Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

valve

(Encyclopedia)valve, device for controlling the flow of fluids (liquids and gases). Valves vary in construction and size depending upon their function. Some are classified according to their method of operation or ...

fish, in zoology

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Anatomy of a ray-finned fish fish, limbless aquatic vertebrate animal with fins and internal gills. Traditionally the living fish have been divided into three class: the primitive jawless fish...

In

(Encyclopedia)In, symbol for the element indium. ...

Brachiopoda

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Internal anatomy of a lamp shell, Magellania, representative of the phylum Brachiopoda Brachiopoda brākēŏpˈədə [key], phylum of shelled sessile or sedentary marine animals, commonly know...

Grew, Nehemiah

(Encyclopedia)Grew, Nehemiah, 1641–1712, English botanist and physician. Grew practiced medicine in London and made important microscopic studies of plants. He made what were probably the first observations of se...

Pluto, in astronomy

(Encyclopedia)Pluto, in astronomy, a dwarf planet and the first Kuiper belt, or transneptunian, object (see comet) to be discovered (1930) by astronomers. Pluto has an elliptical orbit usually lying beyond that of ...

Vesalius, Andreas

(Encyclopedia)Vesalius, Andreas vĭsāˈlēəs [key], 1514–64, Flemish anatomist. He made many discoveries in anatomy and became noted as professor of anatomy at the Univ. of Padua. There he produced his chief wo...

Hunter, William

(Encyclopedia)Hunter, William, 1718–83, Scottish physician. He was famous as a lecturer, as London's leading obstetrician, as professor of anatomy and later president of the Royal Academy of Arts, and as head of ...

Wistar, Caspar

(Encyclopedia)Wistar, Caspar wĭsˈtər [key], 1761–1818, American physician, b. Philadelphia, M.D. Univ. of Edinburgh, 1786; grandson of Caspar Wistar (1696–1752), early Pennsylvania glassmaker. He taught (178...

Rimmer, William

(Encyclopedia)Rimmer, William, 1816–79, American sculptor and writer, b. Liverpool, England. He was brought up in the United States and after working as a cobbler in Brockton, Mass., at the age of 30 began the st...