Difference between revisions of "Veterinary Education Online"

Revision as of 16:29, 3 November 2008

Welcome to WikiVet,

A collaborative initiative between the UK Vetschools to develop a comprehensive on-line veterinary knowledge base.

5,936 articles.

Content

WikiPath

Covers the undergraduate veterinary pathology curriculum.

WikiBugs

Information about veterinary bacteriology, virology and parasitology.

Wiki Anatomy and Physiology

Information about veterinary anatomy, histology and physiology.

WikiBlood

Information about the components of blood and associated immunological diseases.

WikiClinical

Clinical information.

WikiVPH

Information about Veterinary Public Health.

WikiDrugs

Information about Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Other resources

WikiWords

A working glossary for Wiki editors.

Feedback

An area for any comments on the content or design of the site.

e-learning Resources

Access to a range of on-line courses, videos and images.

Veterinary Education

For veterinary educators to collaborate and share expertise.

About WikiVet

More about who is involved in the WikiVet project.

WikiMap

Please try using our interactive map to find other users and add your own location.

WikiNews

23rd October 2008 - WikiDrugs Ready for Population

14th October 2008 - WikiClinical Ready for Population

All the WikiClinical stub pages are now in place. Please feel free to start populating these pages with lots of clinical knowledge. If you are having trouble editing pages please refer back to our help pages.

9th October 2008 - The Wiki is Launched

Attendees of the WikiVet Launch

The WikiVet project was officially launched at MEDEV, Newcastle University. People from varying aspects of the Veterinary, Educational, Pharmaceutical and Medical professions attended the conference. Five people also attended the virtual conference, which made for an exciting yet interactive session. We feel that the launch was a great success and look forward to watching WikiVet grow.

Article of the Week - Feather

Parts of a Contour Feather:
1. Vane
2. Rachis
3. Barb
4. Afterfeather
5. Calamus

Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage of birds. They are the outstanding characteristic that distinguishes the Class Aves from all other living groups.

Structure & Function

Principal functions:

Flight
Insulation
Waterproofing

Additional functions

Courtship displays
Defence

Cryptic colouring (camouflage)

Colour mimicking

Dominance/subdominance conflicts

Aggressive territorial behaviour

In most birds, the body is divided into areas that contain feather tracts, pterylae and areas that do not, apteriae. The location and the number of tracts varies between species. By originating from tracts rather than being randomly distributed, feathers can smoothly overlap and conform to the natural contours of the body. By laying feathers over apteriae, air can be trapped beneath, providing insulation.

Click here to read more

This project is funded by JISC and the Higher Education Academy.

Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License

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 In most birds, the body is divided into areas that contain feather ''tracts'', '''pterylae''' and areas that do not, '''apteriae'''.  The location and the number of tracts varies between species.  By originating from tracts rather than being randomly distributed, feathers can smoothly overlap and conform to the natural contours of the body.  By laying feathers over apteriae, air can be trapped beneath, providing [[Thermoregulation in Skin - Anatomy & Physiology|insulation]].
-The portions of the feather can be described as follows:
-*'''Calamus''': The short, hollow, tubular, unpigmented end of the mature feather inserted into the feather follicle and thus present below the skin level.
-*'''Rachis''': The long solid, tubular extension of the calamus above the skin.  The rachis contains pith, which is composed of air-filled keratinised epithelial cells surrounded by a solid keratinised outer cortex.
-*'''Shaft''': The combination of the rachis and the calamus.
-*'''Vane or Vexillum''': The portion of the feather that extends to either side of the rachis and is composed of the barbs and their associated structures.  The vane is either '''plumulaceous''' (soft and downy) or '''pennaceous''' (compact and closely knit) depending on the individual type of feather.
-*'''Barbs''': The series of branches fused to the rachis, constituting the major surface area of the feather.  Barbs also have branches called '''barbules''' which have hooks that lock the barbs together.
-[[Spleen - Anatomy & Physiology|Click here to read more]]
+[[Feather - Anatomy & Physiology|Click here to read more]]
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