Renta, Oscar de la See Oscar de la Renta
Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
See Community of Christ
reovirus \ l re-o-'vl-ros\ Any of a small group of animal and plant viRUSes that appear spheroidal and contain a core of RNA. Among the best-known
Renan, detail of an oil painting by Leon Bonnat, 1892; in the Musee Renan, Treguier, Fr.
ARCHIVES PHOTOGRAPHIQUES
Jean Renoir
GLOBE PHOTOS
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
1608 i reparations ► Republican Party
genera are Orthoreovirus, Orbivirus, Rotavirus, and Phytoreovirus. The first three infect animals; the last can destroy rice, corn, and other crops.
reparations Payment in money or materials by a nation defeated in war. After World War I, reparations to the Allied Powers were required of Germany by the Treaty of Versailles. The original amount of $33 billion was later reduced by the Dawes Plan and the Young Plan and was can¬ celed after 1933. In the 1920s German resentment over reparations was used by ultranationalists to foment political unrest.
repertory theatre Production of several different plays in a single season by a resident acting company. The plays chosen may be classic works by famous dramatists or new works by emerging playwrights, and the companies that perform them often serve as a training ground for young actors. In Britain the practice, intended to make high-quality the¬ atre available throughout the country, began in the early 20th century. Repertory companies, or stock companies, originally presented a differ¬ ent play each night of the week while preparing and rehearsing new plays. The system evolved to the current practice of presenting a series of short, continuous runs of each play.
Repin \'rya-pyin,\ English \'ra-pin\, Ilya (Yefimovich) (b. Aug. 5, 1844, Chuguyev, Russia—d. Sept. 29, 1930, Kuokkala, Fin.) Russian painter. After training with a provincial icon painter and at the St. Peters¬ burg Academy of Fine Arts, he visited France and Italy on an academy scholarship. On his return he began painting subjects from Russian his¬ tory. In 1873 he achieved international fame with Volga Boatmen, a grim, powerful image that became the model for Soviet Socialist Realism. Among his best-known works is Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan (1895), depict¬ ing Ivan’s murder of his son. He also painted vigorous portraits (includ¬ ing Leo Tolstoy and Modest Mussorgsky). In 1894 he became professor of historical painting at the St. Petersburg Academy.
replacement deposit In geology, a mineral deposit formed by chemi¬ cal processes that dissolve the original rock and deposit a new assem¬ blage of minerals in its place. See also metasomatic replacement.
representation In politics, a method or process of enabling a con¬ stituency to influence legislation and government policy through deputies chosen by it. The rationale of representative government is that in large modern countries the people cannot all assemble, as they did in the mar¬ ketplace of democratic Athens. If the public is to participate in govern¬ ment, citizens must select a small number from among themselves to act for them. Political parties have come to act as intermediaries between citizens and their representatives by helping to formulate systematically citizens’ demands. Arguments persist about the proper role of represen¬ tatives; some theories suggest that they should act as delegates carrying out the instructions of the public, whereas others argue that they should serve as free agents, acting in accordance with their best ability and under¬ standing. See also proportional representation.
Representation of the People Acts (1918, 1928) Parliamentary wm acts that expanded suffrage in Britain. The act of 1918 gave the vote to
■ all men over 21 and all women over 30, which tripled the electorate. The
act of 1928 extended the franchise to women aged 21-30. The acts con- wm tinued the voting reforms begun by the Reform Bills (see Reform Bill of
9 1832, Reform Bill of 1867, Reform Bill of 1884-85).
representationalism Theory of knowledge based on the assertion that the mind perceives only mental representations of material objects outside the mind, not the objects themselves. The validity of human knowledge is thus called into question because of the need to show that such images accurately correspond to the external objects. The doctrine, still current in certain philosophical circles, has roots in Cartesianism, the empiricism of John Locke and David Hume, and the idealism of Immanuel Kant.
repression In metabolism, a control mechanism by which a protein molecule, called a repressor, prevents the synthesis of an enzyme by bind¬ ing to (and thus hindering the action of) the DNA that controls the enzyme’s synthesis. Though the process has been studied mainly in micro¬ organisms, it is believed to occur in a similar way in higher organisms. See also inhibition.
repression In psychoanalytic theory, the exclusion of distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings from the conscious mind. Often involv¬ ing sexual or aggressive urges or painful childhood memories, these unwanted mental contents are pushed into the unconscious mind. Repres¬ sion is thought to give rise to anxiety and to neurotic symptoms, which
begin when a forbidden drive or impulse threatens to enter the conscious mind. Psychoanalysis seeks to uncover repressed memories and feelings through free association as well as to examine the repressed wishes released in dreams. See also unconscious.
reproduction Process by which organisms replicate themselves, assur¬ ing continuation of their species. The two basic forms are asexual and sexual. Asexual reproduction (e.g., fission, spore formation, regeneration, and vegetative reproduction) produces an offspring genetically identical to its single parent. Sexual reproduction produces a new individual through the union of special sex cells (gametes), usually from different parents. Gametes result from meiosis. Gamete union results in a zygote, the first cell of a new organism. Sexual reproduction ensures that each offspring is genetically unique (except in cases of multiple offspring derived from divisions of one zygote). Most animals, including all ver¬ tebrates, reproduce sexually.
reproductive behaviour In animals, any activity directed toward perpetuation of a species. Sexual reproduction, the most common mode, occurs when a female’s egg is fertilized by a male’s sperm. The resulting unique combination of genes produces genetic variety that contributes to a species’ adaptability. The stages of approach, identification, and copu¬ lation are well developed to avoid predators and the wastage of eggs and sperm. Most one-celled and some more-complex organisms reproduce asexually. See also courtship behaviour.
reproductive system, human Organ system by which humans reproduce. In females, the ovaries sit near the openings of the fallopian tubes, which carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus. The cervix extends from the lower end of the uterus into the vagina, whose opening, as well as that of the urethra (see urinary system), is covered by four folds of skin (the labia); the clitoris, a small erectile organ, is located where the labia join in front. The activity of the ovaries and uterus goes through a monthly cycle of changes (see menstruation) throughout the reproductive years except during pregnancy and nursing. In males, the testes lie in a sac of skin (the scrotum). A long duct (the vas deferens) leads from each testis and carries sperm to the ejaculatory ducts in the prostate gland; these join the urethra, which continues through the penis. In the urethra, sperm mixes with secretions from the seminal vesicles, prostate gland, and Cowper gland to form semen. In early embryos, the reproductive systems are unde¬ termined. By birth the organs appropriate to each sex have typically devel¬ oped but are not functioning. They continue to grow, and at puberty their activity increases and maturation occurs, enabling sexual reproduction. See illustration on opposite page.