MoTherfucking rainbows

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Wed, 02 Jan 2013 17:09:34 -0500

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Tue, 01 Jan 2013 14:53:14 -0500

sosuperawesome: NASA on Tumblr, http://n-a-s-a.tumblr.com/

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 22:14:12 -0500

sosuperawesome:

NASA on Tumblr, http://n-a-s-a.tumblr.com/

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Sun, 30 Dec 2012 19:45:27 -0500

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Sat, 29 Dec 2012 04:52:44 -0500

Photo

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 04:52:29 -0500

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 04:43:12 -0500

sensoookami: 閤からの凱旋 | 朧蹄のミサゴ [pixiv]

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 04:01:42 -0500

sensoookami:

閤からの凱旋 | 朧蹄のミサゴ [pixiv]

Video

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 05:03:46 -0500

thedepthsofdepravity: Dead Space 3: The story so far. Loved the...

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 04:43:01 -0500

thedepthsofdepravity:

Dead Space 3: The story so far. Loved the other two. Can’t wait for this one to come out.

misztervarju: Was browsing Alien merchandise on Ebay when i ran...

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 04:28:22 -0500

misztervarju:

Was browsing Alien merchandise on Ebay when i ran into this… I mean lol… draw me like one of your french xenomorph mermaids. Sexy Sleeping Beauty Mermaid AVP Aliens Lady Statue, rolls right off your tongue.

biomedicalephemera: Ways to Die: Snake Venom The vast majority...

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:10:23 -0500

biomedicalephemera:

Ways to Die: Snake Venom

The vast majority of snakes that one encounters in the wild (unless you live in Australia or India) are either non-venomous to humans or want nothing to do with you.

However, should you stumble upon a rattlesnake nest or coral snake hole while texting in the middle of nowhere, there will probably be a combination of different enzymes and polypeptides pumped into your body, via the modified parotid salivary glands (right below the ear in humans) that snakes have evolved over the ages, to disable their prey. Of course, you’re not prey, but you stepped on a snake while texting. It has every reason to envenomate you.

While all snakes have multiple active enzymes in their venom, all snakes dangerous to humans have either neurotoxins or cytotoxins as a significant component in their venom. For the most part, elapids (such as the cobras and mambas) create neurotoxins, while the viperids (such as vipers, adders, and rattlesnakes) create cytotoxins.

Neurotoxins

Dendrotoxins: Inhibit neurotransmission by blocking the exchange of positive and negative ions across the pre-synaptic neuronal membrane, causing paralysis. Found in some rattlesnakes (such as the Mojave) and mambas.

Fasciculins: Destroys acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in synaptic clefts of nerves. Without AChE, acetylcholine (ACh) is not broken down, and remains bound to the postsynaptic vesicles of the nerve, leading to constant contraction of the related muscles. This is called tetany or tetanic paralysis. Found only in mambas.

α-neurotoxins: Very large group of toxins that mimic ACh and bind to post-synaptic vesicles, leading to numbness and paralysis. Found in cobras, kraits, and sea snakes.

Cytotoxins

Cardiotoxins: Target muscle cells and cause depolarization. If enough of these components reach the heart, the depolarization can cause irregular heartbeat or spontaneous stopping of the heart. Can cause fasciculations in skeletal muscles. Found in the Naja genus, and in King Cobras. Minor but important component of mamba venom.

Phospholipases: Proteins that target the phospholipid bilayer of cells, causing cellular rupture. Can cause extreme blistering at site of bite. Relatively uncommon, found in the Japanese Habu.

Hemotoxins: Burst red blood cells (hemolysis), causing thin blood, internal bleeding, and blood clots due to the massive clotting response. Found to some degree in almost all vipers, as well as some cobras.

Images:
Top: Bungaris fasciatus - Banded Krait. An elapid, and the largest of the kraits. Has neurotoxic venom. [source]
Center Right: Hydrophis robusta [now Hydrophis spiralis] - Yellow Sea-Snake. The longest sea snake, at 3 m (9.8 ft). A member of the Hydrophiinae, separate from other elapids. Though they have some of the most toxic venom in the world, bites are extremely uncommon and often unnoticed. [source]
Center Left: Vipera russellii - Russell’s Viper. A particularly aggressive viperid. Necrosis and amputation following envenomation not uncommon, due to hemolysis and local cell damage. [source]
Bottom: Vipera caudisona [now Crotalus horridus] - Timber Rattlesnake. A venomous viperid endemic to the United States. Primarily hemotoxic venom, very low fatality rate, but very painful bites. [source]

Dark Souls Christmas. Santa deems you as: NAUGHTY

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 19:47:16 -0500

Dark Souls Christmas.

Santa deems you as: NAUGHTY

infinity-imagined: A photograph of the Saturn and its rings,...

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 14:25:50 -0500

infinity-imagined:

A photograph of the Saturn and its rings, taken by the Cassini spacecraft from inside the planet’s shadow. Earth is visible in the upper right as a small dot between rings. (High Res)

my fucking god. i love it so much.

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 00:12:55 -0500

my fucking god.

i love it so much.

The Huss has spoken. My OTP is Terezi/Rose, “Blinded By...

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 16:54:00 -0500

The Huss has spoken.

My OTP is Terezi/Rose, “Blinded By The Light”

Now to get to work drawing gratuitous amounts of fanart for this pairing.

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Tue, 25 Dec 2012 15:59:32 -0500

Just showing off my sister's etsy shop

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 03:01:12 -0500

Just showing off my sister's etsy shop

pvrist: Let’s take a moment to appreciate how rad Desghidorah...

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 22:55:22 -0500

pvrist:

Let’s take a moment to appreciate how rad Desghidorah is.

rhamphotheca: Megapiranha Outchomps T. Rex by Sid...

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 22:09:44 -0500

rhamphotheca:

Megapiranha Outchomps T. Rex

by Sid Perkins

Pound-for-pound, an ancient relative of today’s piranhas had a stronger bite than gators, sharks, and even the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex. That’s the conclusion of field studies carried out on the black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus), the largest living species in the carnivorous clan (skeleton).

The largest of the 15 fish tested, a 1.1-kilogram specimen measuring almost 37 centimeters long, clamped down on researchers’ test equipment with a force almost 30 times its own weight—a ratio unmatched among vertebrates, researchers reveal online today in Scientific Reports.

Extrapolating 10 million years back, the team estimates that the jaw-tip bite force of the black piranha’s extinct relative—Megapiranha paranensis, which might have reached lengths of about 1.3 meters and weighed up to 73 kilograms—could have been as high as 484 kg…

(read more: Science NOW) (photo: Steve Huskey)