From Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology
Volume 133, Issues 1-2, 23 October 2002, Pages 3-10
The pyrophysiology and sexuality of dragons
2S. T. Georgy1, J. G. Widdicombe and (with the assistance of V. Young)
Department of Physiology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London SW17 0RE, UK
Accepted 1 April 2002.
Available online 11 October 2002.
ABSTRACT:
To examine the means whereby dragons produce fire and steam, we have studied a related species, the desert-lizard Lacerta pyrophorus. Morphological studies showed that there were in the snout three distinctive features: (1) a dorsal swelling in the pharynx, the Organ of Feuerwerk, consisting of brown adipose tissue with an extensive sympathetic innervation; (2) greatly enlarged lachrymonasal ducts, the Ducts of Kwentsch; and (3) asbestos deposits in the nasal skin, the Bestos Bodies. Physiological studies show that the Organ of Feuerwerk can, when the animal is excited, produce extremely high temperatures. We discuss how these mechanisms can produce steam and fire, and how the snout is protected. We also discuss and offer a solution to the problem of how, since dragons are invariably male, the species can be propagated.
Full Paper.
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Monday 21 July 2008
3 comments:
Anonymous commenters - please add a signature (doesn't have to be your real name) on each post of yours. Anne O'Namus, Norm D. Ploom, Angry from Kent, Demosthenes, or even your real initials, it doesn't matter.
Commenters are expected to be polite to each other, but the same standard doesn't apply to comments regarding me.
Australian commenters are very very strongly advised to publish anonymously. Sydney alone has more defamation actions than the entire USA and UK. Nearly double that of the UK in fact.
As Google does not reliably inform me that a comment has been posted, and I have no control over first publication, I assert that all comments are innocently disseminated under the NSW DEFAMATION ACT 2005 - SECT 32 and similar acts.
Isn't this some kind of the opposite of the elementmap? Good fun, tough
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing,, illustrations and all, is available free of charge at
ReplyDeletehttp://beepee.mothejzik.cz/dragon.pdf.
Czech it out!
Damn - forget the previous comment (and the atrocious pun), you've got the link already.
ReplyDelete