Yep, just like it sounds. Today's comment of the day is brought to you by a set of cat lungs being inflated by a straw. For Science.
Today, we had a Gif Party. Oh, you didn't get an invitation? Well, we definitely put one in the mail, so I can't imagine what could have possibly...(Not really, here's your invite — come on in!) Commenter Irae Nicole alerted us to this incredible gif made by arsanatomica as part of a demonstration for a human anatomy class. Arsanatomica tells the story behind the gif on her blog:
Dissection is a destructive process. Rudely excised from membranous mooring and nourishing vessels, the deflated lungs appear little more than bloodied meat; amorphous and exposed…….until a breath of air unfurls its secret glory.
Here, a set of cat lungs is inflated with a straw. Comprised of hundreds of millions of microscopic air sacks called aveoli, Mammalian lungs harbor air capacity that is difficult to believe unless seen. The color of the entire organ lightens into a soft pink, as each microscopic sac fills with air.