Animal and vegetable physiology, considered with reference to natural theology (1836) (14762400394)

Identifier: animalvegetable01roge (find matches)
Title: Animal and vegetable physiology, considered with reference to natural theology
Year: 1836 (1830s)
Authors: Roget, Peter Mark, 1779-1869
Subjects: Biology Physiology Plant physiology Natural theology
Publisher: Philadelphia, Carey, Lea & Blanchard
Contributing Library: NCSU Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: NCSU Libraries



Text Appearing Before Image:
'
Text Appearing After Image:
fore and behind, (considering the spinal column as extendedhorizontally,) so as to form cup-like hollows: by whichmeans, where the concave surfaces of two adjacent vertebraeare applied to one another, a cavity, having the shape of adouble cone, is formed by the junction of the margins ofthese conical hollows. These cavities are distinctly seenlaid open in Fig. 188, which represents a vertical section ofthree adjacent vertebrae of a cod. The edges that are incontact, are united all round by an elastic ligament, whichreadily yields to the bending of the vertebrae upon one ano- SKELETON OF FISHES. 289 ther by the application of any force to one side of the spine,and restores it to its former state, when the force has ceasedto act. The extent of motion in each joint is but small; butbeing multiplied in the whole series, the resulting effect isconsiderable. The cavity itself is filled with a gelatinous,but incompressible fluid substance, which constitutes a sphe-rical pivot for all the mot