalized optical fields for the reference and the sensing arms have small variation in the optical field profile. Figure 5.3: Hx along the x axis for a fibre diameter of D = 150 nm. 5.2.2 Effective Index Variation Next, the variation of the effective reactive index of Hx11 in the reference and the sensing arms with the silica nanowire diameter, D, has been examined, and the results are presented in Figure 5.4. Here, the effective index of the reference arm and the effective index difference between the two arms is plotted against core diameter, over a range of 100 nm to 800 nm. As can be seen from the aforementioned characteristics, as diameter, D, decreases, the effective index also reduces, and the rate of reduction slowly increases. The effective index difference between the reference and the sensing arm is presented in Figure 5.4. It is shown in the Figure 5.1, the effective index difference between the reference and the sensing arm decreases with the increase of the core diameter. However, for a core diameter, D, of 100 nm, peak value in à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  neff is obtained and as the core diameter increases the effective index difference decreases. Figure 5.4: Effective index (ne) and effective index difference (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  neff) between the reference and sensing arms as a function of the fibre diameter (D). The effective index of the sensing arm is higher than the reference arm. It is due to increase of refractive index in the sensing arm with the addition of linker, antibody and E.coli. It can be noted that as the nanowire diameter is increased, the effective index asymptotically approaches that of the Silica refractive index, when most of optical power is confined in the Silica core. The effective index is dependent on the refractive index of surrounding medium. Therefore, single mode nanowires are suitable for sensing elements and sensitive to the index change of the surrounding medium. Figure 5.5: Change in effective index (ne) and effective index difference (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  neff) as a function of the wavelength (ÃŽ ») Next, the effective index for the reference arm and the effective index difference between the reference and the sensing arms are presented, with the variation of the wavelength, in Figure 5.5. As can be seen from the Figure 5.5, the effective index of reference arm decreases with the increase of the wavelength and the effective index difference increases linearly with the increase of the wavelength for core diameter of 400 nm. When the wavelength increases, the mode is weakly confined and penetrates more into the sensing region of the sensing arm hence increases the effective index. However, when the wavelength decreases, the mode is well confined and decays more into the core region hence decreases the effective index of sensing arm. 5.2.3 Power confinement Further, the power fraction in the aqueous solution for the reference and the sensing arm has also been studied with the variation of the nanowire core diameter and the result is presented in Figure 5.6. As can be seen from the aforementioned characteristics, for a core diameter, D, of 100nm the field extends mostly in the aqueous solution for both the reference and the sensing arms. However sensing arm exhibits more power in the aqueous solution than the power in the aqueous solution of reference arm. It is due to refractive index change in the aqueous solution of sensing arm when target antigen (E.Coli) is attached to immobilised antibody. As the value of D is increased further, the power in the aqueous solution is reduced since the field is more confined in the core region. Figure 5.6: Power fraction in aqueous solution for the sensing and the reference arms as a function of the fibre diameter (D). The change of the power fraction in the different regions of the sensing arm has been studied and is presented in Figure 5.7. As can be seen from the characteristics, shown in Figure 5.7, when the wavelength increases, the mode is weakly confined, and hence, less power is seen in the core region and more power is present in the cladding aqueous region. The mode is well confined for smaller wavelength values and more power is present in the core silica region. However, as the wavelength increases, the mode becomes weakly confined and more power is present in the aqueous solution region compared to the silica core region. Figure 5.7: Power fraction for the sensing arm as a function of wavelength for a fibre diameter of D = 400 nm 5.2.4 Effect of thickness Next, the change in the propagation constant ÃŽ ² of sensing arm and the power fraction in the aqueous solution of sensing arm as a function of the E.Coli thickness, for a core diameter of D = 400 nm, have been investigated and are presented in Figure 5.8. As the E.Coli thickness increases, both the propagation constant and the power fraction in the sensing arm decrease linearly. Figure 5.8: Change in propagation constant (ÃŽ ²) and power fraction in the E.coli with the variation of the E.coli thickness. As the thickness of E.coli increases the power fraction in the sensing arm and propagation constant of the sensing arm mode decreases with the increase in thickness of E.coli. This is due to the penetration of evanescent field into the sensing region decreases with increase of E.coli thickness. With the increase of sensing layer thickness evanescent field will not penetrate deep into the sensing region. However smaller nanowires with diameter of 100 nm and 200 nm may be used to penetrate more evanescent field into the sensing region. 5.2.5 Sensitivity The effective index change is produced either by a change of cover medium refractive index (homogeneous sensing) or by a change of thickness of E.coli which is immobilized on nanowire (surface sensing). Adlayer thickness and change of cover medium refractive index affects the effective index of the propagating optical mode. Measurement of sensitivity depends on optical field distribution in the sensing medium therefore the most important design task is to maximize the sensitivity of the biosensor. Figure 5.9 shows the change in effective index and waveguide sensitivity decreases with the increase in diameter, D, of silica nanowire. The larger effective index variation and waveguide sensitivity is achieved at a D = 100 nm. The greater the change in à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  neff more sensitive the biosensor will be. Therefore, when D = 100nm maximum index difference is achieved. When the nanowire dimension becomes too large, most of the power is confined in the silica core and a smaller effective index difference is achieved hence lesser sensitivity. Figure 5.9: Variation of effective index difference, à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  neff and waveguide sensitivity with Diameter, D (nm), of silica nanowire. When designing a sensor, the sensitivity is a very important parameter to evaluate the device performance. To study the sensitivity of our device, we use the sensor to detect the change in the effective index of mode with the change in the refractive index of surrounding medium. When there is an extremely small index change around the nanowire, the guided light is changed in its optical phase. We assumed the sensing area length, L = 75 µm. Calculated Δneff is about 0.0131/ÃŽ ¼m at the wavelength of 325 nm induced by coating the nanowire with E.coli layer for a 400nm diameter silica nanowire. Figure 5.10a: Sensitivity of the sensor as a function of the wavelength The phase shift (Δφ) of the sensing arm can be obtained as; (5.1) Where L is the effective length of sensitive area and Δneff is the effective index difference between the sensing arm and the reference arm, respectively. It is shown in the Figure 5.10a that the sensitivity of the device decreases with the increase in the wavelength and higher sensitivity of 697nm/RIU is achieved at wavelength of 325 nm. For comparison, the sensitivity of conventional Mach–Zehnder sensors based on integrated planar waveguides is much lower [209], showing that much higher sensitivity, or equivalently much smaller size can be achieved when sensing with silica nanowires. Figure 5.10b shows the variation of output power as a function of wavelength. MZI has two arms, one is used as sensing arm and another used as reference arm. The sensing arm is where the interaction between the biolayer and the optical signal takes places. After the propagation in these two arms, the two optical signals accumulate a phase shift Δφ. The optical power (Pout) at the exit of the interferometer is determined by the phase difference Δφ between the two waves at the junction which can be obtained as; Pout = 1+Cos Δφ (5.2) Figure 5.10b: Combined power as a function of wavelength, ÃŽ » (nm) In all variation of the wavelength, Δφ ≠  0, this is caused by the deposition of a biolayer around the sensing arm, therefore, the optical output power is different too in all variation of the wavelength. 5.3 Slot-waveguide biosensor for detection of DNA hybridisation. Slot waveguides present an interesting alternative when compared to rib or strip waveguide based biosensors where light is predominantly guided in the high index material. The light thus has little interaction with the biomaterial. This is a drawback for biosensing applications where small refractive index variations caused by biomolecular interactions are monitored. In case of slot waveguide, light is confined in a low index slot region sandwiched between two high index rails. Due to the discontinuity of the electric field at the interface between the rails and slot, a significant fraction of the electromagnetic field is localized in the slot. The sensitivity of an optical waveguide sensor relies on the amount of light in the medium to be sensed. Due to the increased amount of power confined in the slot region higher sensitivities will be achieved as compared to other waveguide based biosensors. Author of [128] has compared conventional slot waveguide, slot rib waveguides and Si wire for sensing of aqueous solution. However the work presented here is based on the slot waveguide micro ring resonation for the detection of DNA Hybridization binding of complementary DNA strands (targets) to DNA probes. Moreover we have calculated wavelength shift, device sensitivity, detection Limit, and power density and compared with the experimental work published in [214], [215], [216] and [217]. In the present work, the H-field Finite Element Method (FEM) based full-vector formulation is used for the solution of the TE and TM Slot Waveguide modes where the TE mode is highly confined in the slot region as compared to TM mode. In the FEM, a problem domain can suitably be divided into a patchwork of a finite number of subregions called â€Å"elements†. Each of the elements can have different shapes and sizes and by using many elements a complex problem can be accurately represented. In using the aforementioned approach, the field distribution in the transverse plane is obtained by the application of the variational formulation in the region. More recently, slot waveguide based biosensors have been investigated using Finite difference time domain method (FDTD) and Finite Element Method [218,219,220]. In the present work by optimising the slot waveguide parameters such as the slot width, guide width and guide height a compact biosensor is proposed. The aim of this work is to provide a novel comprehensive analysis defining the modal characteristics, effective index variation of ssDNA and dsDNA, surface sensitivity and power confinement in the DNA layer of a slot waveguide biosensor with a nanoscale cross-section, and in doing so, the effects of the critical size of such waveguide are also presented. To undertake such analysis, an accurate and numerically efficient vector-H-field finite-element method (VFEM) [221] is used to calculate the propagation constant, effective index, power confinement factor and the full-vectorial modal field profiles of the waveguide. The full-vectorial electric field (E) is also derived from the vector H-field obtained to characterize modal properties of such waveguides. 5.3.1 Slot waveguide structure Figure 5.11: Slot Waveguide Biosensor A slot waveguide is investigated for the biosensing applications. The slot waveguide is formed by two Si wires close to each other having nanometer dimensions as shown in Figure 5.11. Refractive index (RI) of silicon, silicon oxide and water is taken as 3.476, 1.444 and 1.31 respectively at an operating wavelength of 1550nm. The sensing structure is first coated with a linker layer (silanes) whose refractive index is taken as 1.42 [222] having a thickness of t=1 nm. The refractive index of ssDNA and dsDNA is taken as 1.456 and 1.53 [223] respectively. The thickness of the DNA probe layer is taken as n=8 nm and remains unchanged when binding of complementary DNA strands (targets) to DNA probes happens i.e., only refrective index changes from 1.456 (ssDNA) to 1.53 (dsDNA). A waveguide height, GH = 320 nm and high index region width, GW = 180 nm [128], slot width, SW = 100 nm, linker layer thickness of t=1 nm and DNA probe thickness of n=8 nm is considered for the initial simulation study. 5.3.2 Modal solutions In the study of modal field profile, the H-field based VFEM is used to obtain the modal solutions of such a waveguide. For this study, due to the availability of two-fold symmetry of the waveguide structure, only a half of the structure is considered, in which more than 80,000 irregular sized first order triangular elements have been employed to represent the waveguide structure. It takes about 2 minutes cpu time on a dual-core Pentium processor computer running solaris platform. Figure 5.12: Hy field of the Hy11 mode Figure 5.13: Hy Contour of Hy11 mode The structure supports both fundamental quasi-TE and quasi-TM modes. For the quasi-TE mode the Hy field component is dominant, and Hx and Hz are the nondominant components. The dominant Hy field component of the Hy11 mode is shown in Figure 5.12 for the waveguide width, GW = 180 nm and height, GH = 320 nm In its contour plot as shown in Figure 5.13 it is clearly visible that the modal confinement is much stronger in the slot region. Due to the large index contrast at interfaces, the normal electric field undergoes a large discontinuity, which results in a field enhancement in the slot region.

Dairy Products: An Important Source of Calcium Essay -- Exploratory E

Dairy Products: An Important Source of Calcium Out of the sources of calcium available, dairy products most aptly provide the necessary calcium with the least amount of side effects. Using dairy products as a calcium source cuts out the need to research which type of calcium is being supplied because all dairy products contain elemental calcium (Got Calcium?). A benefit of elemental calcium is an increased ability to gauge how much calcium is being absorbed (Calcium Supplemental Guidelines). This is because the elemental calcium in dairy products is more easily absorbed (Got Calcium?) Dairy products’ calcium is also less susceptible to complications with other ingested substances such as food or medications (National Osteoporosis Foundation). Removing these possible complications also removes some of the concern of short-term health risks associated with calcium. Studies have also indicated that elemental calcium does not increase some long-term health risks as calcium citrate or calcium carbonate (which are both fo und in calcium supplement pills) might (Harvard School of Public Health). All of these benefits make dairy products a safe and reasonable choice for supplying calcium needs. There are many types of calcium available, and with all of them a certain amount should be ingested each day. Though calcium requirements vary by age and gender, the average person needs about 1000 mg of calcium a day (Nutrition). This helps to keep up with bone growth and repair, and keep up with the loss of calcium through shed materials (National Osteoporosis Foundation). Without continually resupplying the body with calcium severe health problems can ensue (National Osteoporosis Foundation). This resupplying can be done usi... ...without an abundance of time to carefully watch calcium intake and calcium safety, dairy provides the best option. It is a reliable source that can be easily attained without much variation and will dependably be ingested. Works Cited Calcium Supplement Guidelines http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/health/az1296.html Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Calcium http://ods.od.nih.gov Got Calcium? http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/yf/foods/fn587.pdf. Harvard School of Public Health http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/calcium.html National Osteoporosis Foundation http://www.nof.org/prevention/calcium_supplements.html Perchlorate Material Safety Data Sheet http://msds.pdc.cornell.edu/msds/MSDSDOD/A264/M131746.htm#Section11 Tests on milk, lettuce find perchlorate is widespread http://www.sacbee.com/content/businass/story/1161626231p-1250598

Soliloquies Essay - Importance of the First Soliloquy in Macbeth

Importance of the First Soliloquy in Macbeth      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Following king Duncan's arrival at Inverness, Macbeth delivers his first major soliloquy. This speech summarizes his reasons for not wanting to commit murder. It is also an image of the plot of Macbeth, as it foreshadows the chain of events that is to follow the murder of Duncan. Although Macbeth knows that he cannot "trammel up the consequence" of Duncan's murder and that his actions will have repercussions, he commits the murder and continues to kill; thus is Macbeth shown to be a weak character who can be easily convinced to perform terrible deeds. Although this is not apparent before the predictions, the moments following them and his homecoming demonstrate Macbeth's own vulnerability. The important speech that he delivers summarizes the results of Duncan's murder, and the multitude of murders following this all follow suit. Macbeth's eventual deterioration is inevitable.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Near the beginning of the play, Macbeth is portrayed as a brave soldier and a noble officer in the king's army. He successfully leads the attack upon the invading forces of Macdonwald, the Thane of Cawdor, and Sweno, king of Norway. He is killing upon the order of another, in this case, the king: "[Macbeth] Like valour's minion carv'd out his passage/Till he fac'd the slave" (I.ii.19-20). Macbeth here appears as a powerful warlord who, although at times seems bloodthirsty, is effective in destroying the foe. Before his meeting with the witches, we have a rather clean view of him; he is a "good" man.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Macbeth and Banquo stumble onto the barren plateau where the w... ...e manipulated. While he can figure and rationalize alone, outside influences such as Lady Macbeth and the witches change his actions and skew his thoughts. This weakness of character was particularly unacceptable in Macbeth's time, when men were meant to be full of both mental and physical fortitude. Macbeth was a great man, but his tragic fault was his undoing, for a man of his power could not survive in those times without much more moral strength than he had.    Bibliography    Primary Source:    Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Coles Total Study Edition. Toronto: Coles, 1992.    Secondary Sources:      Ã‚   1. Coles Editorial Board. "Marginal Notes to Macbeth," Macbeth. Total Study Edition. Toronto: Coles, 1992.      Ã‚   2. Coles Editorial Board. Macbeth Notes. Toronto: Coles, 1992.   

Mallory Landy Essay

During the 19th century some Americans had a dream that they felt was delivered from God. They dreamed of their homeland stretching from coast to coast, Atlantic to the Pacific. The goal wasn’t that far away, they were long on their way to reaching it. Morally, these Americans believed that it was their own responsibility to grow the nation. This was soon to be known as the Manifest Destiny. John O’Sullivan was the first to use this term. He first used this term in an article called â€Å"Annexation†, which appeared in the July-August edition of the Democratic Review. It didn’t receive a lot of attention then. He used the term for the second time in an article for the New York Morning News in December 1845. This time it created a buzz and Democrats embraced the term. The United States had a dispute with Great Britain over the Oregon Boundary because of the progression of the Manifest Destiny. The Convention of 1818 provided a proposal to Britain for joint occupation of the Oregon country. During the 1840’s, thousands of Americans migrated to this territory on the brutal Oregon Trail. British government rejected the idea to divide the region along the 49th parallel. With a counter offer, the boundary line would be moved farther south along the Colombian river. Democrats suggested annexing Oregon with the election in 1844. However, the dispute was resolved by the Treaty of Oregon in 1846. Oregon was now a part of the United States. The expansion of Texas was a crucial part of the Manifest Destiny. Americans settlers were living in Texas and built plantations and farms. Settlers, led by Stephen F. Austin, asked to be granted independence from the Mexican nation. Once Mexico refused, war broke out and this led to Santa Anna’s famous attack on the Alamo. After losing many men, Texas declared its own independence once. They elected Sam Houston as its first president. In 1845, the United States annexed Texas as the 28th state to join the nation. Difficult tensions were rising between America and Mexico. President Polk had decided to send U.S troops across the Rio Grande River. When Mexico unexpectedly attacked the U.S troops, Congress declared war. As a result, the American troops easily demolished the weak Mexican army. The treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended the war, and the U.S. gained the Mexican session. This was a huge accomplishment for the nation, this large piece of land was finally apart of the United States. With expanding westward, came many problems. The main issue would be the extension of slavery into the newly added territories. It was North vs. South, along with various other controversies. The Democrats loved Manifest Destiny and the Whigs didn’t like it. The Missouri Compromise pleased both sides of the nation temporarily. In conclusion, the United States successfully expanded the nation from sea to shining sea. In simplest terms, manifest destiny was the doctrine or a strong belief that the expansion of the U.S was their responsibility to civilize the beautiful land God had blessed them with. The Manifest Destiny still has an effect on American politics today.

Psychodynamic Theory Essay

What Psychodynamic Theory Has to Contribute to Our Understanding of   Counselling in a Multicultural Society? If counsellors are to discern very well their clients of diverse backgrounds or culture and their place in a multicultural society, psychodynamic theory may be particularly helpful in this respect. Theories and techniques used in counselling are diverse and it is imperative for counsellors to know how to use their knowledge of psychodynamic theory in conceptualising systems for both counselling and therapy. In psychodynamic therapy, which is an approach in counselling based on psychoanalytic theories, it is postulated that conscious and unconscious influences mold human behavior and social relationships. This concept of the unconscious is often associated with Sigmund Freud whose contribution in psychoanalysis can not be discounted. Psychoanalytic theory though, is not exclusively Freudian. Freud’s brilliant ideas and theories, were controversial. His theories were under attack from many directions and it was a good thing though that from his perspectives, many other psychoanalytic theories emerged as well. Carl Jung was famous for his collective unconscious and his oriental approach was unorthodox for Western psychoanalytic theorists. D.D. Winnicott’s transitional objects and good- enough mothering for instance, are interesting contributions to psychoanalysis as well. It should be fascinating to explore these theorists’ contribution to systems and approaches of multicultural counselling. In as much as these theorists’ perspectives seem to have distinct or even conflicting orientations, we may have the chance to look upon their theories, in many ways, complementary in the practice of counselling in a multicultural society. Their theories can prove to be useful at any point in counselling (or therapy) sessions in understanding clients, their unique history, individual concerns, and understanding their behavior, the impact of their past experiences to their present condition in life, and some of their underlying motives and beliefs. Sigmund Freud   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Psychoanalytic approaches to therapy and counselling originated from the works of Sigmund Freud. He viewed that people are driven by unconscious influences, a part of their inner world of which they are not aware of. He theorised that repressed unconscious thoughts and feelings could manifest through dreams, fantasies and odd behavior. Until after these repressed forbidden desires, hurtful memories and experiences are brought to conscious awareness, these were presumed to lead to irrational and maladaptive behavior. Based on this concept, effective counsellors can effectively draw upon these repressed thoughts and emotions through psychotherapy to ease their client’s depression or anxiety and to rebuild their client’s self-esteem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Freud’s concept of eros (sexual and life instincts) and thanatos (aggressive and death instincts) are considered motivating factors of personality, with the term libido referring to basic energy of life associated with Eros. Troubled individuals may manifest death instincts through destructive behavior such as, alcoholism, substance abuse, aggression (towards self or others), and even suicide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Freud theorised that the individual’s behavior is assumed to result from the interaction of three components of the personality: id, ego, and superego. The id is said to be the source of instinctual drives and operate in terms of the pleasure principle. It is capable of eliciting mental images and wish-fulfilling fantasies (Coleman, 1980).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second personality component is the ego, which intercedes between the demands of the id and the external world, and operates in terms of the reality principle. For instance, Freud believed that sexual or aggressive tendencies are in conflict with society’s rules and prohibitions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was clever of Freud to introduce the third personality component, which is the superego, or commonly known as conscience. If one has learned and adapted to the moral demands of society, the individual would have a better grasp of what is right from wrong. The superego serves as personality’s system of control to inhibit immoral desires.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Freud believed in the interplay between the id, ego and superego, and how it becomes crucial to behavior. Inner conflicts may arise because the id, ego and superego are striving for different goals. Inner conflicts could manifest as a mental disorder if not resolved. Another important psychoanalytic concept of Freud is defense mechanisms. For him, whatever pains or anxieties are eased by distorting reality, if one can not deal with it rationally (Coleman, et.al., p. 54). Therefore, an individual’s distorted perception of reality poses behavior problems. This only happens though when the ego can no longer cope with the pain or anxiety by rational measures. Freud’s contribution to developmental psychology is his theory on five Psychosexual stages: the oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages.   He believed that these stages of development could determine one’s defenses, anxieties, and impulses. A child who has been deprived of fully experiencing any of these stages may suffer fixation at that stage of development. The first three stages of development, the oral, anal, and phallic stages, are the most crucial, as one’s personality is molded at this time. If fixation happens at any point during this period, then the child would likely develop distinct personality type. From birth to 1 year (oral stage), the mouth is the principal erogenous zone and it is assumed that an infant’s greatest source of gratification is sucking. If the caregiver is overindulgent or depriving, then the child is likely to develop fixation at this stage. Some traits associated with overindulgence are optimism, manipulativeness, boldness and admiration. On the other hand, deprivation would lead to traits such as pessimism, suspiciousness, self-belittlement, passivity, and jealousy. Further, as Freud theorised, fixation at this stage, or when the individual did not receive adequate oral gratification during infancy, the individual is predisposed to excessive drinking or eating in adult life. When the child is about 18 months to 3 years (anal stage), the anus and rectum are considered to be the primary sources of pleasure. Either an excessive demand or permissiveness from a child’s caregiver, will lead to the development of anal personality. Other psychological problems that are thought to arise from this stage are obsessive-compulsivity and paranoia. During the phallic stage, or when the child is about 3 to 6 years old, the penis or clitoris is assumed to be the major source of pleasurable sensation. At this stage, the child learns to manipulate the genitals and becomes curious about the opposite sex. Curiously enough, Freud also believed that it is at this stage when the child develops intense sexual feelings for the parent of the opposite sex, or otherwise known as Oedipus and Electra complex. The Oedipal complex is the perception that boys desire to possess their mother. Freud thought that boys have incestuous cravings for their mother, even sees their father as rival, but they have fear that the father will harm them (castration anxiety). Likewise, the Electra complex is the assumption that girls desire their father, and want to replace their mother. The fear of the same-sex parent leads to sublimation of their sexual attraction for the opposite sex parent into non-sexual love, and they learn to identity instead to their same-sex parent.   For either sex, it imperative for them to resolve the conflict, such that when they enter young adulthood stage, they are likely to have a satisfactory heterosexual relationship. In the years from 6 to 12 (latency stage), sexual motivations are put aside and the child channels his energy into school, play, shared activities with friends, and sports. Finally, the genital stage, which is from puberty onwards, the deepest feelings of pleasure come from heterosexual relations. At this stage, the individual channels his energy into socially acceptable ventures such as entering into romantic relationships, establishing friendships, career planning and also some recreational activities.   Freud’s cathartic hypnosis was popular during his time, but more than the technique of hypnosis as a therapeutic cure to psychological illnesses, was his concept that feelings were drawn from the unconscious. His contribution stands out in the sense that he was the one who developed techniques such as free association and dream analysis in dealing with both the conscious and unconscious aspects of mental health. Freud emphasized the role of the unconscious motives and ego-defense systems, and the importance of early childhood experiences in the personality adjustment and maladjustment of adults, as well as the relevance of sexual factors in human behavior and mental disorders (Coleman, et.al., p. 57). Freud’s techniques now used in contemporary psychodynamic counselling provide much deeper understanding of the (client’s) self, and can prove to be helpful in emotional, spiritual development and self-awareness. Carl Jung   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most original and controversial features of Jung’s theory on personality was the concept of collective unconscious. He theorised the existence of universally shared motives, drives, potentials, fears and symbols – that human beings have more or less the same collective unconscious. Collective unconscious is defined as the â€Å"storehouse of latent memory traces inherited from one’s ancestral past† (Hall & Lindzey, 1978, p. 119). Simply put, with this theory, there is probability of reviving experiences of past generations. â€Å"Humans are born with many predisposition for thinking, feeling, and perceiving according to definite patterns and contents that become actualized through individualized experiences† (Hall & Lindzey).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If Freud’s â€Å"unconscious mind† is often associated with repressed forbidden desires, hurtful memories and experiences, Jung’s collective unconscious is a vast resource of subliminal contents and potential, which includes the â€Å"wisdom and experience of uncounted centuries, and laid down in its archetypal organs† (Jung, cited in Hall & Lindzey, p.120). The collective unconscious can then serve a very good purpose to the individual. But, if this ignored by the ego, â€Å"the unconscious may disrupt the conscious rational processes by seizing hold of them and twisting them into distorted forms (Hall & Lindzey, p.120).   Instances of irrational behavior could arise such as phobias and delusions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jung believed that the individual achieves completeness or wholeness only as fantasies, images and dreams from the personal and collective unconscious become accessible to the conscious self (Coleman, et.al., p.58).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jung’s concept of archetypes refers to patterns of behavior within the unconscious mind. The most common of these archetypes are the persona, shadow, self, and anima and animus. The persona is tantamount to the social personality – the â€Å"face† an individual has in his social relationships. A healthy persona could then mean good adaptation to the demands of society or the environment where one belongs. In some respects, Jung’s concept of the persona is similar to Freud’s superego. The shadow has some resemblance to Freud’s concept of the id. It is considered the hidden or dark side of personality that sometimes the individual is not even aware of. This part of the psyche would be difficult to accept. If a certain trait of another distress an individual, then this could be a reflection of his shadow. Traits such as laziness, attention-seeking, anger expression, etc., are usually kept from consciousness and is often projected to others. The self can be considered the sum total of one’s personality, the motivating factor of human behavior that causes one to constantly strive and attain wholeness. It was Jung’s view that the self can only emerge only if various aspects of the personality have fully developed (known as individuation) (Hall & Lindzey, p. 124). Thus, this does not happen until one has reached middle age when one â€Å"begins to make a serious effort to change the center of personality from the conscious ego to one that is midway between consciousness and unconsciousness† (Hall & Lindzey). Jung believed that one takes the journey toward individuation, spending almost half of his life individuating, and the second integrating. This concept has direct application and relevance to career counselling. Notice that most individuals who reach middle age begin to have more focus and sense of purpose, not wasting their time and energy where they do not fit or are not welcome, and extending effort only in activities that will lead them to their true calling. Somewhat parallel to Freud’s Oedipus and Electra complex which prove relevant to understanding one’s heterosexual adjustment is Jung’s anima and animus. This is much like the â€Å"yin and yang† of the Chinese, the masculine and feminine side of human personality. The role of biological hormones cannot be discounted, but from a Jungian perspective, this is more considered to be a product of racial experiences of man with woman and vice versa. Jung’s anima and animus may be of relevance in understanding man-woman relationships in a counselling setting. Man is supposed to â€Å"apprehend the nature of woman by virtue of his anima, and woman apprehends the nature of man by virtue of her animus† (Hall & Lindzey, p. 123), and without regard to the real character of the other, their relationship will most likely lead to discord. Donald Winnicott   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The influential concepts of transitional objects, the good-enough mother and the true and false self are attributed to Winnicott. A transitional object is some sort of a security blanket for a child. It could be a favorite stuffed toy, baby blanket, pillow or any symbolic object that a child finds comfort in having. A transitional object helps a child cope with fear while their principal caregiver is away. The most influential person (object) during a child’s development would be the principal caregiver. In a counselling setting, the counselor serves as the transitional object, who gradually helps his client overcome frustrations and develop greater independence over time. The good-enough mother pertains to the principal caregiver whose parenting style fit the child’s developmental needs. Winnicott believed that caregivers have to be good-enough in providing the child’s needs, but not too much. They have to teach children as well to tolerate frustrations, and teach them the lesson of independence and self-sufficiency. Winnicott theorized that children’s needs, if not adequately met, could help develop a false self (this is somehow identical to Freud’s concept of fixation). On the other hand, when children’s needs are adequately provided, then, they are likely to develop a true self. A relationship based on trust, a relationship that is more real, will grow between the caregiver and the child. This concept may apply to counselor (or therapist)-client relationship. An effective counselor knows how to provide a safe â€Å"holding environment† for his client, and is adaptive to his client’s needs. The counselor knows how to respond to his client’s emotions with warmth and empathy, thus helping his client reveal his true self. References Coleman, James C., James N. Butcher and Robert C. Carson. Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life (6th ed.). Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company. Dakai, S.H. (2003). â€Å"Addiction Counseling: Examination of Various Addiction Counseling and Therapy Approaches.† Journal of Addictive Disorders. Breining Institute. Hall, Calvin S. and Lindzey Gardner (1980). Theories of Personality (3rd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. McGinnis, James D. and Kenneth R.Thomas (1991). The Psychoanalytic Theories of D.W. Winnicott as Applied to Rehabilitation. The Journal of Rehabilitation. 1 July 1991   

The List of All U.S. Colleges With a Modern Languages Major

If you are interested in learning another language and increasing your understanding of a foreign culture, a modern language major could be the track to a fulfilling college experience and an array of interesting career paths. Keep reading to learn the reasons for studying modern languages, gain insight on what it takes to get into a top program, and see a comprehensive list of all the U.S. colleges with a modern languages major. The simplest reason for studying modern languages in college is that you’re interested in learning more about the world in which you inhabit. Languages considered for a degree in modern language are French, Spanish, German, English, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, and Japanese. More than learning how to speak and write a language, modern language majors gain an understanding of language as a system and its function within a social context while also learning about the culture, media, and politics of the regions that speak it. Â   The ability to effectively communicate with people with a different language and cultural context is becoming an increasingly valuable skill in a more globalized world. Graduates with a degree in modern languages are natural fits for positions as interpreters and translators, consultants and relations specialists for international businesses and tech developers, and in education. The median annual income for interpreters and translators in 2018 was $49,930 according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), which is slightly higher than the average national salary. The BLS also projects an abundance of opportunities in the future for interpreters, as they anticipate 18% growth in the field—more than twice as fast as the national average. Another good reason to study a foreign language? A Wharton and LECG Europe study found that studying a second language is correlated with about 2% more in annual income. In addition to being equipped for a language-related job, students studying modern languages also graduate with a host of skills that easily transfer across industries. Modern language majors are adept at communicating, adaptable to different situations and people, and multi-taskers. Learning a new language also makes students more aware of the use of their native language—making them better writers, speakers, and conversationalists. The ability to speak a second language makes a student more employable by helping them stand out from a field of applicants—this is especially true in globalized industries. Only about 10% of the U.S. population is multilingual—for comparison, in Europe, 52.7% of the population is multilingual—meaning when applying for a job there is a strong chance you’ll be the only multilingual candidate. In fact, a study by The New American Economy shows that between 2010 and 2015, the demand for bilingual workers more than doubled—going from 240,000 jobs to 630,000. No different than students hoping to study engineering, chemistry, or history, students seeking admission into top schools to pursue modern languages will need a robust college profile. One of the best ways to attract the attention of admissions officers is to maintain a strong GPA, high class rank, and show a willingness to challenge yourself academically by taking advanced courses, particularly in language and the humanities. Another fantastic way to stand out amongst a crowded field of applicants is through your extracurricular activities. Participation in your high school’s foreign language club, volunteering in a community where English is a second language, and tutoring are all tremendous ways to demonstrate an interest in a foreign language outside of the classroom. But don’t forget to highlight any interests outside of language as well! Sports, music, art, and volunteering are just a few of the activities that help admissions officials get a more comprehensive understanding of a student apart from their GPA and standardized test scores. Our Early Advising Program is a great way for 9th and 10th graders to get a head start on the college applications process. Paired with successful students at top-30 schools, high schoolers are advised on everything from choosing classes to what extracurricular activities to participate in—learning from students who just successfully navigated the application process and were admitted to a top school. Our College Strategy Program is designed for students further along in the college application process, helping high school juniors create college lists, solidify their college profile, and maximize this critical time in the admissions process. Most importantly, this program assists students in gaining admission into their first-choice schools—73% of participants enrolled in our College Strategy Program are accepted to top-20 schools. Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. If you’re preparing to build your college list and are thinking about pursuing a modern language major, you’re in luck—we’ve taken the first step for you. Below is a list of all the colleges and universities in the U.S. that offer a modern language major. Anderson University (South Carolina) Arkansas State University | A–State Auburn University at Montgomery | AUM Austin Peay State University | APSU Bowling Green State University | BGSU California Baptist University | CBU California Lutheran University | CLU California Polytechnic State University | Cal Poly California State Polytechnic University, Pomona | Cal Poly Pomona California State University, Bakersfield | CSU Bakersfield California State University, Chico | CSU Chico California State University, Dominguez Hills | CSUDH California State University, East Bay | CSU East Bay California State University, Fresno | CSU Fresno California State University, Fullerton | CSU Fullerton California State University, Long Beach | Long Beach State California State University, Los Angeles | Cal State LA California State University, Monterey Bay | CSUMB California State University, Northridge | CSUN California State University, Sacramento | Sacramento State California State University, Stanislaus | Stanislaus State California State University Channel Islands | CSU Channel Islands California State University San Marcos | CSUSM Catholic University of America | CUA Central Washington University | CWU Charleston Southern University | CSU Christopher Newport University | CNU Coastal Carolina University | Coastal College of Mount Saint Vincent | CMSV College of Staten Island | CUNY CSI College of the Holy Cross | Holy Cross College of William & Mary | William & Mary Colorado State University–Pueblo | CSU Pueblo Concordia University Wisconsin | CUW Eastern New Mexico University | ENMU Eastern Washington University | EWU East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | ESU East Tennessee State University | ETSU Fayetteville State University | FSU Florida International University | FIU Florida State College at Jacksonville | FSCJ Franciscan University of Steubenville Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Tech Grand Valley State University | GVSU Hobart and William Smith Colleges | HWS Indiana University Bloomington | Indiana Indiana University Northwest | IU Northwest Indiana University of Pennsylvania | IUP Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis | IUPUI Indiana University South Bend | IU South Bend Indiana University Southeast | IU Southeast Jacksonville State University | JSU Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | KU Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania | LHU Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MIT Metropolitan State University of Denver | MSU Denver Middle Tennessee State University | MTSU Millersville University of Pennsylvania | MU Minnesota State University Moorhead | MSUM New Jersey Institute of Technology | NJIT North Carolina A&T State University | N.C. A&T North Carolina Central University | NCCU North Carolina State University | NC State North Dakota State University | NDSU Northeastern Illinois University | NEIU Northeastern State University | NSU Northwest Missouri State University Notre Dame of Maryland University | NDMU Oklahoma State University–Oklahoma City | OSU–OKC Our Lady of the Lake University | OLLU Pennsylvania State University | PSU Point Loma Nazarene University | PLNU Queens College, City University of New York | CUNY QC Rochester Institute of Technology | RIT Rutgers University–New Brunswick | Rutgers Saginaw Valley State University | SVSU Saint Mary’s College of California | St. Mary’s Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota | SMU Sam Houston State University | SHSU Sewanee: The University of the South | Sewanee Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | SRU South Carolina State University | SCSU Southeastern Oklahoma State University | SOSU Southeast Missouri State University | SEMO Southern Connecticut State University | SCSU Southern Illinois University Carbondale | SIU Southern Methodist University | SMU Southwestern Christian College | SwCC Southwestern Oklahoma State University | SWOSU St. John’s College | SJC (New Mexico) St. Joseph’s College (New York) | SJC State University of New York at Cortland | SUNY Cortland State University of New York at Fredonia | SUNY Fredonia State University of New York at New Paltz | SUNY New Paltz State University of New York at Old Westbury | SUNY Old Westbury State University of New York at Oneonta | SUNY Oneonta State University of New York at Oswego | SUNY Oswego State University of New York at Plattsburgh | SUNY Plattsburgh State University of New York at Potsdam | SUNY Potsdam Stephen F. Austin State University | SFA Tennessee Technological University | Tennessee Tech Texas A&M International University | TAMIU Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina | The Citadel The College at Brockport, State University of New York | SUNY Brockport The State University of New York at Albany | SUNY Albany The State University of New York at Binghamton | SUNY Binghamton The State University of New York at Buffalo | SUNY Buffalo The State University of New York at Geneseo | SUNY Geneseo The State University of New York at Stony Brook | SUNY Stony Brook United States Military Academy | Army University of Alaska Anchorage | UAA University of Alaska Fairbanks | UAF University of Arkansas at Monticello | UAM University of Arkansas–Fort Smith | UAFS University of California, Berkeley | UC Berkeley University of California, Davis | UC Davis University of California, Irvine | UC Irvine University of California, Los Angeles | UCLA University of California, Merced | UC Merced University of California, Riverside | UC Riverside University of California, San Diego | UCSD University of California, Santa Barbara | UCSB University of California, Santa Cruz | UCSC University of Central Arkansas | UCA University of Central Florida | UCF University of Central Missouri | UCM University of Colorado Boulder | CU Boulder University of Colorado Denver | CU Denver University of Hawaii at Hilo | UH Hilo University of Hawaii at Manoa | UH Manoa University of Houston–Downtown | UHD University of Houston–Victoria | UHV University of Illinois at Chicago | UIC University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign | UIUC University of Louisiana at Lafayette | UL Lafayette University of Louisiana at Monroe | ULM University of Maine at Farmington | UMF University of Mary Hardin–Baylor | UMHB University of Maryland, Baltimore County | UMBC University of Maryland, College Park | Maryland University of Mary Washington | UMW University of Massachusetts Amherst | UMass Amherst University of Massachusetts Boston | UMass Boston University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | UMass Dartmouth University of Michigan–Dearborn | UM-D University of Michigan–Flint | UofM-Flint University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | Minnesota University of Mississippi | Ole Miss University of Missouri–St. Louis | UMSL University of Nebraska at Kearney | UNK University of Nebraska–Lincoln | UNL University of Nevada, Las Vegas | UNLV University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | UNC University of North Carolina at Charlotte | UNC Charlotte University of North Carolina at Greensboro | UNC Greensboro University of North Carolina at Pembroke | UNC Pembroke University of North Carolina at Wilmington | UNC Wilmington University of Northwestern – St. Paul University of South Alabama | South University of South Carolina Upstate | USC Upstate University of Southern California | USC University of Southern Indiana | USI University of Southern Mississippi | Southern Miss University of South Florida St. Petersburg | USFSP University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) University of Texas at Arlington | UT Arlington University of Texas at Austin | UT Austin University of Texas at El Paso | UTEP University of Texas at San Antonio | UTSA University of Texas at Tyler | UT Tyler University of Texas of the Permian Basin | UT Permian Basin University of Wisconsin–La Crosse | UW–La Crosse University of Wisconsin-Madison | Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee | UWM University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh | UW Oshkosh University of Wisconsin–Platteville | UW–Platteville University of Wisconsin–River Falls | UW–River Falls University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point | UW–Stevens Point University of Wisconsin–Whitewater | UW–Whitewater Virginia Commonwealth University | VCU Washington and Jefferson College | W&J Washington University in St. Louis | WashU Western Connecticut State University | WCSU Western Washington University | WWU William Paterson University | WPUNJ Winston-Salem State University | WSSU York College, City University of New York | CUNY York Our College Applications Program is designed to support students through every step of the applications process, from building a college list to figuring out the financing and everything in between. Over the years, we’ve helped thousands of students attend their dream school, and we can do the same for you. Contact our team today!

Stone Mountain Ga. and surrounding area Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Stone Mountain Ga. and surrounding area - Essay Example It has the world’s largest exposed mass granite and the third largest monolith in the world. The Stone Mountain in Northern Georgia boosts a mysterious history with a lot of unanswered questions. Despite that, Stone Mountain is known today for its beauty and exquisite bas relief. Three figures from the Confederate States of America have been carved here; Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis. Stone Mountain is host to the Stone Mountain Park which is the major tourist attraction there at the site. In addition to that-it plays a major role in Georgia’s eco-system as well as its economy. Thesis Statement: A detailed research into the geological formation, History and economic value of Stone Mountain. 1. Formation of Stone Mountain 2. Most prevalent rock types 2.1 Granite Rock 2.2 Gneiss Rock 3. How old is Stone Mountain? 4. Birth of Stone Mountain 5. Plate tectonics relative to the creation of Stone Mountain 6. Weathering in Stone Mountain 6.1 Physical Weat hering 6.2 Chemical Weathering 6.3 Biological Weathering 6.4 Analysis of Weathering in Stone Mountain 7. Types of Rocks in Stone Mountain 8. The Georgia Piedmont 9. Resources in Stone Mountain 1.0 Formation of Stone Mountain Georgia’s geologic formation is extremely fascinating and is suspected to have covered a billion year period. Influenced by different formations and erosions from mountain ranges and geologic events such as severe climatic changes, and volcanic eruptions and flooding -Georgia’s geology still sparks mysterious questions. The compilation of these geologic events has led to the formation of a historical landmark known today as Stone Mountains. With reference to Larry Worthy’s article ‘Stone Mountain Natural History’ (exclusively for About North Georgia, 1994-2011) Stone Mountain at its highest point stands a mighty 1683 feet above sea level and sits on the western edge of a large belt of Lithonia Gneiss granite although the younger intrusive granite that comprises the mountain is entirely different from Lithonia granite. Commonly referred to as a granite dome manadnock, Stone Mountain’s development disseminated through several counties and provides a significant amount of bas relief. The formation of the Stone Mountain is still pondered by many geologists with a lot of unanswered questions. However, based on reviewed literature it is safe to say; water, desert like conditions and glacial features played a vital role in its formation. First up, the Stone Mountain in Georgia was formed during the last stages of the Alleghenian Orogeny which also created the Appalachian Mountains. Technically speaking, the ‘stress’ and ‘pressure’ from the Alleghenian Orogeny caused huge uplifts of land in the Northern Georgia region to form mountains. As far as water impacting Stone Mountain’s formation goes; many geologists believe that the Piedmont was higher than the mountain at one poi nt and as millions of years passed the water slowly eroded leaving so much of the Stone Mountain granite exposed. On the other hand, in the Researcher’s opinion, its formative exposure could be due to heat and pressure inside the earth alongside the divergent occurrences of plate tectonic processes. In addition to that, the desert like conditions in the area help to define the mineral composition of the different rock types found in the region. 2.0 Most Prevalent Rock Types on Stone Mountain Rocks from the Stone Mountains belong to the three major classifications