background preloader

Spleen

Spleen
The spleen synthesizes antibodies in its white pulp and removes antibody-coated bacteria and antibody-coated blood cells by way of blood and lymph node circulation. A study published in 2009 using mice found that the spleen contains, in its reserve, half of the body's monocytes within the red pulp.[5] These monocytes, upon moving to injured tissue (such as the heart), turn into dendritic cells and macrophages while promoting tissue healing.[5][6][7] The spleen is a center of activity of the mononuclear phagocyte system and can be considered analogous to a large lymph node, as its absence causes a predisposition to certain infections.[8] In humans, the spleen is brownish in color and is located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen.[4][9] Structure[edit] The spleen, in healthy adult humans, is approximately 7 centimetres (2.8 in) to 14 centimetres (5.5 in) in length. Surfaces[edit] Visceral surface of the spleen Like the thymus, the spleen possesses only efferent lymphatic vessels. Related:  eem

Symbols in books of alchemy Sources: Wd1426, Wd1421A, Wv149, Ws2541A Wd1426, a book of alchemical recipes, has caused us to add some additional symbols to our inventory of character entities: signs for substances antimony and sal armoniac; the elements fire and water; and the syllabics "subli-" and "precipi-" (found in sublimate, precipitate, etc.). We've also gone ahead and added the elemental symbol for earth, on the assumption that it will eventually appear in our books as well. Addendum, June 2002: Wd1421A employs the same set of symbols. Addendum, February 2003: Wv149 adds symbols for sulphur, oil, and ? Addendum, December 2003: added two symbols found in a strange non-chemical book Ws2541A, viz. salt and saltpetre Addendum, August 2007: added many symbols found in WN241 (img 195 for convenient table), and had also earlier been mostly found in another book (unidentified...) Addendum, Sept 2011: added some symbols from a chart of abbreviations from WB1088 Some sample transcriptions Alchemical signs Elements Metals

Stomach Digestive organ In humans and many other animals, the stomach is located between the oesophagus and the small intestine. The stomach secretes digestive enzymes and gastric acid to aid in food digestion. The pyloric sphincter controls the passage of partially digested food (chyme) from the stomach into the duodenum, where peristalsis takes over to move this through the rest of intestines. Structure[edit] Because it is a distensible organ, it normally expands to hold about one litre of food.[3] The stomach of a newborn human baby will only be able to retain about 30 millilitres. Sections[edit] In classical anatomy the human stomach is divided into four sections, beginning at the cardia.[7] The cardia is defined as the region following the "z-line" of the gastroesophageal junction, the point at which the epithelium changes from stratified squamous to columnar. Anatomical proximity[edit] Blood supply[edit] Microanatomy[edit] Wall[edit] The gastrointestinal wall of the human stomach. Glands[edit]

9-2 (2003): Visualization in Medieval Alchemy Barbara Obrist* Abstract: This paper explores major trends in visualization of medieval theories of natural and artificial transformation of substances in relation to their philosophical and theological bases. The function of pictorial forms is analyzed in terms of the prevailing conceptions of science and methods of transmitting knowledge. 1. Visualization in medieval alchemy is a relatively late phenomenon. The notion of visualization includes a large spectrum of possible pictorial forms, both verbal and non-verbal. Figure 1: Venise, Biblioteca nazionale Marciana, ms. gr. 299, fol. 188v (tenth to eleventh century). Figure 2: Nürnberg, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, ms. 80 061, p. 158 (ca 1420). Whether they are composed of words or of lines, the basic forms of diagrammatic figures of alchemical documents are rectangular and circular. 2. (3) The relation between nature and art was conceived in Aristotelian terms of mimesis: art imitates and completes but never replaces nature. 3. 4. 5.

Swim bladder Gas-filled organ that contributes to the ability of a fish to control its buoyancy The swim bladder of a rudd Internal positioning of the swim bladder of a bleakS: anterior, S': posterior portion of the air bladderœ: œsophagus; l: air passage of the air bladder In the embryonic stages, some species, such as redlip blenny,[4] have lost the swim bladder again, mostly bottom dwellers like the weather fish. The gas/tissue interface at the swim bladder produces a strong reflection of sound, which is used in sonar equipment to find fish. Structure and function[edit] Swim bladder from a bony (teleost) fish The combination of gases in the bladder varies. Physoclist swim bladders have one important disadvantage: they prohibit fast rising, as the bladder would burst. Evolution[edit] Charles Darwin, 1859[3] Sonar reflectivity[edit] The swim bladder of a fish can strongly reflect sound of an appropriate frequency. Deep scattering layer[edit] Human uses[edit] Swim bladder disease[edit] Risk of injury[edit]

Creative Destruction: Think like a Forest! The phrase “creative destruction” has become a common one as economies and nations struggle to adjust in the aftermath of the Crash of ’08. It was Joseph Schumpeter who coined the expression to describe the workings of capitalism, and citations of the maverick economist seem to have soared in recent years. Schumpeter himself has been called a “living contradiction”, oscillating as he did between the twin poles of political economy – history and theory. In the early years of the 20th Century, a great battle was fought between the two. Schumpeter never came up with a theoretical framework to support his heterodox views. Turn to Nature In this guest blog the writer David K Hurst explores how creative destruction in business can be inspired by nature. Nature supplies an answer. It all begins at the extreme left in an “open patch,” a space in the ecosystem that provides equal access to sun and rain. In this idealized forest succession the softwood trees are succeeded by the hardwood trees.

Thymus Endocrine gland The thymus (pl.: thymuses or thymi) is a specialized primary lymphoid organ of the immune system. Within the thymus, thymus cell lymphocytes or T cells mature. T cells are critical to the adaptive immune system, where the body adapts to specific foreign invaders. The thymus is located in the upper front part of the chest, in the anterior superior mediastinum, behind the sternum, and in front of the heart. The thymus is made up of immature T cells called thymocytes, as well as lining cells called epithelial cells which help the thymocytes develop. Abnormalities of the thymus can result in a decreased number of T cells and autoimmune diseases such as autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 and myasthenia gravis. Structure[edit] Microanatomy[edit] Micrograph showing a lobule of the thymus. Blood and nerve supply[edit] Lymphatic vessels travel only away from the thymus, accompanying the arteries and veins. Variation[edit] Development[edit] Involution[edit] Function[edit]

Hollow Earth Hypothesis - Subterranean Civilizations - Agartha Hollow Earth Hypothesis As science and science fiction merge, we unravel the ancient mysteries of the human experience. If indeed entities exist beneath the surface of the planet, they would not live in molten rock but in space ships. Hollow Earth Theories always propose a central sun, aliens, and mythical subterranean cities and civilizations that some believe could link science and pseudoscience if physically discovered. According to the Hollow Earth Hypothesis, planet Earth is either wholly hollow or otherwise contains a substantial interior space. The concept of a hollow Earth still recurs in folklore and as the premise for a sub-genre of adventure fiction. Underground civilizations link with the 'Hollow Earth Theory'. Conventional Hollow Earth Theories Early History 19th century Jeremiah Reynolds also delivered lectures on the "Hollow Earth" and argued for an expedition. Though Symmes himself never wrote a book about his ideas, several authors published works discussing his ideas.

Urinary bladder Organ in humans and vertebrates that collects and stores urine from the kidneys before disposal The bladder is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the kidneys before disposal by urination. In humans the bladder is a distensible organ that sits on the pelvic floor. Urine enters the bladder via the ureters and exits via the urethra. The Latin phrase for "urinary bladder" is vesica urinaria, and the term vesical or prefix vesico - appear in connection with associated structures such as vesical veins. Structure[edit] In humans, the bladder is a hollow muscular organ situated at the base of the pelvis. The bladder has three openings. The walls of the bladder have a series of ridges, thick mucosal folds known as rugae that allow for the expansion of the bladder. Nearby structures[edit] In males, the prostate gland lies outside the opening for the urethra. The bladder is located below the peritoneal cavity near the pelvic floor and behind the pubic symphysis.

Related: