Scientific Illustration

letthedeadshine:

I used to be petrified that I would swallow my tongue. But it’s still here, so all is swell.

(via fuckyeahmedicaldiagrams)

biomedicalephemera:

Lorius head, showing extended tongue with brush tip

Both lories and lorikeets (members of the parrot family) have specialized tongues with extended papillae for feeding on nectar and pollen. They also eat soft fruits.

Lorius spp. are brightly colored and are native to the Australasian region. In captivity, they have a tendency to be extremely loud and active, as well as needing a specialized nectar-replacement diet to suit their systems. Unfortunately, many species of lory/lorikeet are still captured in the wild and sold as exotic pets. There are now only 50 known ultramarine lorikeets left in the wild, and many other species are endangered or threatened.

The Structure and Classification of Birds. Frank E. Beddard, 1898.

biomedicalephemera:

Tongue and larynx of rabid dog

People once thought that rabies was caused by a worm in the sublingual salivary glands, because of how tight and swollen they become when rabies is infecting the system. We know now that that’s not true. Rabies is caused by a virus that infects the nervous system. Once it enters the body, it seeks out the peripheral nervous system, and moves along peripheral nerve cells until it reaches the CNS. The virus continues up the central nervous system until it reaches the brain, where it multiplies, causes the extreme symptoms, and kills the victim.

Up at the top of this illustration, you can see the inflamed section of the upper throat. This goes along with the involuntary throat spasms that rabies entails, which prevent the ingestion of any liquids. The spasms are often incredibly painful, and the avoidance of liquids (though not a true fear of them) is why rabies used to be called hydrophobia.

Rabies and Hydrophobia: Their History, Nature, Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention. George Fleming, 1872.

biomedicalephemera:

The tongue of the woodpecker.

Woodpeckers have tongues almost as long compared to skull length as anteaters do. It’s very effective for scooping up bugs trying to escape your pecking beak!

The Hand; its Mechanism and Vital Endowments, as Evincing Design. Sir Charles Bell, 1854.