Veterinary Education Online

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. 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. Click here to read more

 

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

 

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