Biology Reference Libraries
The pancreas is a digestive and an endocrine organ with both endocrine and exocrine functions. It is about six inches long located in the upper portion of the abdominal cavity. The head of the pancreas lies within the indentation of the duodenum and is connected to it by the pancreatic duct. The uncinate process extends from the head and the neck connects to the body of the pancreas, which lies...
The lung is a vital organ that is a part of the respiratory system. Generally a person has two lungs; however, the body can function with only one. The lung’s main function is to move oxygen and carbon dioxide into and out of the bloodstream through gas exchange. The lungs are located lateral to the heart in the thoracic cavity. Each lung has a tip called the apex, which is superior in the...
Electrooculography, sometimes shortened to EOG, is the tracing of electricity used for operation of the retina in different phases, specifically the resting potential. The results are recorded on an electrooculogram. These are interpreted for opthalmological diagnosis and in recording eye movements. Eye movement measurements: Usually, pairs of electrodes are placed either above and below the...
Taking a patient's temperature is an initial part of a full clinical examination. The moment the medical provider comes within inches of the patient’s skin, they can tell if there is a change in the patient’s temperature. Heat radiates from a febrile patient, skin becomes clammy when cardiac output is reduced, and cold skin can be an ominous sign when combined with other negative findings....
Commonly known as the Eurasian cave lion or the European cave lion, Panthera leo spelaea is an extinct subspecies of lion. It is thought to have lived during the Pleistocene epoch, and may have lived in the Balkans in southeastern Europe until 2,000 years ago. The range of this cave lion would have included northwestern North America, Asia, and areas of Europe and would have extended from...
The ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) is a true seal within the family Phocidae that can be found in the North Pacific Sea. It prefers a habitat in arctic and subarctic areas like the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea. As is typical to seal species, it will leave the water during the winter and spring months, where it will remain on pack ice to breed, birth pups, and molt. For the rest of the...
The Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) is a species that can be found in the northern Pacific. It is also known as Steller's sea lion or the northern sea lion and is the only member of its genus, Eumetopias. Its range stretches from Gulf of Alaska to the Sea of Okhotsk and the Kuril Islands in Russia. Its southern range includes Año Nuevo Island near California. Although it once bred as far...
The ring-tailed cat (Bassariscus astutus), also known as the ringtail cat or the marv cat, is a species within the raccoon family, Procyonidae, and is native to North America. Its range includes California, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, Utah, eastern Kansas, and central and northern Mexico. Its range includes the Great Basin Desert, and it intersects with the range of B. sumichrasti in Veracruz,...
The Galápagos fur seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis) is native to the Galápagos Islands. It is thought that there is one colony in northern Peru. This species prefers a habitat on the western ends of the islands with rocky shores. It is the smallest member of its family, with males reaching an average body length of nearly five feet and females reaching a body length nearly four feet. Males...
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), also known as the panda, is a species of bear that is native to southwestern and central western areas of China. Its range includes mountain ranges located primarily in Sichuan province, but pandas can also be found in the Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It once preferred a habitat within lowland areas, but human encroachment has driven the giant panda...
