Parentheses

Parentheses Parentheses Parentheses By Mark Nichol Parentheses serve several specific functions, but their general purpose is to set a grammatical unit of content off from the surrounding text. The parenthesized material can range from a single letter, numeral, or other symbol to an entire sentence. (Because enclosing more than one complete sentence in parentheses overextends the digression, it is not recommended.) Here is a summary of ways to deploy parentheses. First, a definition of terms: Parenthesis denotes a single parenthetical mark, but it can also refer to a digression, interlude, or interval enclosed in parentheses or other pairs of punctuation marks, such as commas, dashes, or brackets. The first of two parenthetical marks is an open parenthesis, and the second is a close parenthesis. The pair together are called parentheses. A parenthesis of an entire sentence can be inserted within another sentence, but omit a period after the parenthesized sentence (However, an exclamation point or question mark is acceptable!) to avoid confusion. (A complete sentence may also follow the terminal punctuation of the preceding sentence; in that case, include a period- or another terminal punctuation mark- immediately before the close parenthesis.) An incomplete sentence within parentheses is not punctuated with a period, but, again, an exclamation point or question mark is allowed. When providing an explanation or an example, the additional information can be enclosed in parentheses. Note in the following sentence how a parenthesis of a parenthesis should be formatted. (The abbreviations e.g. [â€Å"for example†] and i.e. [that is†] generally precede such information in formal and scholarly prose; in more casual contexts, the phrases are employed.) This is general American English style; British English style (and legal style and style for some other contexts) is parentheses within parentheses. Parentheses enclose the abbreviation of an acronym or initialism after the spelled-out name of an agency, company, or organization to inform the reader about how the entity will be identified on subsequent references: â€Å"The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded in 1909.† (Note that the article the is not repeated in the parenthesis, but it should precede the initialism when it appears again.) Parentheses are used to enclose a note when a reader is directed to a cross-reference or when a writer glosses (presents a brief definition of) a term, provides a citation for a quotation or a fact or figure, points out that he or she has used italics to emphasize part of a quoted passage, or otherwise annotates a quotation. Note that the location of the parenthesis in the following sentence is awkward: â€Å"Consider whether a ‘risk expert’ should serve on the committee (i.e., someone with a background in risk management or oversight relevant to the nature of the organization’s operations).† Parenthesized annotation, just like additional information enclosed in a pair of commas or dashes, should immediately follow the relevant word or phrase, as here: â€Å"Consider whether a ‘risk expert’ (i.e., someone with a background in risk management or oversight relevant to the nature of the organization’s operations) should serve on the committee.† Back-to-back parenthesis is acceptable, but this can be avoided by combining two pieces of information into one parenthesis divided by a semicolon or by reorganizing the framing text to separate the two parenthetical comments. When the items in a run-in list (a list appearing within a sentence rather than formatted vertically) are numbered, they should be enclosed in a pair of parentheses (not with a close parenthesis only)- as in â€Å"The three types of rocks are (1) igneous, (2) metamorphic, and (3) sedimentary†- but numbering is seldom necessary. Use parentheses in moderation; excessive deployment of the symbols can give text a cluttered appearance (note their ubiquity in this post) and result in an obstacle-ridden narrative flow. Often, a pair of commas will suffice in their place, and dashes are appropriate when abruptly interjecting additional information, especially when the writer wants to give an impression of sudden interruption rather than unassuming interpolation. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FutureBroadcast vs Broadcasted as Past FormEpidemic vs. Pandemic vs. Endemic

Seaweed, Kelp and Other Brown Algae (Phaeophyta)

Seaweed, Kelp and Other Brown Algae (Phaeophyta) Brown algae are  the largest, most complex type of marine algae and get their name from their brown, olive, or yellowish-brown color, which they get from the pigment  called  fucoxanthin.  Fucoxanthin is not found in other algae or plants like red or  green algae, and as a result, brown algae are in the Kingdom Chromista. Brown algae are often rooted to a stationary structure such as a rock, shell or dock by structures called holdfasts, although species in the genus Sargassum are free-floating. Many species of brown algae have air bladders which help the blades of the algae float toward the ocean surface, allowing for maximum sunlight absorption. Like other algae, the distribution of brown algae is broad, from tropical to polar zones, but brown algae can be found in intertidal zones, near coral reefs, and in deeper waters, with a NOAA study noting them at 165 feet in the Gulf of Mexico. Classification of Brown Algae The taxonomy of brown algae can be confusing, as brown algae can be classified into the Phylum Phaeophyta or Heterokontophyta, depending on what you read. Much information on the subject refers to brown algae as phaeophytes, but according to AlgaeBase, the brown algae are in the Phylum Heterokontophyta and Class Phaeophyceae. About 1,800 species of brown algae exist. The largest, also among the most well-known, is kelp. Other examples of brown algae include seaweeds in the genus Fucus commonly known as rockweed, or wracks, and the genus Sargassum, which form floating mats and are the most prominent species in the area known as the Sargasso Sea, which is in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. Kelp, Fucales, Dictyolaes, Ectocarpus, Durvillaea Antarctica, and Chordariales are all examples of brown algae, but each belongs to a different classification determined by individual attributes and features of each. Natural and Human Uses of Brown Algae Kelp and other brown algae provide a number of health benefits when consumed by both humans and animals alike; brown algae are eaten by herbivorous organisms such as fish, gastropods and sea urchins, and Benthic (bottom-dwelling) organisms also utilize brown algae such as kelp when pieces of it sink to the sea floor to decompose. Humans find a variety of commercial uses for these marine organisms. Brown algae are used to produced alginates, which are used as food additives and in industrial manufacturing- common uses include food thickeners and fillers as well as stabilizers for the ionization process of batteries. According to some medical research, several chemicals found in brown algae can work as antioxidants, which are thought to prevent damage to the human body. Brown algae can also be used as a cancer suppressant as well as an anti-inflammatory and immunity booster.   These  algae provide not only food and commercial utility; they also provide valuable habitat for certain species of marine life as well as significantly offsetting carbon dioxide emissions through photosynthesis processes of certain populous species of kelp.