Anatomy of a cat

And you were never surprised by the question of why the cat, and many other animals, knees bend back, and not like people - forward? Or maybe you asked yourself such a question?

Meanwhile, to find the answer to it is quite simple: you just have to carefully consider the structure of the cat, or rather, its skeleton. After all, the cat's foot practically has the same basic bones as the human: first comes the femoral, then the small tibia, then the bones of the pins, the metatarsals and the phalangeal bones of the fingers are successively connected.

The difference can be seen only in the fact that the human foot includes a metatarsus and a pike, and the cat steps, using only the phalanges of the fingers. Therefore, what we take for the knee, in fact is a heel, and the knee is located much higher, almost near the abdomen, and has a rounded shape. This means that even in a cat, the knees bend precisely to the side where they are bent almost to all terrestrial living beings.

Anatomy of a cat makes it one of the most perfect organisms created by nature. After all, just see how gracefully this animal moves in a calm state, how instantly it can be grouped, how adroitly it balances on the narrow railing of balconies, how it fearlessly jumps from a great height, deftly landing solely on its feet!

Although the very structure of the cat is not much different from the structure of most creatures that have four limbs (man and monkey are not exceptions on this list). The same 240 bones of the skeleton, connected by cartilages or joints, also at one end of the spine is the head.

However, the cat's anatomy also has its own significant differences. For example, underdeveloped clavicles make it so that the front paws do not have a solid bone connection with the trunk. They are held solely by strong muscles and tendons.

As a result, when jumping from a huge height to the feet of a representative of the family of felines, there is no displacement and fracture of bones, which threatens in this case, for example, to man: the elastic connection of the paws with the trunk serves as cushioning springs, softening the impact of the impact hundreds of times.

A special role in the movements of felines is played by their tail: it acts as a "rudder", helping to maintain balance and balance on very narrow transitions: prawns, rails, pipes, branches of trees.

Anatomy of a cat also shocks a person when he delves into the study of the structure of her eyes. Is any of you aware that cat's vision has a binocular, that is, a stereoscopic property?

This is due to the unusual arrangement of the organs of vision in the cat . As a result, the animal has the opportunity to accurately determine what is the distance between objects or between the object and the cat itself. Also, the pussy is simultaneously able to observe what happens on either side of it, practically without turning its head.

The fact that cats (and many other animals) are well seen in the dark, it is difficult to surprise anyone today. Although this is not entirely correct conclusion. Cat eyes are capable of reflecting light, due to which the "vision in the dark" occurs. But in a completely darkened room, where there is not the slightest source of light, the cat can not see.

And how, then, does the cat accurately orient itself even in such a situation? Maybe she still a little bit in pitch darkness, but sees?

No, gentlemen, a completely different body is involved. The anatomy of a cat, revealing to us its secrets, points to "useless" things from our point of view: a mustache and long solitary hairs above the eyes - "eyebrows".

After all, a person does not know how to use a mustache and eyebrows for himself, except to express his emotions: to stir the whiskers with pleasure after a delicious lunch or threateningly move his eyebrows, cursing the disobedient little son. That's why he is surprised to learn about how important the function is assigned to several long hairs.

Meanwhile, the whiskers and eyebrows act in the cat's role as a kind of antennae. They are able to catch the slightest fluctuations in the air, determining what is in front and on the side. By the way, the same "hair antennas" are located in cats on the chin and even on the paws. With their help, the animal can notice even weak fluctuations of the surface that is under its feet, for example, if the mouse is scraping deeply into the underground.