All Specimen View

The biting louse is an ectoparasite of birds and sometimes also mammals. Unlike ticks, lice are able to chew and survive on skin fragments, skin secretions, feathers, and hair instead of blood. Some species do feed on blood but it is mostly from existing wounds. Biting lice rarely have a significant adverse effect on their hosts directly, but can cause skin irritation and scratching. This can lead to open wounds on the host that can get infected.

Butterfly wings are made of two membranes that get their nourishment and structural support from tubular veins. The veins also allow the butterfly to “breathe” by helping with oxygen exchange. Scales made out of chitin cover the wings, giving them their characteristic colors and patterns.

Clematis is a flowering plant that is native to China and Japan. Sometimes, this plant is referred to as “Old Man’s Beard” because of the long fluffy seed heads that look like an old man’s beard. All parts of the plant are toxic, but the flexible nature of the vines makes them perfect for making wreaths

The coprinus mushroom is commonly referred to as the Shaggy Inkcap or the Lawyer’s Wig. The “ink” is produced by liquefying the gills for better spore distribution. This liquefaction causes the cap to turn upward when the spores have matured so they are better positioned to be caught by the wind.

This small, hose like tube connects the mouth and the stomach via the neck. The dog’s esophagus passes near the heart and through the diaphragm muscle before it enters the stomach. The walls of the esophagus are composed of muscles that move in wave-like constrictions to transport food from the mouth to the stomach.

The gestation period for dogs is roughly 58 to 65 days, or eight to nine weeks. Around week four, the spinal cord is developing and facial features are beginning to grow. By the fifth week, the fetuses start to look like puppies and the leg buds lengthen and develop toes. This is usually the time when the mother’s belly begins to look swollen. By the sixth week the eyes have developed lids and pigmentation develops in the fetuses. In week seven the fetuses are well developed and are reaching the size they will be born at. By week eight fur develops and the birth will take place between weeks eight and nine.

Although the spleen is not essential to survival, it still performs some important functions. The spleen stores blood and acts as a reserve supply in case the body needs more blood. The spleen also stores platelets that are needed to help with blood clotting and a white pulp that contains white blood cells to help fight infection.

Dog stomachs process food using a high level of hydrochloric acid to help break down of large pieces of protein and bones. This liquefies the food so that it can travel into the small intestine. Dogs have a natural regurgitation instinct to spit out food that has not been correctly processed, then re-swallow it.

The body of an earthworm is made up of segments called annuli. Their bodies have a muscular outer wall that surrounds the digestive tract. This begins with a mouth in the first segment that consumes soil as they burrow.

Feathers are made of keratin, which is a lightweight material that also composes our fingernails. Muscles are attached to the base of each feather so that the bird can move it around. Birds go through a process called moulting in which they grow a new set of feathers to replace the old damaged ones. This happens once a year for some birds and twice a year for others.

The brain is where all automatic functions and higher behaviors are controlled. Sensory information is processed here, but since fish brains are not as developed as human brains fish can not have complex thoughts and emotions. The fish brain is divided into three sections: the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. The forebrain primarily controls the olfactory lobes which are responsible for processing smells, as well as learning automatic responses and depth perception. The midbrain is primarily responsible for sight in fish, and is larger in fish that hunt at night. The hindbrain is primarily responsible for swimming and muscle movement related to swimming.

The fish heart circulates blood throughout the body of the fish. The blood is responsible for transporting nutrients to cells, as well as transporting waste to the liver and kidneys. The fish has the simplest true heart with only one atrium and one ventricle.

The intestines are where the fish continue the digestion process from the stomach. There are two parts to the intestines; the small intestines and the large intestines. The length of the intestine is determined by the type of food the fish eats. Fish that eat other fish have shorter intestinal tracts because the nutrients are easier to absorb. Fish that eat plant matter have longer intestinal tracts because the nutrients are more difficult to absorb.

The fish kidney filters out wastes from the blood and then passes them out of the body. The kidney also plays a major role in regulating the water and salt content of the fish’s body. This is partially how some fish are able to survive in saltwater while others survive better in freshwater.

This fish scale is known as a ctenoid scale. This is because it has jagged, teeth-like projections along the back edge. The scales of fish are made of connective tissue covered with calcium.

The frog heart circulates blood throughout the body of the frog. The blood is responsible for transporting nutrients to cells, as well as transporting waste to the liver and kidneys. The frog heart has two atria and one ventricle, for a total of three chambers.

The frog kidney filters out wastes from the blood and then passes them out of the body. A frog’s kidneys also help to replace water lost through the skin due to evaporation when out of the water. This is very important because if a frog’s skin dries out it will die.

The skin of a frog is water permeable. Frogs often do not drink through their mouths, but rather absorb moisture through their skin. In some species, the skin has glands that produce toxins to repel predators. These toxins are being researched for potential pain medications. All frogs regularly shed their skin, but most eat the shed skin for nutrition and water.

The frog stomach is the first site of chemical breakdown of proteins, as well as mechanical breakdown of larger pieces of food. The enzymes in the stomach help facilitate this breakdown, and begin the digestion process. From the stomach, food particles travel to the intestines.

Flies can not focus their eyes the way humans can. They do not have pupils and therefore can not control how much light is coming into their eyes. They do, however, have a nearly 360 degree view. Their eyes are meant to pick up form and movement; which is why they can see you coming to squish them almost every time.

Arteries are a type of blood vessel inside the body. Most arteries carry blood away from the heart, carrying oxygen to other parts of the body. Arteries also play a part in the circulation of proteins and the maintenance of pH. They have a thick outer wall, a thick inner layer of muscle and elastic fibers, the endothelium, and the narrow central lumen through which blood flows.

The anther of the lily is found at the top of the stamen, resting atop the filament. This is the part that houses the pollen for the flower, making it the male reproductive structure of the plant. The mature pollen is easily brushed onto other objects from the anther, as the plant attempts to reproduce.

Lilium, or Lilies are a type of flower that are grown from bulbs. They have large, prominent flowers that store the ovaries. These flowers are important in culture and literature all over the world.

In this sample, four large ovals can be seen. These are called locules. These are where lumen contain developing pollen. The pollen undergoes meiosis so that it can become a ripe pollen grain and fertilize other plants once the anther bursts open.

Mice are a common rodent with a pointed nose and often have brown, white, grey, or black fur. Some people keep them as pets, and some industries use them to test products. Cosmetics, soaps, and medicines are all commonly tested on mice before they are allowed to be tested on humans. In this way, mice help to save human lives by uncovering potential side effects of a product.

Mosquito larva live in water, but must frequently come to the surface to breathe through a tube called a siphon. Larvae are constantly feeding because it requires a large amount of nutrients and energy to mature into adults. As it grows, it molts (sheds its skin) four times and then becomes a pupa.

Mosquitoes have mouthparts that are shaped so that they can penetrate the skin of vertebrates. They are then able to inject saliva into the tissue to stop the blood from clotting. They then suck up the blood using the labrum, which acts like a tongue.

The tail of a mouse is nearly hairless, and commonly measures five to ten centimeters in length. The tail is used for balance, and is also used in thermoregulation. Blood flow to the tail can be controlled to respond to changes in ambient temperature. The length of the tail varies according to environmental temperature of the mouse during postnatal development. Mice born in colder climates tend to have shorter tails than their counterparts born in warmer climates.

This plant is more commonly known as the Water Lily. After pollination, the stem tightens in a spiraling spring to bring the flower head underwater. The fruit then develops underwater into a spongy berry with many seeds. Young seeds float to allow for better distribution by water currents. Eventually they become waterlogged and sink to the bottom to grow.

Onion epidermal cells are clear and do not contain chloroplasts. This is because the onion grows as a bulb and is used by the plant for energy storage and does not participate in photosynthesis. Epidermal cells are structured in a single layer with rigid cell walls.

The optic nerve transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. It is derived from optic stalks during the seventh week of development in a human fetus, and is composed of retinal ganglion cell axons and glial cells. The optic nerve is the second of twelve paired cranial nerves and is technically part of the central nervous system.

The Pine Leaf, better known as the pine needle, is from the genus Pinus; the “hard” or “yellow” pines. It is a diploxylon, which has two fibro bundles. The sheath found on the needles are permanent (customarily).

Most pines have thick, rough bark. The branches grow from spirally arranged points along the main trunk of the tree. Pines are able to produce both male and female cones from the same tree, making them monoecious plants.

There are two types of pollen. The first type of pollen is sticky and clumpy so that it can stick to animals and insects to travel from flower to flower. The other kind is an airborne pollen so that the plants may be pollinated by the wind. The second type is the one that causes allergies.

There are five vascular bundles in the pumpkin stem. The bundles in pumpkin stems are larger than the bundles in other plants. Outside tissues known as the collenchyma and the epidermis are thick compared to that of other plants.

The arteriole is a small, muscular blood vessel that carries blood from the arteries to the capillaries. This is where the greatest change in blood pressure and the velocity of blood flow occurs. This is responsible for gas and nutrients moving from the blood and into the cells.

Hyaline cartilage is transparent cartilage that is usually found on many joint surfaces. It has a blueish color and a firm consistency. It does not contain any nerves or blood vessels.

The spinal cord is a bundle of nerve fibers that links the brain with the rest of the body. With the brain, it forms the central nervous system. The spinal cord is protected by the vertebral column.

Testis descend at about 12 weeks of age, and are large with epididymal fat pads. In adult male rabbits, they are contained in two nearly hairless scrotal sacs. Unlike the majority of mammals which have the testis caudal to the penis, rabbit testis are cranial to the penis.

The reptile heart circulates blood throughout the body of the reptile. The blood is responsible for transporting nutrients to cells, as well as transporting waste to the liver and kidneys. The reptile heart has two atria and one ventricle, for a total of three chambers, but the exact anatomy of the heart depends on the particular species.

Rice is a semiaquatic plant that is grown as a staple food for much of the world, particularly in Asia. It has been used as food from as early as 11,000 or 12,000 BC, but was domesticated only about 8,000 years ago.

Broad beans come from the family Fabaceae, and have been cultivated in the Middle East 8,000 years before they were grown in Europe. The remains of these beans have even been found in Egyptian tombs. Some may know this bean better by the name “Fava bean”.

The penis is a male reproductive organ. Snakes have two penises, each of which is called a hemipenis. Together they are called hemipenes. Each hemipenis is associated with a single testis. The reason snakes have two penises instead of just one has to do with breeding and being able to mate with as many females as possible without diminishing the sperm count each time the snake mates.

Also known as water silk mermaid’s tresses, and blanket weed, spirogyra is a type of green algae. It gets its name from the spiral pattern of its chloroplasts. It can grow up to several centimeters in length.

Squirrels are common rodents, with about 280 different species. Flying squirrels have been known to glide for up to almost 300 feet. Chipmunks are a type of squirrel, just smaller and with stripes. The large, bushy tail of the squirrel is used as a signaling device to alert other squirrels to a potential danger.

The stem of the sunflower plant can grow up to 3 meters tall. This plant is fast growing and can grow up to 3.7 meters tall in the span of 6 months. The stem supports a series of florets that make up the larger sunflower head.

The taraxacum is more commonly known as the dandelion. It is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant that can be found growing in temperate climates. Most consider the dandelion a weed as it grows in lawns, cracks in pavement, along roadways, and many other places with moist soils.

Mice are a common rodent with a pointed nose and often have brown, white, grey, or black fur. Some people keep them as pets, and some industries use them to test products. Cosmetics, soaps, and medicines are all commonly tested on mice before they are allowed to be tested on humans. In this way, mice help to save human lives by uncovering potential side effects of a product.

Tilia is the genus for around 30 species of trees. These trees are native to temperate climates in the Northern Hemisphere. Although they are sometimes called lime trees, they are not related to the lime fruit.

The yucca plant is native to the high deserts of the United States and Mexico. The leaf has had many uses by Native American tribes. It is fibrous and therefore was turned into things like dental floss and rope. Other parts of the plant were used to make soap and shampoo, as well as for numerous medicinal purposes.

More commonly known as a corn kernel, the zea seed has been cultivated by humanity for centuries. This plant is often used in cooking as a starch, and the common domesticated variety found in supermarkets adds a sweet flavor to dishes. The pointed end is where it had attached to the central cob, while the rounded end is where it butted up against the husk.

More commonly known as corn, the zea stem can grow up to 7 meters. More commonly, however, it will grow up to 2 or 3 meters in height. Domestication of this plant is thought to have occurred around 7,000 to 12,000 years ago. Early forms were much smaller than what we grow today.