definition and example of biography

How to Write a Professional Biography

Posted: june 05, 2018.

7 of the Best Professional Bio Examples We've Ever Seen

Biographic Narrative Interpretive Method

• First Online: 02 January 2023

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• Benjamin Kutsyuruba 4 &
• Bernadette Mendes 4  

Part of the book series: Springer Texts in Education ((SPTE))

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This chapter describes the biographic narrative interpretive method (BNIM). As a qualitative research method, BNIM explores the stories or narratives from interviewees’ lives. BNIM is grounded in three interrelated concepts: the person’s whole life history or life story ( biography ), how the person tells it ( narrative ), and understanding that narratives are subject to social interpretation ( interpretivism ). In this chapter, we outline the brief history, concepts, and use of BNIM, provide an outline of its process, strengths and limitations, and application, and offer further readings, resources, and suggestions for student engagement activities.

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Roseneil, S. (2012). Using biographical narrative and life story methods to research women’s movements: FEMCIT. Women’s Studies International Forum , 35 (3), 129–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2012.03.007

Rosenthal, G. (1993). Reconstruction of life stories: Principles of selection in generating stories for biographical narrative interviews. In R. Jeosselson & A. Lieblich (Eds.), Narrative study of lives (Vol. 1, pp. 59–91). SAGE.

Ross, C., & Moore, S. (2013). Utilising biographical narrative interpretive methods: Rich perspectives on union learning journeys and learner motivations. Journal of Education and Work, 29 , 450–469. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2014.978273

Wengraf, T. (2001). Qualitative social interviewing: Biographic narrative and semi-structured methods . SAGE.

Wengraf, T. (2004). The biographic narrative interpretive method (BNIM): Short guide November 2004 . Version 22. Middlesex University and University of East London.

Wengraf, T. (2011). Biographic narrative interpretive method (BNIM). In M. S. Lewis-Beck, A. Bryman & T. F. Liao (Eds.), The SAGE encyclopedia of social science research methods (p. 70). SAGE.

Wengraf, T. (2019). The biographic narrative interpretive method (BNIM): Short guide and detailed manual (Version 87). Middlesex University and University of East London.

Online Resources

Depth Interviews and Life Stories: A Narrative Approach: https://methods.sagepub.com/video/depth-interviews-and-life-stories-a-narrative-approach

The analysis of narratives (1:00:39): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJbnPKJmrpY

Qualitative analysis of interview data: A step-by-step guide for coding/indexing (6:50): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRL4PF2u9XA

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About this chapter

Kutsyuruba, B., Mendes, B. (2023). Biographic Narrative Interpretive Method. In: Okoko, J.M., Tunison, S., Walker, K.D. (eds) Varieties of Qualitative Research Methods. Springer Texts in Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-04394-9_10

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How to Write Short Professional Bios with Examples

• What is a Short Professional Bio

Preparing to Write Your Professional Bio

Crafting your professional bio, examples of short professional bios, short professional bio faqs.

A key aspect of growing your career is knowing how to showcase your strengths, experiences, and the value you offer a company. That includes using resume checkers , resume builders , and cover letter generators to write a top-notch professional bio and stand out in the hiring process.

The bio can be tricky when you’re only given a short space to work with and feel the need to stand out amongst others in your industry. So, where do you begin, and how do you optimize it?

We’ll guide you through the whole process in this article, covering the purpose of a professional bio, do’s and don’ts in the process, and short professional bio examples you can use as templates.

What Is a Short Professional Bio ?

Before you start writing, it’s important to understand what a short professional bio is and its purpose. If you’re wondering, “What is a bio?” or “What should a bio include?” here’s a quick breakdown of the key components and objectives.

Definition and objectives

A professional bio briefly describes your skills, education, and accomplishments. It shows your value as an employee, professional, or businessperson.

A bio’s overall intent and structure can vary depending on where it’s going. For example, a professional social media bio may need to be more compact, whereas something on a company website may provide a slightly longer description of your professional experience.

Some of the most common places to put a short professional bio will be:

• Social media: There’s a growing need for professionals to have a presence on platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter. Due to the fast-paced nature of these platforms, bios are usually pretty short and to the point, and you’ll typically be given a character limit for how long they can be.
• Company “About” or “Meet the Team” pages: If you’re employed at a company that wants to have an online presence, they may need a bio for you on their About or Meet the Team page. These bios may be a bit longer than those on social media and would be focused on the value you’ll bring while assisting the company’s clients or customers.
• Resume bio: This is similar to a resume summary but will focus more on your top accomplishments and accolades. It’ll typically be a short two to three sentence description of your professional skills, achievements, and career goals.
• Professional website: Those who are self-employed or business owners may have their portfolio or services posted on a professional website. You’d want to have a brief bio explaining your skills, experiences, and the products or services you offer.

Key components

Now that you have the use cases down let’s look at the primary components that every professional biography should have.

• Your job title or the title you’re seeking: Your listed job title is a key indicator that your skills are right for a company or client’s needs. You’ll want to list your current job title to show your primary abilities. Additionally, entry-level job seekers or those wanting to advance their careers may also want to add a goal job title.
• Top skills: Listing some top industry skills is a great way to make your bio stand out. For example, accountants may want to list skills in software like QuickBooks and Excel and essential tasks like expense reporting. Or, if you lack experience, your bio could focus on transferable skills like customer service or inventory management.
• Accomplishments: Your notable accomplishments show what you’re capable of on the job. For instance, you could include some great sales numbers you achieved or how you helped boost client retention rates. Inexperienced applicants could also write about educational achievements or non-traditional work experience , such as attaining funding goals while volunteering with a non-profit.
• Your passion: What makes you passionate about your job or the industry you want to work in? Sharing aspects like how your desire to help people made you want to become a nurse will help you connect with organizations and hiring managers when they see your bio.

Before writing a bio, you’ll want to gather the correct information to present a well-rounded overview of your skills. Determining the appropriate tone and style to satisfy your intent will also be essential.

Information gathering

So, what information do you need for a top-notch professional bio?

First, you’ll want to understand your target audience and the purpose of your bio.

For example, if you’ve recently re-entered the job market and are trying to craft a great LinkedIn bio that could grab a hiring manager’s attention, you’ll want to understand the characteristics of your ideal employer and how you can show you’re a match for their needs.

It’s often helpful to research companies hiring for your job title and write down some common characteristics you notice in job posts.

Someone looking for a role as a social media manager may notice many companies want to develop a more customer-focused approach. You could tailor your bio to emphasize how your social strategy and posting style help companies connect with their customers and make them feel valued.

The next step is determining the right skills to include. In many ways, this will be similar to selecting the right resume skills . Again, looking at job descriptions for your title will be helpful. When you see trends like many companies requiring social media manager skills in Sprout Social and the Adobe Suite, take note of that to reference those abilities in your bio.

Lastly, you’ll want to find numbers you can include to specify your accomplishments. In the example of a social media manager, that could be things like how your user-generated content strategies boosted follower counts by 32% and average click-through rates by 43%.

You can tailor this process to different use cases. For instance, if you’re writing a bio for an about page on a professional website, you could tailor it to how your skills will fit your prospective customer’s primary pain points. Or, if you’re trying to gain more followers on social media, you could detail why your professional expertise makes your posts valuable for a specific audience.

Selecting tone and style

The tone of your bio will depend on its purpose and the platform you’re posting it to.

For work or resume bios, you’d often want to tailor your tone to the company. If you’re crafting a work bio for a company website where the tone is lighthearted and fun, you’d likely want to match that. The same goes if you’re crafting a resume bio for a company that uses a very formal tone in the job description. It’s a good idea to match that to show how you’ll fit their professional workplace culture.

When your bio is more personal, such as on social media or a professional website that hosts your portfolio, you can use a tone that reflects your personality while still keeping it professional or aim for a tone that you believe would connect with your target audience.

You’ll also want to consider whether you should write your bio in first-person or third-person.

Generally, the best practice is to write your bio in the third person if it’s in a more formal context or where you wouldn’t be introducing yourself. That would be when it’s for a website you don’t own (such as the company you work for), when you’ll be a speaker at a conference, or for a book or other literature.

Using the first person will be a better fit when the context is more personal or when you’re introducing yourself, such as on social media or a professional website that you own.

Now that you know the information you’ll need, let’s get into the essentials of how to write a bio and structure it appropriately. We’ll go over the introduction, how to highlight your achievements, and ways you can personalize so it stands out.

Introduction techniques

When introducing yourself in a bio, you should know if you’ll write in the first or third person since how you start will differ slightly between the two.

When writing in the third person, you should lead with your first and last name, such as “Denise Sampson is a graphic designer with over seven years of experience crafting engaging visuals for social media content.”

On the other hand, a first-person introduction would be a little different. If your name is displayed prominently elsewhere on the website or profile where your bio is hosted, you could begin it with words like “I” or “my,” such as “I’m a software developer who is passionate about helping others learn Python.”

Otherwise, if you still need to introduce your name, you could begin with something like, “My name is Todd Labowski. I’m an architect who has been leveraging 3D-printed materials in my commercial building designs for the last five years.”

As you introduce yourself, it’ll be important to emphasize your role and professional identity right away so others know what you do. This should include your current job title, any education that makes you stand out, and potentially your current employer.

Entry-level professionals like recent college graduates may also want to include a goal job title here. For example, you could say, “I’m a recent graduate from Oklahoma University with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science, aiming to get into a role as a sports trainer to help athletes improve their performance.”

Highlighting achievements

Once you’ve effectively introduced your name and professional identity, it’ll be time to highlight achievements that grab a reader’s attention.

Remember who your target audience is when thinking about the accomplishments you want to highlight. You’ll likely want to choose things that are as relevant as possible to your job title, industry, or the career you’re striving to get into. For example, a teacher may want to highlight how their project-focused lesson plans led to higher test scores from students.

As you’ll notice in our resume templates and resume examples , we always recommend using numbers to describe your work experience . It’s a good idea to do so here as well to showcase the exact impact you had. In the example of a teacher, you could say, “I’ve always been a big advocate of using projects to reinforce learning since I’ve seen great results from project-focused lesson plans where they increased my students’ test scores by an average of 33%.”

Also, make sure these accomplishments tie into the overall message you want your bio to convey. If this were on a school’s website introducing staff members, the goal might be to reassure parents that your teaching skills will help their children get the best possible education. So, providing results like test scores or learning retention would be ideal for that purpose.

When you don’t have as much experience, you may need to get creative with the achievements you reference. However, you’ll still have many things to choose from, like educational accomplishments, volunteer work, or relevant hobbies and interests .

For instance, you could reference time volunteering as a youth baseball coach, where you used visual learning techniques to help players improve their batting percentages by 28%. Using an achievement like that would still showcase abilities that would make you an effective teacher.

Personalizing your bio

Just like in cover letters or letters of interest where you’d want to personalize your message to better connect with a hiring manager, you should take a similar approach when writing a professional bio.

Consider why you’re passionate about your job or the field you want to get into, and try to tie that into your overall message.

For example, let’s say you’re a personal trainer. A big part of your story and why you pursued that career path is that when you started working out, you lost 30 pounds, which helped you gain confidence and a better outlook on life. So, you want to do the same for your clients.

You could phrase that in your bio by saying, “Jack’s passion for the gym started after he lost 30 pounds and noticed himself having more energy and confidence in his daily life. When he sees clients smile after beating a personal best on an exercise or start walking into the gym with more confidence, it reinforces why he works hard to set up proper programming and diet plans to help others achieve the same results he did.”

Some other ways you could personalize a professional bio are:

• Sharing your values and how they impact your career. For example, your desire for accountability in business could show why you value a role as a quality control advisor.
• Briefly describe who you are outside of work, such as detailing your favorite hobbies and interests . Maybe you’re a big chess player, which will show why you’re a great strategic manager.
• Share your personal insights. What have you noticed while working in your field that others don’t always mention? What things have led to your personal success?

Professional Bio Do’s and Dont’s

You have the basic structure down. Now, let’s review some best practices and common pitfalls to ensure your short bio is as successful as possible.

Best practices

Some best practices when writing a professional bio are:

• Keep it concise: Your bio should be a quick summary of who you are and your professional expertise. This will be between three to five sentences or 100 words or less in most cases unless otherwise specified by the organization that’ll be posting your bio.
• Include the most relevant information: Consider your intent and the audience reading your bio, such as if it’s for a job application, professional networking site, or conference. Then, include the most relevant details, such as why your expertise in agile methodologies will make your speech at a conference valuable for project managers.
• Highlight achievements over responsibilities: Listing responsibilities sounds too bland and won’t grab attention. So, rather than saying you’ve been in charge of quality assurance for the last seven years, you should emphasize key accomplishments, such as using failure testing to identify 58% more product errors before launch.
• Update regularly: Just like you should refresh your resume as you advance your career, do the same with your bio. Regularly add new expertise you gain that’ll be more relevant, especially as technology changes with updates to the software you use or more efficient techniques are developed. Plus, update your job title and any other relevant information as it changes.

Common pitfalls

Some common pitfalls professionals run into with bios are:

• Sharing too many details: You don’t need to list all the top skills you put on your resume or every notable achievement you’ve had in your bio. Instead, focus on a couple of skills and one or two achievements that will relate to the audience reading it.
• Being too vague: Many professionals end up with bios that sound too generic when they don’t list specific skills or achievements. Rather than saying, “Beth Lancaster has extensive experience in the business world,” try for something like, “Beth Lancaster has been managing mergers and acquisitions for 12 years, using change management strategies to make new policy development 57% more efficient and effective.”
• Overloading with jargon: While you want to share your expertise, using too many technical terms that only someone in your role will understand will confuse an audience that doesn’t have the same knowledge. This is especially common when you’re in a highly technical field like a software engineer or medical researcher. So, aim for simple explanations with impacts that anyone can understand.
• Grammar errors: A bio full of grammatical errors will detract from your professional image. So, always proofread before you post or submit it.

To help you put it all together, here are some short bio examples for different platforms and professions. You can use these examples as a professional bio template that you customize with your own details.

Bios across platforms

When learning how to write a bio about yourself, you must consider the platform on which it will be posted. Here are some biography examples for the most popular places where you might post one.

LinkedIn Bio Example

In your “About” section on LinkedIn, you’ll be given a maximum character limit of 2,600 to write your bio. That comes out to a maximum of about 400-500 words. However, you’ll generally want it shorter than that to ensure those who come across your profile read your entire bio. Somewhere between 75-150 words is a good range on LinkedIn.

Generally, writing in the first person will be best for LinkedIn since it’s less formal, and you usually don’t need to introduce your name since it’s displayed prominently on your profile.

Here’s an example:

“I’m a driven software engineer at CodeCraft with over 13 years of experience using Javascript to create interactive webpage designs.

The main reason I started learning Javascript is I noticed that a company’s website can make or break my feelings about them and whether I’ll make a purchase. This made me want to create designs that bring a business owner’s vision to life.

My techniques have yielded great results. Using dynamic content, animation, and progressive web apps tailored to each page visitor, I’ve increased consumer engagement by an average of 55% and repeat visitors by 39% for our clients at CodeCraft.

I’m eager to connect with others in the tech industry and share how we can use software design to level up business performance.”

Twitter Professional Bio Examples

Your bio on Twitter will need to be very concise since you’ll have a 160-character maximum on that platform. You’ll need to quickly introduce yourself and show why someone should trust your expertise, look through your profile, and follow you.

Here are a couple of examples:

Twitter Bio Example #1:

“Developmental editor who has reviewed over 2 million words, including working on 3 NYT bestselling novels. Follow for tips to make your writing shine.”

Twitter Bio Example #2:

“Ex hairstylist turned beauty brand manager. You can call me the brand stylist. I’ll show you how I use design and messaging to increase sales.”

Personal Website Bio Example

When you own a business or are self-employed, you may have a personal website where you need a bio about yourself. You’d typically have a short personal bio introducing yourself on your website’s homepage or in a dedicated “About Me” section.

“I’m Kim Li, a dedicated real estate agent passionate about helping clients sell their homes and get into their dream property. I’ve always enjoyed presenting elements that turn a house into a home for the right buyer, and I know just how important it is to come home to a property you love after a long day of work.

With my 97% positive customer satisfaction score and track record of selling properties an average of eight days faster than industry standards, I’m confident my property marketing and negotiation skills will get you the results you’re seeking.”

Example of a Work Bio for a Company Website

When writing a work bio for your employer’s “Meet the Team” page, you’ll typically want to ensure it’s formal and in the third person. Usually, these will be 100 words or less, but make sure you tailor it to the specific guidelines your employer gives you.

“Jessica Martin is the junior financial account manager at Peak Performance. As a recent grad from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in finance, she’s ready to apply up-to-date loss prevention strategies, like internal cost control, to ensure businesses remain profitable. Accountability is one of the biggest things she values. That value has especially grown over the three years she managed the finances as a volunteer for Pet Support, a local animal shelter. She quickly realized how expenses rack up for an organization and the importance of proper management. You can trust Jessica will put forth the same detailed effort for your business.”

Bios across professions

Now, let’s look at how you can tailor your bio based on your industry’s needs. Here are some short professional bio examples across industries.

Example Bio for IT/Tech

Creating a bio in information technology presents unique challenges due to the highly technical nature of many of your daily tasks. You’ll often need to simplify your bio to make it easy to understand for a wide audience with different levels of expertise.

Here’s an example of a cybersecurity engineer bio that makes the impact of complex tasks like cryptography easier to understand:

“Connor Blake is a cybersecurity engineer with five years of experience in external threat prevention. His passion for digital security started at age 16 when his mom’s bank account was hacked, and he saw the hardships it caused. Since then, he’s been growing his skills, having received his master’s degree in computer science from Michigan State University and working on a specialization in cryptography techniques that mask business passwords and data access points so only internal employees can access them. His efforts have reduced company data leaks by an average of 67%.”

Example Bio for Construction/Trades

Construction and trade resumes must be updated often, as modern techniques and materials are continuously evolving, such as the growing use of raised access flooring. You’ll need to make it understandable for any customer or client seeking help on a project.

Here’s an example of a commercial flooring installer bio:

“Sam Peterson is a commercial flooring installer with Elite Flooring Solutions. She’s passionate about helping businesses achieve the right flooring aesthetics and sturdy installations to ensure a standout experience for all customers who frequent local stores in our community. With four years of experience installing raised access flooring to reduce installation costs by 35% and 98% satisfaction from our clients, you can trust that her expertise will result in an accurate job that gets done right the first time.”

Example Bio for Culinary

Foodservice has many health codes and standards you must uphold, so it’s essential for culinary pros to show their responsible expertise in professional bios.

Here’s an example of how a restaurant manager could do this effectively:

“Jake Kensington is the restaurant manager for Bella Cucina Ristorante. He’s always appreciated how a high-quality dining experience can help others connect and enjoy some of life’s biggest moments. Not to mention his love of pasta and risotto, which brought him to Bella Cucina Ristorante to serve up some of the best Italian dishes in New York. Using his seven-step quality assurance process and employee health training protocols, he’s helped maintain grade-A health code ratings and reviews averaging 4.9 stars out of 5 throughout his eight-year tenure.”

Example Bio for Sales/Marketing

Every sales pitch that you want to stand out needs to be relevant to your target audience. Do the same with your bio by listing some top industry skills and accomplishments showing your sales expertise.

“Bella Richardson is a sales lead with New Marketing Solutions. Having always had an entrepreneurial mindset, she’s had a growing interest in helping startups succeed and finding intricacies that make businesses stand out amongst the competition. She’s been using a solution-selling approach for the last five years at New Marketing Solutions to better connect with prospective clients’ needs and lead an average annual growth in sales of 27%.”

Example Bio for Health

Presenting expert knowledge and the ability to comply with regulations is essential in fast-paced health jobs. Whether you’re new to the field or have advanced experience, you’ll want to present those relevant abilities in your bio.

“Matt Keyser is a recent grad of the Medical College of Washington. Matt received his MD after completing his residency at Seattle Memorial Hospital and is now aiming to get into the geriatric care sector. He decided to pursue a career in medicine after working as a resident assistant at a nursing home in high school and seeing the diligent work the medical care team did to provide a better quality of life. He aims to use his patient care and diagnostic evaluation skills to do the same for every patient he works with.”

The best ways to make a bio stand out are to include personal elements and ensure the skills and achievements you list are relevant to your audience. For example, someone seeking a job as a police officer could detail how they want to use their crisis management and community awareness skills to provide a safer community for everyone. This will stand out to police precincts seeking skilled and compassionate candidates.

When you don’t have much professional experience, you may need to get creative with how you present skills and accomplishments in your bio. Things like educational achievements, volunteer work, participating in school clubs, or your hobbies and interests can all provide relevant information. For instance, you could detail how your time in your school’s math club has given you precise abilities that will translate into jobs like data entry.

If you aren’t sure whether your bio should be in the first or third person, try reviewing the website where it’ll be posted to get an idea of how others have structured theirs. After that, if you’re still unsure, you can always ask your employer or the organization you’re writing the bio for to clarify.

Your professional bio should include your name, job title, relevant education, top skills, and an accomplishment or two that will stand out. You may also want to include your current employer’s name to give readers a better idea of who you are. Try to research things like top industry skills beforehand to narrow in on the most important details to write about.

In general, around 100 words or less is a good length for short professional bios. Typically, you’ll want it to be about three to five sentences to keep it concise and highly relevant to your audience. However, the right length can differ depending on the platform. For example, Twitter bios are restricted to a max of 160 characters. If it’s a work bio for your employer, you may also want to ask how long it should be.

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Biome Definition and Examples in Biology   Recently updated !

A biome is a geographical region characterized by specific climate conditions, vegetation, and animal life. Each biome consists of multiple ecosystems and habitats. The main factors that define a biome include temperature, precipitation, humidity, altitude, and soil type, all shaping the environment and determining the organisms that thrive there.

Biome vs Ecosystem

While the terms biome and ecosystem are sometimes used interchangeably, they refer to different levels of ecological organization. An ecosystem is a community of organisms interacting with their physical environment within a specific area. In contrast, a biome is a broader classification that encompasses multiple ecosystems with similar climatic and biological characteristics.

Biome vs Microbiome

The key difference between a biome and microbiome is scale. While biomes are a large-scale geographical regions, microbiomes are much smaller and focus on the microscopic inhabitants. A microbiome is the collective community of microorganisms—bacteria, fungi, and viruses—inhabiting a particular environment, such as the human body or a soil sample.

Factors That Determine a Biome

There are several criteria that determine a biome, including:

• Climate : Temperature, precipitation, and sunshine
• Altitude : Elevation or latitude affect temperature and precipitation, impacting the types of organisms found in an area.
• Soil Type : Soil composition and fertility influence plant growth and, consequently, the types of animals that live there.
• Geography : Proximity to oceans, mountains, and other geographical features also influences local climate and vegetation.
• Pressure : Extreme altitude affects the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Meanwhile, water pressure affects aquatic ecosystems.
• Salinity/Minerals : The availability of minerals or the salinity (osmotic pressure) of aquatic ecosystems helps determine the biome.

Biome Classification – How Many Are There?

Biome classification is according to similar climate patterns, vegetation types, and animal communities. However, scientists do not universally agree on a single classification system. At a minimum, there are five main biomes (aquatic, forest, grassland, desert, tundra). But, some scientists greatly expand the list to 30 or more biomes, including ones like caves, coral reefs, bog, and managed biomes like field crop and tree crop.

Here is one common classification scheme:

• Terrestrial Biomes : Terrestrial biomes are land-based biomes, including forests , grasslands , deserts , and tundra .
• Aquatic Biomes : Aquatic biomes include freshwater and marine (saltwater) biomes.

List of Biomes

The five fundamental biomes are:

Forest Biome

The Amazon Basin is a classic example of a forest biome. The climate is tropical, with high temperatures and high humidity and lots of rainfall. The Amazon houses a range of tree species, including mahogany, rubber trees, and Brazil nut trees. Many trees have buttress roots for stability, large leaves to maximize sunlight absorption, and smooth bark to prevent parasitic plants. The wildlife is diverse, including jaguars, sloths, and poison dart frogs. Many animals live in the dense forest canopy, such as arboreal monkeys and birds.

• Latitude : Generally between 0° to 60° latitude.
• Climate : Ranges from tropical (hot and wet) to temperate (moderate) to boreal (cold).
• Sun : Varies, with dense canopies affecting sunlight.
• Soil : Rich in organic material but varies.
• Flora : Trees dominate, such as broadleaf and coniferous species.
• Fauna : Diverse, including mammals, birds, insects.
• Subcategories : Tropical rainforests, temperate forests, boreal forests (taiga).

Grassland Biome

The Serengeti ecosystem in northern Tanzania and southwestern Kenya is an example of a grassland biome. The climate is tropical, with distinct wet and dry seasons. Grasses dominated the landscape, with scattered acacia trees. Deep root systems help plants survive dry periods. There are large herbivores like zebras, wildebeests, and gazelles, and predators like lions and cheetahs. Herbivores migrate according to rainfall patterns, while predators use camouflage and speed for effective hunting.

• Latitude : Generally between 23.5° to 55° latitude.
• Climate : Moderate temperatures, moderate to low rainfall.
• Sun : Abundant sunlight.
• Soil : Fertile, often used for agriculture.
• Flora : Dominated by grasses.
• Fauna : Large herbivores, small mammals, birds.
• Subcategories : Savannas, temperate grasslands.

Aquatic Biome

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is an example of an aquatic biome. The marine climate features warm water temperatures and high salinity. The reef primarily consists of coral polyps, which have a symbiotic relationship with algae. There are symbiotic relationships between other organisms, too, like clownfish and anemones. The reef hosts a plethora of marine life, including clownfish, sea turtles, and sharks. Creatures use camouflage both for stealthy hunting and to escape predator detection.

• Latitude : Found worldwide.
• Climate : Varies; influenced by water temperature.
• Sun : Varies with depth.
• Soil : Sediments, sand, or coral.
• Flora : Aquatic plants, algae, phytoplankton.
• Fauna : Fish, amphibians, invertebrates.
• Subcategories : Freshwater (lakes, rivers), marine (oceans, coral reefs).

The Sahara of Africa is a huge example of a desert. The Sahara is hot and arid. On average, it gets less than 25 cm or 10 in of precipitation annually. Vegetation includes drought-resistant plants like date palms and cacti. Plants survive long periods of drought with waxy leaves, long roots, or by storing water. Animal life includes the fennec fox, desert lizards, and camels. Many animals are nocturnal to avoid the daytime heat.

• Latitude : Generally between 15° to 30° latitude. However, some scientists consider the extreme polar regions as deserts.
• Climate : Hot or cold, very low rainfall.
• Sun : Intense sunlight.
• Soil : Sandy, rocky, low in nutrients.
• Flora : Cacti, succulents, drought-resistant shrubs.
• Fauna : Reptiles, insects, small mammals.
• Subcategories : Hot deserts, cold deserts.

The Arctic has large regions of tundra spanning across northern Alaska, Canada, and Siberia. The climate is cold and dry. Vegetation includes low-growing plants like mosses, lichens, and dwarf shrubs. Low-growing plants minimize exposure to cold winds, while dark-colored vegetation absorbs heat. The tundra is home to polar bears, Arctic foxes, and migratory birds. Bears and foxes have thick fur for insulation against the cold. Birds exploit seasonal resources using migration.

• Latitude : Typically above 60° latitude.
• Climate : Cold, low precipitation.
• Sun : Low sunlight, long winter nights.
• Soil : Permafrost, nutrient-poor.
• Flora : Mosses, lichens, low shrubs.
• Fauna : Arctic foxes, caribou, migratory birds.
• Subcategories : Arctic tundra, alpine tundra.

Biomes are dynamic and change over time due to various factors:

• Climate Change : Alterations in global or regional climate shift temperature and precipitation patterns, impacting biome distribution.
• Human Activity : Deforestation, agriculture, and urbanization transform biomes.
• Natural Events : Events like wildfires, storms, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, and meteor impacts temporarily or permanently alter biomes.

One example of biome alteration is desertification. This is where grasslands turn into deserts due to overgrazing, deforestation, or climate change. For example, the Sahara Desert was once a green landscape, with rivers and completely different plants and animals.

Coral bleaching is another example of biome transformation. Increasing ocean temperatures change the chemistry of seawater. Coral reefs lose their symbiotic algae and fall into a decline.

Forest regeneration is another form of biome change. For example, abandoned agricultural lands return to forest through natural succession . The reforestation of the area surrounding Chernobyl is one example.

• Bowman, William D.; Hacker, Sally D. (2021). Ecology (5th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-1605359212.
• Marcolla, Barbara; Migliavacca, Mirco; et al. (2020). “Patterns and trends of the dominant environmental controls of net biome productivity”. Biogeosciences . 17 (8): 2365–2379. doi: 10.5194/bg-17-2365-2020
• Olson, D. M., Dinerstein, E., et al. (2001). “ Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth .” Bioscience . 51(11): 933–938.
• Whittaker, Robert H. (1962). “Classification of Natural Communities”. Botanical Review . 28 (1): 1–239. doi: 10.1007/BF02860872
• Williams, John W.; Jackson, Stephen T.; Kutzbach, John E. (2007). “Projected distributions of novel and disappearing climates by 2100 AD”. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 104 (14): 5738–5742. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0606292104

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Assets Under Management (AUM): Definition, Nuances, and Real-Life Usage

Assets Under Management (AUM) represents the total market value of the capital managed by an investment fund on behalf of its clients; it’s a prevalent performance metric across many fund types, such as private equity firms, hedge funds, and venture capital (VC) firms.

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Assets Under Management (AUM) Definition: AUM represents the total market value of the capital managed by an investment fund on behalf of its clients; it’s a prevalent performance metric across many fund types, such as private equity firms, hedge funds, and venture capital (VC) firms.

Two primary factors influence the assets under management (AUM) for firms such as hedge funds that invest in liquid assets :

• The market performance of the fund.
• The inflows and outflows of capital into the fund.

Positive returns on investments increase the AUM, while withdrawals by investors decrease it.

For entities like private equity and VC firms, which hold illiquid assets (e.g., investments in startups and other private companies), AUM reflects the amount of capital they’ve successfully raised from their Limited Partners, such as pension funds, endowments, and funds of funds.

Since these firms restrict the inflows and outflows after the capital is raised, the true market value of their investments isn’t known until they sell them, which may take many years.

This explains why “market performance” does not factor into AUM for these firms in the same way.

Why Assets Under Management is Deceptive for Some Firms

The stated AUM can sometimes be misleading for investment funds such as venture capital, growth equity, and private equity firms because these firms operate based on “commitments” from their Limited Partners (LPs).

Essentially, LPs pledge a certain amount of capital to the firm, which can be drawn upon when needed for investments – but the LPs do not contribute this promised capital upfront.

This system means that a firm’s declared AUM does not represent its “cash on hand.”

For example, a firm with an AUM of “$1 billion” doesn’t have $1 billion sitting in a bank account ready to invest. Instead, that $1 billion number simply means that they’ve won commitments from  their investors to contribute a total of $1 billion in capital over the life of the fund.

As this firm invests in companies, it will issue “capital calls” to its Limited Partners.

As a simple example, let’s say that a Limited Partner such as a pension fund has agreed to invest $50 million in a private equity firm’s latest fund.

This pension won’t contribute the $50 million upfront – instead, it might contribute $10 million in Year 1, $5 million in Year 2, $20 million in Year 3, $5 million in Year 4, and $10 million in Year 5.

It contributes these amounts as the PE firm reviews deals and invests in companies over the years.

Even though the private equity firm still counts this $50 million toward its assets under management, it only gets the funds in smaller portions each year as it invests.

Assets Under Management (AUM) vs. Net Asset Value (NAV)

Net Asset Value (NAV) represents the total value of a fund’s assets minus its liabilities, and it’s another important metric for investment funds.

For mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), NAV is often listed on a per-share basis, offering investors a clear picture of the value represented by each share they own and how it compares to the current share price.

For example, if the NAV per share is $5.00, but the current share price is $4.50, this could be a sign that the ETF is currently  undervalued since you can buy the shares for less than their intrinsic value.

While AUM indicates the total market value of assets managed by a fund, NAV also accounts for the fund’s liabilities to provide a more comprehensive view of its net worth.

The Net Asset Value represents capital actively “in play”: Funds held by the investment entity or already deployed in the market.

On the other hand, AUM, especially for firms like private equity or venture capital, might include capital commitments not yet drawn from the Limited Partners, as noted above.

Therefore, while AUM is more about “potential” capital, NAV is closer to the firm’s “actual” value after repayment of its obligations.

How to Use Assets Under Management (AUM) in Real Life

AUM is mostly used for  benchmarking different funds, which explains why many private equity firms and alternative investment funds track AUM and AUM growth as key metrics.

Here’s an example taken from this investor presentation for Apollo’s acquisition of Athene :

Beyond just the growth rates, the  sources of AUM growth are very important.

Organic growth in AUM, resulting from superior investment returns, demonstrates good management and investment choices.

On the other hand, growth primarily from  capital inflows might indicate effective marketing but doesn’t necessarily mean the managers are skilled at generating returns.

One application of AUM in valuation is the Enterprise Value to AUM multiple (TEV / AUM) .

This ratio assigns a value to each $1.00 of assets managed by the fund; it’s similar to valuing a house on a $ per square foot basis.

Essentially, it tells us how much investors are willing to pay for the fund’s management of its assets.

Higher-performing funds tend to have higher TEV / AUM multiples, while lower-performing funds tend to have lower TEV / AUM multiples.

(Note that since Enterprise Value is always  much lower than AUM, this TEV / AUM multiple is normally expressed as a percentage , as in the example below.)

You can see an example in this Fairness Opinion from Sandler O’Neill for Brookfield’s acquisition of Oaktree Capital , which uses TEV / AUM in the precedent transactions :

About Brian DeChesare

Brian DeChesare is the Founder of Mergers & Inquisitions and Breaking Into Wall Street . In his spare time, he enjoys lifting weights, running, traveling, obsessively watching TV shows, and defeating Sauron.

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Multiple alleles

Multiple alleles n., singular: Multiple allele [ˈmʌltɪpl̩ ˈæ.liː.l] Definition: Series of three or more alleles for a gene

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Alleles are the pairs of genes occupying a specific spot called locus on a chromosome . Typically, there are only two alleles for a gene in a diploid organism. When there is a gene existing in more than two allelic forms, this condition is referred to as multiple allelism. Allelism refers to any of the several forms of a gene. These genetic variations arise usually through mutation and therefore are responsible for hereditary variations.

Multiple Alleles Definition

Gregor Mendel suggested that each gene would have only two alleles . Alleles are described as a variant of a gene that exists in two or more forms. Each gene is inherited in two alleles, i.e., one from each parent . Thus, this means there would also be having two different alleles for a trait .

Offspring who have different alleles of a gene are described as heterozygous whereas those that have genotypes made of the same alleles (i.e. of a gene for a particular trait) are described as homozygous .

Although humans (and all diploid organisms) can have only two alleles for any given gene in genetics, multiple allele traits may exist at the population level. Thus, multiple alleles are important in promoting variation within the same species .

In Mendelian inheritance , a given chromosomal locus was occupied by two distinct types of gene alternatives – one dominant and one recessive . These alternatives are two alleles of the same gene. However, in the given population, there are instances wherein there are more than two alternatives (alleles) existing. Those instances are referred to as “multiple allelism” where different forms of the same gene exist within the population. These three or more variants for the same gene are called multiple alleles.

What are multiple alleles? In biology, multiple alleles are three or more alleles for a particular gene. Multiple allelism (biology definition): The condition of the presence of multiple alleles. An example of multiple alleles is the ABO blood group system in humans .

Human gene I ( I for ‘ isohaemagglutinin ‘) exists in three allelic forms: I A , I B , and I O . I A and I B produce type A and type B antigens, respectively, on the cell surface of RBCs whereas I O (or i ) is a recessive allele and does not produce antigen. So, for instance, an offspring that got both I A and I B alleles will have blood type AB and that who received I O I O  (or ii ) would have blood type O.

Examples of Multiple Alleles

Let us understand the concept further with the different multiple alleles examples presented below.

Coat color of cats

For thousands of years, domestic cats have been bred to achieve a variety of coat colors. The gene that determines the coat color of the cat appears to have multiple variants as the coats could range from black, orange, brown, etc., to white.  This means that there are multiple alleles responsible for the coat color.

The coat color gene has multiple alleles in the population and the pigment-producing protein will depend on the inheritance and the expression of these alleles. Other genes regulate curliness, shading, patterns, and even texture in a similar manner. The number of possible combinations and expressions of distinct genotypes from these alleles results in a wide variety of breeds. Even when only four alleles are shared between two parents for each gene, the variation can be astounding.

Take a look at Figure 1. The coat color of cats clearly indicates multiple allelism as it appears there are more than two alleles for the coat color phenotype — i.e. patches of black and orange (tortoiseshell pattern), black, grey, white, and patches of white fur (piebald spotting).

Generally, the genotype of a cat can be determined by examining its coat coloration and pattern of coloration. If the phenotypes of the parental cats are known, it is usually possible to predict the coloration possibilities of kittens, though the calculations would be complex in most cases.

Multiple alleles in fruit flies

In 2000, scientists completed the complex genome mapping of the common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster . The fruit fly has been and continues to be a valuable laboratory animal due to its high reproduction rate and the ease with which large numbers of flies can be kept and analyzed. At approximately 165 million base pairs, a fruit fly’s DNA is significantly smaller than that of a human. While humans have 23 chromosomes, fruit flies have only four. Nonetheless, there are approximately 17,000 genes on only four chromosomes. Each gene is responsible for a distinct aspect of the fly and is subject to mutation and the emergence of new alleles.

Normally, the wings of Drosophila melanogaster are quite long. Two mutations occurred at the same locus in different flies’ one of which resulted in vestigial (reduced) wings and the other in antlered (less developed) wings.

When a fly with vestigial wings is crossed with another with antlered wings, the resulting F1 hybrids have intermediate wing lengths, indicating that none of the mutated genes is dominant. Occasionally referred to as the vestigial antlered compound, this hybrid contains two mutated genes at the same locus. Mendelian segregation and recombination are evident.

Apart from the vestigial and antlered wings, there are other phenotypes: nicked wings, strap wings, or no wings at all. The gene variants responsible for these phenotypes are the multiple alleles in this particular fruit fly population.

Multiple alleles among humans

There are traits in humans and other organisms that have three or more different types of alleles (genes). When a trait has three or more distinct alleles, we refer to it as having multiple alleles inheritance. The human ABO blood type alleles/trait is an example of a trait with multiple alleles. Three distinct alleles exist: allele A ( I A ), allele B ( I B ), and allele i ( I O or i ).

If the allele A is present on the chromosome, protein A is produced, and the red blood cells of that individual contain protein A on their membrane. If the chromosome contains the allele B, protein B will be produced, and the red blood cells’ membranes will contain protein B. Finally, if allele i is present on the chromosome, neither protein A nor protein B will be synthesized. These three alleles make up the ABO blood group trait.

The inheritance pattern of allele A and allele B shows codominance (co-dominance). Co-dominance occurs when neither allele is dominant over the other, and a heterozygous individual expresses both phenotypes. That is, if an individual possesses allele A on one chromosome and allele B on the second homologous chromosome, both proteins are expressed and red blood cells contain both protein A and protein B on their cell membranes.

READ: Non-Mendelian Inheritance – Multiple Alleles (ABO blood type)

The ABO blood type hereditary scheme in human beings is an illustration of multiple alleles blood types. Phenotypes are classified into four categories: blood group A, blood group B, blood group AB, and blood group O. In this case, the population has three alleles. The I A allele when expressed results in the presence of A molecules on red blood cells, the I B allele expression leads to the presence of B molecules on red blood cells, and the I O allele expression results in the absence of such antigens on the red blood cells. The I A and I B alleles are not only codominant but both of them are dominant over the I O allele. I O allele is recessive and thus will be expressed if I A or I B is absent.

Although a population contains three alleles, each individual inherits only two of them from their parents. This results in the genotypes and phenotypes depicted below. Consider that when three alleles are present, there are six distinct genotypes. The number of phenotypes possible is determined by the dominance relationships between the three alleles. Watch the video below to understand multiple alleles in the form of ABO Blood types.

Multiple alleles in plants

While it is widely believed that potato tuber shape is continuous, visual phenotypes such as round or long tubers can be discerned at the diploid level. Although experimental evidence for the presence of multiple allele systems for a potato tuber is being reported for the first time, this study in potato can be compared to one in maize. The recessive allele for tuber shape can be regarded as the qualitatively recognized null or near-null allele. Variation between dominant alleles is quantitative. The view that the (most) recessive allele can be considered a null or near-null allele is consistent with how quantitative effects at a multiallelic locus are described. When additional metric traits are resolved into Mendelian factors using heterozygous parents in experimental designs, conclusions can be drawn about the relative importance of multiple alleles traits to multiple loci in explaining quantitative genetic alleles variation.

Multiple alleles in bacteria

Bacteria possess a large number of genes, several of which have multiple alleles. These various wild-type alleles are frequently associated with distinct types of virulence and can be used to classify subspecies (e.g., housekeeping genes for Multi Locus Sequence Typing, MLST). As a result, it is critical to rapidly identify not only the desired gene but also the relevant allele.

Currently available sequencing-based methods are limited to mapping reads to each known allele reference, which is a lengthy process. Understanding and predicting the pathogenic impact and outbreak potential of a bacterial infection requires more than knowledge of the species responsible for the infection.

Bacterial virulence is frequently regulated on a sub-species level by a collection of specific genes or even alleles, necessitating the use of distinct treatment strategies for infections caused by the same bacterial species.

Antibiotic resistance, for example, is a well-known example of how minor variations in a gene can result in a diverse collection of antibiotic resistance profiles within a single taxonomic group.

Additionally, different alleles of the same gene may be responsible for distinct adhesion and invasion strategies, responses to the infected organism’s immune response, and toxin production.

Apart from its importance for understanding virulence, identifying alleles of specific genes contributes to a more precise classification of bacteria.

Multiple Allelism, Pleiotropy and Epistasis

Multiple allelism may be misconstrued with other common terms in Genetics, such as pleiotropy and epistasis. Let us understand the difference between multiple allelism (defined as the condition of having multiple alleles) and other genetic conditions.

• Pleiotropy refers to the condition wherein more than one gene can have multiple effects on the phenotype. While multiple allelism involves only a single gene with many variants (referred to as multiple alleles), pleiotropy entails more than one gene that determines phenotype. For example, a higher frequency of individuals with albino would have cross-eyes than the pigmented individuals. Thus, apart from having no sufficient pigment production in their skin and hair, another possible feature of albinoes is a cross-eyed trait. However, not all albinoes show this trait indicating that in such cases, the two traits are not linked. (The Complex Expression Patterns of Multiple Alleles – BIOL110F2012 – Confluence, 2012) Another example is eye color. The trait is influenced by more than one gene. Some of these genes are OCA2 and HERC2.
• Epistasis is when one gene has an effect on the expression of another gene. This occurs when genes interact to produce a particular trait. An example would be the determination of coat color in certain animals (e.g. horses) wherein the effect of one gene depends on the influence of another gene controlling the deposition of hair pigment. (The Complex Expression Patterns of Multiple Alleles – BIOL110F2012 – Confluence, 2012)

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• Khachatryan, L., Kraakman, M.E.M., Bernards, A.T. et al. BacTag – a pipeline for fast and accurate gene and allele typing in bacterial sequencing data based on database preprocessing. BMC Genomics 20, 338 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-019-5723-0
• Khan Academy, (2016). Multiple alleles, incomplete dominance, and codominance. Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-classical-genetics/hs-non-mendelian-inheritance/a/multiple-alleles-incomplete-dominance-and-codominance on July 18th 2021.
• Nickle, T., & Barrette-Ng, I. (2021, January 4). Example of Multiple Genes Affecting One Character. Retrieved July 20th , 2021, from https://bio.libretexts.org/@go/page/4089
• The Complex Expression Patterns of Multiple Alleles – BIOL110F2012 – Confluence . (2012). Psu.edu. https://wikispaces.psu.edu/display/bio110/The+Complex+Expression+Patterns+of+Multiple+Alleles
• ‌Van Eck, H. J., Jacobs, J. M., Stam, P., Ton, J., Stiekema, W. J., & Jacobsen, E. (1994). Multiple alleles for tuber shape in diploid potato detected by qualitative and quantitative genetic analysis using RFLPs. Genetics, 137(1), 303–309. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1205946/ on July 19th 2021.

Last updated on June 30th, 2023

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Motivation: The Driving Force Behind Our Actions

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk,  "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time.

Verywell / Emily Roberts 

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The term motivation describes why a person does something. It is the driving force behind human actions. Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors.

For instance, motivation is what helps you lose extra weight, or pushes you to get that promotion at work. In short, motivation causes you to act in a way that gets you closer to your goals. Motivation includes the biological , emotional , social , and cognitive forces that activate human behavior.

Motivation also involves factors that direct and maintain goal-directed actions. Although, such motives are rarely directly observable. As a result, we must often infer the reasons why people do the things that they do based on observable behaviors.

Learn the types of motivation that exist and how we use them in our everyday lives. And if it feels like you've lost your motivation, do not worry. There are many ways to develop or improve your self-motivation levels.

Press Play for Advice on Motivation

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares an exercise you can use to help you perform your best. Click below to listen now.

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What Are the Types of Motivation?

The two main types of motivation are frequently described as being either extrinsic or intrinsic.

• Extrinsic motivation arises from outside of the individual and often involves external rewards such as trophies, money, social recognition, or praise.
• Intrinsic motivation is internal and arises from within the individual, such as doing a complicated crossword puzzle purely for the gratification of solving a problem.

A Third Type of Motivation?

Some research suggests that there is a third type of motivation: family motivation. An example of this type is going to work when you are not motivated to do so internally (no intrinsic motivation), but because it is a means to support your family financially.

Why Motivation Is Important

Motivation serves as a guiding force for all human behavior. So, understanding how motivation works and the factors that may impact it can be important for several reasons.

Understanding motivation can:

• Increase your efficiency as you work toward your goals
• Drive you to take action
• Encourage you to engage in health-oriented behaviors
• Help you avoid unhealthy or maladaptive behaviors, such as risk-taking and addiction
• Help you feel more in control of your life
• Improve your overall well-being and happiness

Click Play to Learn More About Motivation

This video has been medically reviewed by John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE .

What Are the 3 Components of Motivation?

If you've ever had a goal (like wanting to lose 20 pounds or run a marathon), you probably already know that simply having the desire to accomplish these things is not enough. You must also be able to persist through obstacles and have the endurance to keep going in spite of difficulties faced.

These different elements or components are needed to get and stay motivated. Researchers have identified three major components of motivation: activation, persistence, and intensity.

• Activation is the decision to initiate a behavior. An example of activation would be enrolling in psychology courses in order to earn your degree.
• Persistence is the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may exist. An example of persistence would be showing up for your psychology class even though you are tired from staying up late the night before.
• Intensity is the concentration and vigor that goes into pursuing a goal. For example, one student might coast by without much effort (minimal intensity) while another student studies regularly, participates in classroom discussions, and takes advantage of research opportunities outside of class (greater intensity).

The degree of each of these components of motivation can impact whether you achieve your goal. Strong activation, for example, means that you are more likely to start pursuing a goal. Persistence and intensity will determine if you keep working toward that goal and how much effort you devote to reaching it.

Tips for Improving Your Motivation

All people experience fluctuations in their motivation and willpower . Sometimes you feel fired up and highly driven to reach your goals. Other times, you might feel listless or unsure of what you want or how to achieve it.

If you're feeling low on motivation, there are steps you can take to help increase your drive. Some things you can do to develop or improve your motivation include:

• Adjust your goals to focus on things that really matter to you. Focusing on things that are highly important to you will help push you through your challenges more than goals based on things that are low in importance.
• If you're tackling something that feels too big or too overwhelming, break it up into smaller, more manageable steps. Then, set your sights on achieving only the first step. Instead of trying to lose 50 pounds, for example, break this goal down into five-pound increments.
• Improve your confidence . Research suggests that there is a connection between confidence and motivation. So, gaining more confidence in yourself and your skills can impact your ability to achieve your goals.
• Remind yourself about what you've achieved in the past and where your strengths lie. This helps keep self-doubts from limiting your motivation.
• If there are things you feel insecure about, try working on making improvements in those areas so you feel more skilled and capable.

Causes of Low Motivation

There are a few things you should watch for that might hurt or inhibit your motivation levels. These include:

• All-or-nothing thinking : If you think that you must be absolutely perfect when trying to reach your goal or there is no point in trying, one small slip-up or relapse can zap your motivation to keep pushing forward.
• Believing in quick fixes : It's easy to feel unmotivated if you can't reach your goal immediately but reaching goals often takes time.
• Thinking that one size fits all : Just because an approach or method worked for someone else does not mean that it will work for you. If you don't feel motivated to pursue your goals, look for other things that will work better for you.

Motivation and Mental Health

Sometimes a persistent lack of motivation is tied to a mental health condition such as depression . Talk to your doctor if you are feeling symptoms of apathy and low mood that last longer than two weeks.

Theories of Motivation

Throughout history, psychologists have proposed different theories to explain what motivates human behavior. The following are some of the major theories of motivation.

The instinct theory of motivation suggests that behaviors are motivated by instincts, which are fixed and inborn patterns of behavior. Psychologists such as William James, Sigmund Freud , and William McDougal have proposed several basic human drives that motivate behavior. They include biological instincts that are important for an organism's survival—such as fear, cleanliness, and love.

Drives and Needs

Many behaviors such as eating, drinking, and sleeping are motivated by biology. We have a biological need for food, water, and sleep. Therefore, we are motivated to eat, drink, and sleep. The drive reduction theory of motivation suggests that people have these basic biological drives, and our behaviors are motivated by the need to fulfill these drives.

Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs is another motivation theory based on a desire to fulfill basic physiological needs. Once those needs are met, it expands to our other needs, such as those related to safety and security, social needs, self-esteem, and self-actualization.

Arousal Levels

The arousal theory of motivation suggests that people are motivated to engage in behaviors that help them maintain their optimal level of arousal. A person with low arousal needs might pursue relaxing activities such as reading a book, while those with high arousal needs might be motivated to engage in exciting, thrill-seeking behaviors such as motorcycle racing.

The Bottom Line

Psychologists have proposed many different theories of motivation . The reality is that there are numerous different forces that guide and direct our motivations.

Understanding motivation is important in many areas of life beyond psychology, from parenting to the workplace. You may want to set the best goals and establish the right reward systems to motivate others as well as to  increase your own motivation .

Knowledge of motivating factors (and how to manipulate them) is used in marketing and other aspects of industrial psychology. It's an area where there are many myths, and everyone can benefit from knowing what works with motivation and what doesn't.

Nevid JS.  Psychology: Concepts and Applications .

Tranquillo J, Stecker M.  Using intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in continuing professional education .  Surg Neurol Int.  2016;7(Suppl 7):S197-9. doi:10.4103/2152-7806.179231

Menges JI, Tussing DV, Wihler A, Grant AM. When job performance is all relative: How family motivation energizes effort and compensates for intrinsic motivation . Acad Managem J . 2016;60(2):695-719. doi:10.5465/amj.2014.0898

Hockenbury DH, Hockenbury SE. Discovering Psychology .

Zhou Y, Siu AF. Motivational intensity modulates the effects of positive emotions on set shifting after controlling physiological arousal . Scand J Psychol . 2015;56(6):613-21. doi:10.1111/sjop.12247

Mystkowska-Wiertelak A, Pawlak M. Designing a tool for measuring the interrelationships between L2 WTC, confidence, beliefs, motivation, and context . Classroom-Oriented Research . 2016. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-30373-4_2

Myers DG.  Exploring Social Psychology .

Siegling AB, Petrides KV. Drive: Theory and construct validation .  PLoS One . 2016;11(7):e0157295. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0157295

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Home » Understanding the Break-Even Point: Definition, Formula, and Examples

Understanding the Break-Even Point: Definition, Formula, and Examples

• May 5, 2024

Are you striving to achieve financial success in your business or investment ventures? Understanding the concept of the break-even point is crucial for making informed decisions and maximizing your profitability. In this blog post, we will delve into the definition of the break-even point, explore the formula used to calculate it, and provide real-life examples to enhance your comprehension. Let’s dive in!

What is the Break-Even Point?

The break-even point is a fundamental concept that determines the level of sales or investment at which neither profit nor loss is incurred. It represents the equilibrium point where total revenue equals total costs. Whether you are running a business or engaged in financial markets, identifying the break-even point is essential for assessing the viability of your operations.

Calculating the Break-Even Point

To calculate the break-even point, you need to consider the fixed costs, variable costs, and the selling price of your product or service. The formula for determining the break-even point can be expressed as:

Break-Even Point (in units) = Fixed Costs / (Selling Price per Unit – Variable Costs per Unit)

By plugging in the relevant values, you can easily calculate the number of units you need to sell to reach the break-even point.

Real-Life Examples

Let’s explore a couple of examples to illustrate the application of the break-even point:

Example 1: Business Break-Even Point

Suppose you run a business with fixed costs amounting to $10,000. The variable cost per unit is $50, and you sell each unit for $75. Using the break-even formula, we can determine the break-even point in terms of units:

Break-Even Point (in units) = $10,000 / ($75 – $50) = 400 units

This means that you need to sell 400 units to cover all your costs and start making a profit. Any sales below this threshold will result in operating losses.

Example 2: Investment Break-Even Point

Consider an investment scenario where you purchase 1,000 shares of a company at $30 per share, with a commission rate of 0.10%. To calculate the break-even price, we can apply the formula:

Break-Even Price = (Total Investment Cost) / (Number of Shares)

After factoring in the commission, the break-even price for this investment would be approximately $30.03 per share. Selling the shares at a price higher than this will yield a profit, while selling at a lower price will result in a loss.

Impacting Factors and Strategies

Several factors can influence the break-even point. In business, factors such as demand, production costs, and equipment repairs can affect the break-even point. For investors, commissions and dollar-cost averaging play a significant role. Traders, on the other hand, need to consider commissions and financing charges when determining their break-even price.

To reduce the break-even point, businesses can focus on optimizing their production processes, lowering fixed and variable costs, or increasing unit prices. Investors can seek out low-commission brokers, while traders can benefit from brokers offering volume-based rebate programs and tight spreads.

Understanding the break-even point is vital for achieving profitability and minimizing losses in your business or investment endeavors. By grasping the concept, applying the formula, and analyzing real-life examples, you can make informed decisions and steer your operations towards success. Remember, the break-even point serves as a fundamental tool in your financial toolkit.

Now that you have a solid understanding of the break-even point, it’s time to apply this knowledge to your own ventures and witness the positive impact it can have on your bottom line. Best of luck!

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Definition of homologous

Did you know.

In his famous discussion of the panda's thumb, Stephen Jay Gould carefully explains how this thumb is not homologous to the human thumb. Although the two digits are used in much the same way (the panda's thumb is essential for stripping bamboo of its tasty leaves, the staple of the panda's diet), the panda's thumb developed from a bone in its wrist and is an addition to the five "fingers" of its paw. The tiny stirrup and anvil bones of our inner ear, however, do seem to be homologous with the bones that allow a garter snake to swallow a frog whole.

Examples of homologous in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homologous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Greek homologos agreeing, from hom- + legein to say — more at legend

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Dictionary Entries Near homologous

homologoumena

homologous graft

Cite this Entry

“Homologous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homologous. Accessed 7 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of homologous, medical definition, medical definition of homologous, more from merriam-webster on homologous.

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for homologous

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• POTS: Explained by Doctors & Patients

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is both mystifying and misunderstood by nearly everyone, including most doctors. A relatively new disease, POTS still lacks a set of universally followed, predefined treatment guidelines. (This often results in confusion and frustration among patients and their physicians.)  Instead of regurgitating the little information about POTS that can be found in medical textbooks, we decided to survey POTS patients (over 900 of them). By combining the largest survey of POTS patients ever conducted, our experience treating the disease, and the most recent medical literature on the topic, we hope to help demystify the medical mystery that is POTS.

This guide – which we’re calling the POTS Center – is intended to be the most comprehensive online resource on POTS. The POTS Center will be constantly updated to reflect the most current literature related to POTS. This page includes an overview of the disease, along with the most notable findings in our survey. Please don’t forget that each section has a page dedicated to it, where you can find more in-depth information. All content is written by one of MyHeart’s volunteer cardiologists and then reviewed by at least two others.

So without further ado, we welcome you to the POTS Center – a small place on the internet where we combine real patient feedback with published information and our own experience treating the disease – with the hope we can make the lives of those suffering from POTS a little easier.

To find experts in POTS around the United States check out XpertDox .

What Is POTS? A Brief Definition

POTS is a form of dysautonomia that affects the flow of blood through the body, thereby causing dizziness when standing. Technically, someone has POTS if their heart rate increases by 30 beats per minute or their heart rate is greater than 120 beats per minute within 10 minutes of standing up.

The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary actions that allow the body to function. When we stand, for example, the body needs to accommodate an entire set of processes to allow this. Upon standing, a significant amount of blood automatically falls to the lower body. Autonomic reflexes ensure that blood gets appropriately distributed to the upper body by changes such as muscle tone, vessel tone, heart rate, and pumping responses in the heart.

Although anyone can be affected by postural tachycardia syndrome, it is by far most prevalent among woman in their teens, twenties, and thirties. There is a wide spectrum of POTS-like disorders that falls under the umbrella of dysautonomia, several of which do not have the increase in heart rate.

POTS is most commonly known for causing dizziness upon standing. In some cases, patients actually faint when trying to stand, earning POTS the nickname of “the fainting disease”. However, dizziness and fainting are just a few of the many often debilitating symptoms POTS patients battle on a daily basis. Additional symptoms include:

• Abdominal pain
• Chronic Pain (General)
• Chest Pains
• Heart Palpitations
• Shortness of Breath
• Sweating Abnormalities
• Bladder Dysfunction

According to our survey, fatigue (95.2%) is the most common symptom – which isn’t surprising considering the commonality of POTS and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Dizziness when standing is the second most common symptom (95.2%), followed by brain fog ( 93.1%), and heart palpitations (92.0%).

When reviewing these symptoms, it’s no wonder POTS is called “the invisible illness” – nearly every symptom is subjective.   It’s important to remember that although dizziness is the trademark symptom, POTS does a lot more than just make someone dizzy.

Of the symptoms, patients report fatigue to be the most problematic or troubling symptom associated with POTS. Fatigue is also to blame for many of the complications that come with POTS. For example, it’s common for teenagers with POTS to have a hard time getting to school on time in the morning. Patients also find it incredibly difficult to get out of bed at all. People suffering from POTS can find themselves in a frustrating cycle – they won’t feel better unless they’re active, yet they don’t’ have the energy to be active. Frustratingly, with POTS the symptom seemingly preclude its treatment, i.e. it’s very difficult not have a sedentary lifestyle without enough energy to get out of bed, much less run several miles every day.

Dizziness (48.5%), brain fog (43.8%), headaches (37.1%), and chronic pain (34.9%) were rated the most challenging symptoms after fatigue (71.8%). You can read more about POTS symptomology here . Brain fog is a unique symptom associated with POTS. We have a section dedicated to brain fog and POTS here .

Diagnosis of POTS

POTS is typically diagnosed through a variety of tests, the most common of which is called a tilt table test . With this test, patients are strapped to a table which is tilted to simulate the process of standing up by forcing blood from the upper body to the legs. Tilt tables aren’t available at all hospitals, so some doctors diagnose POTS by monitoring changes in heart rate and blood pressure while the patient moves from laying down to standing up.

Various types of doctors can diagnose POTS, but our survey found that cardiologists most commonly diagnose the disease. We should note that a large percentage of respondents who selected “Other” indicated a neurologist diagnosed their condition.  Click here to read our detailed section of diagnosing POTS.

Challenges Faced by People Being Diagnosed with POTS

Unfortunately, individuals often face a number of barriers before and while being diagnosed with POTS. The reasons for this require further research. Nonetheless, it is currently far too difficult for patients with POTS to receive proper diagnosis and treatment.

For example, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome is often misdiagnosed by doctors’ as anxiety, panic attacks, depression, or some other psychological disorder. Of those surveyed, over 78% said it was suggested they suffered from a psychological not physical, disorder when being diagnosed.

There is no medical evidence that people with POTS are predisposed to anxiety or panic attacks. On the contrary, existing literature suggests individuals suffering from POTS are as likely or less likely to have a mental disorder than the average population.

Another notable finding in our survey is the amount of time patients can suffer from often debilitating symptoms before receiving proper treatment. Nearly half stated it took more than 2 years to receive a diagnosis.

While we don’t know the reason it’s so difficult for patients to receive proper treatment for POTS, we can conclusively say that it’s not because these patients aren’t trying to understand the cause of their symptoms.

Making this worse – and as is the case with nearly any medical issue – receiving a proper diagnosis is key to improving POTS patients’ quality of life.

Treatment of POTS

There are three primary treatments for primary POTS; diet, exercise, and medication. Diets that are high in sodium and low in gluten have proven to be effective in some patients. (You can find more on the best POTS diet here .) It’s also important that those suffering from POTS exclude certain items from their diet, which you can read more about here . Exercise has also been proven to help patients address some of the symptoms they experience. You can read more about how exercise helps in this section . Finally, several medications –  and combinations of medications – can help to relieve POTS. Click here to read our in-depth section about treatments and specific medications used for POTS .

The Most Effective Treatment?

In our survey, we asked patients what  they found  to be the most effective treatment for POTS  in their experience . Over 53% indicated medication(s) were most helpful, followed by diet (11.1%) and exercise (10.5%). (“Other” was the second most common response, with over 25%. We hope to learn more about these treatments by working with the POTS community in the future.) As physicians, we don’t feel comfortable endorsing medication as the single best treatment, because there’s so much variation from patient to patient. The best course of action is to work with your doctor to find a treatment plan that works for you. You can find scientifically-supported treatments and the corresponding literature in our section detailing POTS treatments.

• Types of POTS

We cover the types of POTS in more detail here. In summary, POTS is divided into a few types – neuropathic and hyperadrenergic. Neuropathic POTS relates to a disorder in the nerves that prevent blood from being pushed back up to the heart from the legs. Hyperandrenergic POTS is related to high levels of norepinephrine as the source of the symptoms. Furthermore, the disease can be classified as Secondary POTS. In this classification, the dysautonomia is a result of another condition or disease in the body. Click here to find a more detailed explanation of the types of POTS.

What Causes POTS?

POTS is a very complex disease that can have many causes. Generally speaking, causes of POTS are broken down into two sections: primary causes and secondary causes. Primary causes of POTS are often the source of the disease for younger patients. Some of the primary cause agents of POTS include nitric oxide, neuropathy, physical deconditioning, and various viruses. Secondary causes of POTS are when another disease or condition cause the disease. Some examples of secondary causes include:

• Adrenal Disorders
• Ehlers-Danlos
• Lyme Disease
• and many others

Read this section on “Causes of POTS” for a much more comprehensive list of causes along with supporting medical literature of each.

A Call For Awareness & Understanding

Some estimate that roughly 500,000 people in America suffer from POTS; however, with the difficulty associated with receiving a diagnosis there’s no telling how many patients have POTS and don’t even know it. While we don’t have any short-term or easy solutions for these problems or homeopathic cures to provide, there are a few points worth making.

It’s fair to conclude that increasing awareness about this mysterious disease – not just among those who have POTS but among their friends, family members, and loved ones – helps the patients manage their condition and, perhaps more importantly, believe they can overcome a challenging condition.

It’s this statistic that motivated us to create the POTS Center. We’d encourage you to share this resource – or if not this resource, any medically accurate and helpful resource on POTS – with anyone you see fit. You never know who may have POTS but, due to challenges mentioned above, never got the diagnosis that could help them regain control over their life.

About the Survey

The survey was conducted via Facebook Groups dedicated to POTS Syndrome. We asked that only people with an official diagnosis take part; however, no additional efforts were made to “proof an official diagnosis”. Thank you so much to all of those that participated!

References & Resources

Review articles.

Adolescent fatigue, POTS, and recovery: a guide for clinicians . Kizilbash et al. A comprehensive review of POTS, mainly written for clinicians, excellently written.

Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) . Raj. An excellent review article on POTS in a highly reputable journal.

Postural tachycardia syndrome: a heterogeneous and multifactorial disorder. Benarroch et al. A review article on POTS.

Areas of the POTS Center

• Symptoms & Signs
• Diagnosis & Testing
• Best POTS Diet
• Things to Avoid
• Sleeping Problems
• Staying Hydrated
• Frustrations & Hope
• POTS Syndrome Dictionary

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