[neilep (OP)]

Compass
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


A compass, (or mariner compass) is a navigational instrument for finding directions on the Earth. It consists of a magnetized pointer free to align itself accurately with Earth's magnetic field, which is of great assistance in navigation. The face of the compass generally highlights the cardinal points of north, south, east and west. A compass can be used (to calculate heading) in conjunction with a marine chronometer (to calculate longitude) and a sextant (to calculate latitude) to provide a somewhat accurate navigation capability. This device greatly improved maritime trade by making travel safer and more efficient.


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A Compass relaxing earlier today !

[rosalind dna]

Crystallography (from the Greek words crystallon = cold drop / frozen drop, with its meaning extending to all solids with some degree of transparency, and graphein = write) is the experimental science of determining the arrangement of atoms in solids. In older usage, it is the scientific study of crystals.

Before the development of X-ray diffraction crystallography (see below), the study of crystals was based on the geometry of the crystals. This involves measuring the angles of crystal faces relative to theoretical reference axes (crystallographic axes), and establishing the symmetry of the crystal in question. The former is carried out using a goniometer. The position in 3D space of each crystal face is plotted on a stereographic net, e.g. Wulff net or Lambert net. In fact, the pole to each face is plotted on the net. Each point is labelled with its Miller index. The final plot allows the symmetry of the crystal to be established.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystallography



This special lady, Rosalind Frankin used Crystallography in the
discovery of the Single DNA Helix structure and it's form of X-Ray's too. I couldn't resist doing this. I hope you don't mind too much.

[neilep (OP)]

Diode
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


In electronics, a diode is a two-terminal device (except that thermionic diodes may also have one or two ancillary terminals for a heater). Diodes have two active electrodes between which the signal of interest may flow, and most are used for their unidirectional current property. The varicap diode is used as an electrically adjustable capacitor.

The directionality of current flow most diodes exhibit is sometimes generically called the rectifying property. The most common function of a diode is to allow an electric current to pass in one direction (called the forward biased condition) and to block it in the opposite direction (the reverse biased condition). Thus, the diode can be thought of as an electronic version of a check valve. Real diodes do not display such a perfect on-off directionality but have a more complex non-linear electrical characteristic, which depends on the particular type of diode technology. Diodes also have many other functions in which they are not designed to operate in this on-off manner.

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[Karen W.]

EXOSPHERE = THE OUTER PORTION OF THE EARTHS ATMOSPHERE

CHECK OUT THIS LINK....SCROLL TO BOTTOM AND WATCH THE ANIMATION....

http://www.astro.umd.edu/~rkillen/

[Simulated]

F2 Layer

Main Entry:F2 layer
Pronunciation:*ef-*t*-
Function:noun
Date:1933

 : the upper of the two layers into which the F region of the ionosphere splits in the daytime at varying heights from about 120 miles (200 kilometers) to more than 300 miles (500 kilometers) above the earth

[Simulated]

G2 Phase

Main Entry:G2 phase
Pronunciation:*j*-*t*-
Function:noun
Etymology:growth
Date:1968

 : the period in the cell cycle from the completion of DNA replication to the beginning of cell division   compare G1 PHASE, M PHASE, S PHASE

[neilep (OP)]

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST; also known colloquially as "the Hubble" or just "Hubble") is a space telescope that was carried into Earth orbit by the Space Shuttle in April 1990. It is named for American astronomer Edwin Hubble. Although Hubble was not the first space telescope, it is one of the largest and most versatile, and well known as both a vital research tool and a public relations boon for astronomy. The HST is a collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency, and is part of NASA's Great Observatories series, with the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Spitzer Space Telescope.[3]

Space telescopes were proposed as early as the 1940s. The Hubble was funded in the 1970s, with a proposed launch in 1983, but the project was beset by technical delays, budget problems, and the Challenger disaster. When finally launched in 1990, scientists found that the main mirror had been ground incorrectly, severely compromising the telescope's capabilities. However, after a servicing mission in 1993, the telescope was restored to its intended quality. Hubble's position outside the Earth's atmosphere allows it to take extremely sharp images with almost no background light. Hubble's Ultra Deep Field image, for instance, is the most detailed visible-light image of the universe's most distant objects ever made. Many Hubble observations have led to breakthroughs in astrophysics, such as accurately determining the rate of expansion of the universe.

The Hubble is the only telescope ever designed to be serviced in space by astronauts. To date, there have been four servicing missions. Servicing Mission 1 took place in December 1993 when Hubble's imaging flaw was corrected. Servicing missions 2, 3, and 4 repaired various sub-systems and replaced many of the observing instruments with more modern and capable versions. However, following the 2003 Columbia Space Shuttle disaster, the fifth servicing mission was canceled on safety grounds. After spirited public discussion, NASA reconsidered this decision, and administrator Mike Griffin gave the green light for one final Hubble servicing mission. This is now planned for August 2008.

The planned repairs to the Hubble will allow the telescope to function until at least 2013, when its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), is due to be launched. The JWST will be far superior to Hubble for many astronomical research programs, but will only observe in infrared, so it would complement (not replace) Hubble's ability to observe in the visible and ultraviolet parts of the spectrum.

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[neilep (OP)]

Iodine is a chemical element that has the symbol I and atomic number 53. Naturally-occurring iodine is a single isotope with 74 neutrons.

Chemically, iodine is the least reactive of the halogens, and the most electropositive halogen after astatine. However, the element does not occur in the free state in nature. As with all other halogens (members of Group VII in the Periodic Table), when freed from its compounds iodine forms diatomic molecules (I2).

Iodine and its compounds are primarily used in medicine, photography and in dyes. Although it is rare in the solar system and Earth's crust, the iodides are very soluble in water, and the element is concentrated in seawater. This mechanism helps to explain how the element came to be required in trace amounts by all animals and some plants, being by far the heaviest element known to be necessary to living organisms.


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Some Iodine having a day out yesterday !

[rosalind dna]

Jaundice

Jaundice, also known as icterus (attributive adjective: "icteric"), is yellowish discoloration of the skin, sclera (whites of the eyes) and mucous membranes caused by hyperbilirubinemia (increased levels of bilirubin in the blood). This hyperbilirubinemia subsequently causes increased levels of bilirubin in the extracellular fluids. Typically, the concentration of bilirubin in the plasma must exceed 1.5 mg/dL[1], three times the usual value of approximately 0.5mg/dL[1], for the coloration to be easily visible. Jaundice comes from the French word jaune, meaning yellow.

Contents
1 Normal Physiology
1.1 Pre-Hepatic events
1.2 Hepatic events
1.3 Post Hepatic events
2 Causes
2.1 Pre-hepatic
2.2 Hepatic
2.3 Post-hepatic
3 Laboratory Results
3.1 Laboratory Tests
4 Neonatal jaundice
5 Jaundiced eye
6 External links
7 See also
8 Footnotes
 

Normal Physiology
In order to understand how jaundice results, it is important to understand where the pathological processes that cause jaundice take their effect. It is also important to further recognize that jaundice itself is not a disease, but rather a symptom of an underlying pathological process that occurs at some point along the normal physiological pathway of the metabolism of bilirubin.

Pre-Hepatic events
When red blood cells have completed their life span of approximately 120 days, their membranes become fragile and prone to rupture. As the cell traverses through the reticuloendothelial system, their cell membranes rupture and the contents of the red blood cell is released into the blood. The component of the red blood cell that is involved in jaundice is hemoglobin. The hemoglobin released into the blood is phagocytosed by macrophages, and split into its heme and globin portions. The globin portion, being protein, is degraded into amino acids and plays no further role in jaundice. Two reactions then take place to the heme molecule. The first reaction is the oxidation of heme to form biliverdin.This reaction is catalyzed by microsomal enzyme heme oxygenase and it results in biliverdin (green color pigment), iron and carbon monoxide. Next step is reduction of biliverdin to yellow color tetrapyrol pigment bilirubin by cytosolic enzyme biliverdin reductase. This bilirubin is known as "unconjugated", "free" or "indirect" bilirubin. Approximately 4 mg per kg of bilirubin is produced each day.[2] The majority of this bilirubin comes from the breakdown of heme from expired red blood cells in the process just described. However approximately 20 per cent comes from other heme sources, including ineffective erythropoiesis, breakdown of other heme protrins such as muscle myoglobin and cytochrome enzymes.

Hepatic events
The unconjugated bilirubin then travels to the liver through the bloodstream. Because this bilirubin is not soluble, however, it is transported through the blood bound to serum albumin. Once it arrives at the liver, it is conjugated with glucuronic acid (to form bilirubin diglucuronide, or just "conjugated bilirubin") to become more water soluble. The reaction is catalyzed by the enzyme UDP-glucuronide transferase.

Post Hepatic events
This conjugated bilirubin is excreted from the liver into the biliary and cystic ducts as part of bile. Intestinal bacteria convert the bilirubin into urobilinogen. From here the urobilinogen can take two pathways. It can either be further converted into stercobilinogen, which is then oxidized to stercobilin and passed out in the faeces, or it can be reabsorbed by the intestinal cells, transported in the blood to the kidneys, and passed out in the urine as the oxidised product urobilin. Stercobilin and urobilin are the products responsible for the coloration of faeces and urine, respectively.

Causes
When a pathological process interferes with the normal functioning of the metabolism and excretion of bilirubin just described, jaundice may be the result. Jaundice is classified into three categories, depending on which part of the physiological mechanism the pathology affects. The three categories are:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaundice

[neilep (OP)]

K-theory


In mathematics, K-theory is a tool used in several disciplines. In algebraic topology, it is an extraordinary cohomology theory known as topological K-theory. In algebra and algebraic geometry, it is referred to as algebraic K-theory. It also has some applications in operator algebras. It leads to the construction of families of K-functors, which contain useful but often hard-to-compute information.

In physics, K-theory and in particular twisted K-theory have appeared in Type II string theory where it has been conjectured that they classify D-branes, Ramond-Ramond field strengths and also certain spinors on generalized complex manifolds. For details, see also K-theory (physics).


Guess what....I don't understand a single thing in the above paragraphs !! []

[Karen W.]

LOL.. Me neither! Hee hee!

Lithium
From Wikipedia

Lithium (pronounced /ˈlɪθiəm/) is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft alkali metal with a silver-white color. Under standard conditions, it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly reactive, corroding quickly in moist air to form a black tarnish. For this reason, lithium metal is typically stored under the cover of oil.

According to theory, lithium (mostly 7Li) was one of the few elements synthesized in the Big Bang, although its quantity has vastly decreased. The reasons for its disappearance and the processes by which new lithium is created continue to be important matters of study in astronomy. Lithium is the 33rd most abundant element on Earth, [1] but due to its high reactivity only appears naturally in the form of compounds. Lithium occurs in a number of pegmatitic minerals, but is also commonly obtained from brines and clays; on a commercial scale, lithium metal is isolated electrolytically from a mixture of lithium chloride and potassium chloride.

Trace amounts of lithium are present in the oceans and in some organisms, though the element serves no apparent biological function in humans. Nevertheless, the neurological effect of the lithium ion Li+ makes some lithium salts useful as a class of mood stabilizing drugs. Lithium and its compounds have several other commercial applications, including heat-resistant glass and ceramics, high strength-to-weight alloys used in aircraft, and lithium batteries. Lithium also has important links to nuclear physics: the splitting of lithium atoms was the first man-made form of a nuclear reaction, and lithium deuteride serves as the fusion fuel in staged thermonuclear weapons.

[neilep (OP)]

Maxwell, James Clerk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was a Scottish mathematician and theoretical physicist. His most significant achievement was the development of the classical electromagnetic theory, synthesizing all previous unrelated observations, experiments and equations of electricity, magnetism and even optics into a consistent theory.[1] His set of equations—Maxwell's equations—demonstrated that electricity, magnetism and even light are all manifestations of the same phenomenon: the electromagnetic field. From that moment on, all other classical laws or equations of these disciplines became simplified cases of Maxwell's equations. Maxwell's work in electromagnetism has been called the "second great unification in physics", after the first one carried out by Newton.

Maxwell demonstrated that electric and magnetic fields travel through space in the form of waves, and at the constant speed of light. Finally, in 1864 Maxwell wrote A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field where he first proposed that light was in fact undulations in the same medium that is the cause of electric and magnetic phenomena. His work in producing a unified model of electromagnetism is considered to be one of the greatest advances in physics.

Maxwell also developed the Maxwell distribution, a statistical means to describe aspects of the kinetic theory of gases. These two discoveries helped usher in the era of modern physics, laying the foundation for future work in such fields as special relativity and quantum mechanics. He is also known for creating the first true colour photograph in 1861.

Maxwell is considered by many physicists to be the most influential nineteenth century scientist on twentieth century physics. His contributions to the science are considered by many to be of the same magnitude as those of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. In 1931, on the centennial of Maxwell's birthday, Einstein himself described Maxwell's work as the "most profound and the most fruitful that physics has experienced since the time of Newton.

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[rosalind dna]

NADIR

From Wiki


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Diagram showing the relationship between the Zenith, the Nadir, and different types of Horizon. Note how the Nadir is opposite the Zenith.The nadir (from Arabic ندير nadeer نظير nathir, "opposite") is the astronomical term for the point directly below the observer, or more precisely, the point with an inclination of −90°. In simple terms, if you are standing on the Earth, it is the direction "down" toward your feet.




Geometrically, it is the point on the celestial sphere intersected by a line drawn from the observer's location on the Earth's surface through the center of the Earth. The point opposite the nadir is the zenith. Nadir also refers to a downward-facing viewing angle of an orbiting satellite[2], such as is employed during remote sensing of the atmosphere, as well as when an astronaut faces the Earth while performing an EVA.

The word is also used figuratively to mean the lowest point of a person's spirits. [

[neilep (OP)]

Ostrom, John
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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John H. Ostrom (February 18, 1928 – July 16, 2005) was an American paleontologist who revolutionized modern understanding of dinosaurs in the 1960s, when he demonstrated that dinosaurs are more like big non-flying birds than they are like lizards (or "saurians"), an idea first proposed by Thomas Henry Huxley in the 1860s, but which had garnered few supporters. The first of Ostrom's broad-based reviews of the osteology and phylogeny of the primitive bird Archaeopteryx appeared in 1976. His reaction to the eventual discovery of feathered dinosaurs in China, after years of acrimonious debate, was bittersweet (Gentile, 2000).

[neilep (OP)]

 Palmieri , Luigi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Luigi Palmieri (April 22, 1807 - September 9, 1896) was an Italian physicist and meteorologist.


He was born at Faicchio, Benevento, Italy. He died at Naples, Italy. Palmieri made observation of the eruptions on Mount Vesuvius. He also researched earthquakes and meteorological phenomena.

Palmieri received a degree in architecture from the University of Naples. In 1845, Palmieri was the professor of physics at the Royal Naval School at Naples. In 1847, Palmieri was the chair of physics at the university. In 1848, he began working at the Vesuvius Observatory. By 1854, Palmieri was the observatory director. Using a seismometer for the detection and measurement of ground tremors, Palmieri was able to detect very slight movements and to predict the eruption of volcanos.

Using a modified Peltier electrometer, he researched atmospheric electricity. He developed a modified Morse telegraph. He improved the anemomete and pluviometer.

[rosalind dna]

Quinine



Quinine (IPA: /ˈkwaɪnaɪn, kwɪˈniːn, ˈkwiːniːn/) is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic (fever-reducing), antimalarial, analgesic (painkilling), and anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste. It is a stereoisomer of quinidine.

Quinine was the first effective treatment for malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, appearing in therapeutics in the 17th century. It remained the antimalarial drug of choice until the 1940s, when other drugs took over. Since then, many effective antimalarials have been introduced, although quinine is still used to treat the disease in certain critical situations. Quinine is available with a prescription in the United States. Quinine is also used to treat nocturnal leg cramps and arthritis, and there have been attempts (with limited success) to treat prion diseases. It was once a popular heroin adulterant.


It was first brought to Europe by Jesuits and it was also used to cure King Louis XIV.
Chemical structure
Quinine contains two major fused-ring systems: The aromatic quinoline and the bicyclic quinuclidine.

Mechanism of action against P. falciparum
The drug acts by inhibiting the hemozoin biocrystallization, thus facilitating an aggregation of cytotoxic heme. Toxic free heme accumulates in the parasites, leading to their death.

History
Quinine was extracted from the bark of the South American cinchona tree and was isolated and named in 1817 by French researchers Pierre Joseph Pelletier and Joseph Bienaimé Caventou. The name was derived from the original Quechua (Inca) word for the cinchona tree bark, "Quina" or "Quina-Quina", which roughly means "bark of bark" or "holy bark". Prior to 1820, the bark was first dried, ground to a fine powder and then mixed into a liquid (commonly wine) which was then drunk.

Large scale use of quinine as a prophylaxis started around 1850, although it had been used in un-extracted form by Europeans since at least the early 1600s. Quinine was first used to treat malaria in Rome in 1631. During the 1600s, malaria was endemic to the swamps and marshes surrounding the city of Rome. Over time, malaria was responsible for the death of several Popes, many Cardinals and countless common citizens of Rome. Most of the priests trained in Rome had seen malaria victims and were familiar with the shivering brought on by the cold phase of the disease. In addition to its anti-malarial properties, quinine is an effective muscle relaxant, long used by the Quechua Indians of Peru to halt shivering brought on by cold temperatures. The Jesuit Brother Agostino Salumbrino (1561-1642), an apothecary by training and who lived in Lima, observed the Quechua using the quinine-containing bark of the cinchona tree for that purpose. While its effect in treating malaria (and hence malaria-induced shivering) was entirely unrelated to its effect in controlling shivering from cold, it was still the correct medicine for malaria. At the first opportunity, he sent a small quantity to Rome to test in treating malaria. In the years that followed, cinchona bark became one of the most valuable commodities shipped from Peru to Europe.

Quinine also played a significant role in the colonization of Africa by Europeans. As the harbinger of modern pharmacology, Quinine was the prime reason why Africa ceased to be known as the white man's grave. According to socialist historian Clifford Conner in "A People's History of Science", "It was quinine's efficacy that gave colonists fresh opportunities to swarm into the Gold Coast, Nigeria and other parts of west Africa..." (Conner pp 95-96 also cites Porter, "The Greatest Benefit to Mankind," pp. 465-466).

Synthetic quinine
Main article: quinine total synthesis
Cinchona trees remain the only practical source of quinine. However, under wartime pressure, research towards its artificial production was undertaken. A formal chemical synthesis was accomplished in 1944 by American chemists R.B. Woodward and W.E. Doering.[1] Since then, several more efficient quinine total syntheses have been achieved[2], but none of them can compete in economic terms with isolation of the alkaloid from natural


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinine

[neilep (OP)]

Rosalind Franklin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia




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Rosalind Elsie Franklin (25 July 1920 Notting Hill, London – 16 April 1958 Chelsea, London) was an English biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer who made very important contributions to the understanding of the fine structures of DNA, viruses, coal and graphite. Franklin is best known for her work on the X-ray diffraction images of DNA which were an important influence on Crick and Watson's 1953 hypothesis regarding the structure of DNA. When her work was published it also presented critical evidence in support of their hypothesis. Later she led pioneering work on the tobacco mosaic and polio viruses. She died in 1958 of bronchopneumonia, secondary carcinomatosis, and carcinoma of the ovary; her death certificate read: "A Research Scientist, Spinster, Daughter of Ellis Arthur Franklin, a Banker."

[Karen W.]

SPLIT PERSONALITY.... more commonly known these days as:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissociative_identity_disorder


Dissociative identity disorder
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Dissociative identity disorder
Classification and external resources
ICD-10    F44.8
ICD-9    300.14
MeSH    D009105

Dissociative Identity Disorder, as defined by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a condition in which a single person displays multiple distinct identities or personalities, each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment.[1] The diagnosis requires that at least two personalities routinely take control of the individual's behavior with an associated memory loss that goes beyond normal forgetfulness; in addition, symptoms cannot be due to substance abuse or medical condition. Earlier versions of the DSM named the condition multiple personality disorder (MPD) and the term is still used by the ICD-10. There is controversy around the existence, possible causes, appearance across cultures, and epidemiology of the condition.
Contents
[hide]

    * 1 Controversy
    * 2 Classification
    * 3 Signs and symptoms
    * 4 Causes
    * 5 Pathophysiology
    * 6 Diagnosis
    * 7 Screening
    * 8 Treatment
    * 9 Prognosis
    * 10 Epidemiology
    * 11 History
    * 12 Cultural references
    * 13 See also
    * 14 Notes
    * 15 Further reading
    * 16 External links

 Controversy;

    Main article: Multiple personality controversy

DID is a controversial diagnosis and condition, with much of the literature on DID being generated and published in North America, to the extent that it was regarded as a phenomenon confined to that continent.[2][3][4] Even within North American psychiatrists, there is a lack of consensus regarding the validity of DID,[5][6] with some researchers considering it a culture bound, iatrogenic condition[4][7] though this idea is neither confirmed nor has been accepted by many researchers in the field. [8][9][10][11][12][13] The DSM is explicit about the controversy over the condition, identifying both the objective evidence of physical and sexual abuse in the history of individuals diagnosed with DID and that individuals accused of abuse are motivated to deny or distort past actions, but also points out that childhood memories may be distorted, and that individuals with DID are highly hypnotizable and unusually vulnerable to suggestion.[1] Practitioners who accept DID as a valid disorder have produced an extensive amount of literature, and research originating outside North America has appeared in recent years that documents the epidemiology of the condition in a far greater variety of countries and cultures. Scientific interest in DID peaked in the mid 1990s, then sharply declined, and may now not have widespread scientific acceptance.[14]


Some believe that DID should be re-classified as a trauma disorder.[15]

[edit] Signs and symptoms

Individuals with DID demonstrate a variety of symptoms with wide fluctuations across time; functioning can vary from severe impairment in daily functioning to normal or high abilities. Symptoms can include:[16]

    * multiple mannerisms, attitudes and beliefs that are dissimilar to each other
    * headaches and other body pains
    * distortion or loss of subjective time
    * depersonalization
    * amnesia
    * depression

Patients may experience an extremely broad array of other symptoms that resemble epilepsy, schizophrenia, anxiety, Mood disorders, posttraumatic stress, personality, and eating disorders, with frequent misdiagnoses and ineffective treatment.[16] Patients may experience auditory hallucinations of the various alters conversing, and may be misdiagnosed as psychotic as a result. Changes in identity, loss of memory, and awaking in unexplained locations and situations often leads to chaotic personal lives.[16]

[neilep (OP)]

Traeger,Alfred Hermann OBE (August 2, 1895 – July 31, 1980) was an Australian inventor, chiefly known for the development of the pedal radio.

Traeger was born in Victoria, and raised near Adelaide, South Australia.

He was instrumental in the establishment and early success of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. Traeger had an interest in radio for much of his life. During the 1920s, he was contacted by Rev John Flynn to assist in experiments which were to enable remote families access to medical treatment by using radio equipment. Since much of remote Australia had no access to electricity, the initial problem was how to provide reliable power to a radio. Traeger consequently developed a pedal generator to power a morse code wireless set.

He made subsequent refinements to this system. A keyboard was developed which enabled unskilled operators to type their message in plain language and have it transmitted in morse. He later developed a voice-capable transceiver.

Due to the success of these inventions, the Traeger Transceivers company was founded, and radios were exported to a number of countries. Traeger was awarded an OBE in 1944.

[neilep (OP)]

Uziel Gal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



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Uziel "Uzi" Gal (Hebrew: עוזיאל "עוזי" גל), born Gotthard Glass (December 15, 1923–September 7, 2002), was a German-born- Israeli gun designer best remembered as the designer and namesake of the Uzi submachine gun.

Gal was born in Weimar, Germany. When the Nazis came to power in 1933 he moved first to England and later, in 1936, to Kibbutz Yagur in the British Mandate of Palestine. In 1943 he was arrested for illegally carrying a gun and sentenced to six years in prison. However he was pardoned and released in 1946, serving less than half of his sentence.

Gal began designing the Uzi submachine gun in 1948, shortly after the Israel War of Independence. In 1951 it was officially adopted by the Israeli Defense Force and was called the Uzi after its creator. Gal did not want the weapon to be named after him but his request was ignored. In 1955 he was decorated with Tzalash HaRamatkal and in 1958, Gal was the first person to receive the Israel Security Award, presented to him by Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion for his work on the Uzi.

In 1975 Gal retired from the IDF, and the next year he moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, so that his daughter Tamar, who had serious brain damage, could receive special medical attention.

Gal continued his work as a firearms designer until his death from cancer in 2002.