• Plenty, Bay of (bay, New Zealand)

    Bay of Plenty, bay of the South Pacific Ocean, eastern North Island, New Zealand. About 100 miles (160 km) wide, it extends along a narrow lowland strip from Waihi Beach eastward to Opotiki. The Rangitaiki and Whakatane rivers empty into the bay, the largest islands of which are White and Motiti.

  • plenty, horn of (fungus)

    mushroom: Other mushrooms: cibarius) and the horn-of-plenty mushroom (Craterellus cornucopioides). Puffballs (family Lycoperdaceae), stinkhorns, earthstars (a kind of puffball), and bird’s nest fungi are usually treated with the mushrooms. Another group of ascomycetes includes the cup fungi, with a cuplike or dishlike fruiting structure, sometimes highly coloured.

  • plenty, horn of (motif)

    cornucopia, decorative motif, dating from ancient Greece, that symbolizes abundance. The motif originated as a curved goat’s horn filled to overflowing with fruit and grain. It is emblematic of the horn possessed by Zeus’s nurse, the Greek nymph Amalthaea (q.v.), which could be filled with whatever

  • plenum chamber (mechanics)

    air-cushion machine: History: Cockerell (later knighted) bypassed Thornycroft’s plenum chamber (in effect, an empty box with an open bottom) principle, in which air is pumped directly into a cavity beneath the vessel, because of the difficulty in containing the cushion. He theorized that, if air were instead pumped under the vessel through a…

  • pleochroic halo (mineralogy)

    pleochroic halo, ring of colour produced around a radioactive impurity included in a mineral by alpha particles emitted from the radioactive elements in the inclusion. Because most of the energy of an alpha particle is absorbed at the end of its path length in a mineral, these colour centres are

  • pleochroism (optics)

    pleochroism, (from Greek pleiōn, “more,” and chrōs, “colour”), in optics, the selective absorption in crystals of light vibrating in different planes. Pleochroism is the general term for both dichroism, which is found in uniaxial crystals (crystals with a single optic axis), and trichroism, found

  • pleomorphism (microbiology)

    pleomorphism, the existence of irregular and variant forms in the same species or strain of microorganisms, a condition analogous to polymorphism in higher organisms. Pleomorphism is particularly prevalent in certain groups of bacteria and in yeasts, rickettsias, and mycoplasmas and greatly

  • pleopod (animal anatomy)

    malacostracan: Size range and diversity of structure: …or ventrolateral, biramous limbs called pereopods, or pleopods, which are primarily used in swimming. In the males of all eucaridans, hoplocarids, isopods, some hemicarids and syncarids, and rarely some amphipods, the anterior one or two pairs may be specially modified for sperm transfer. In males of most mysidaceans, the fourth…

  • Pleosporales (order of fungi)

    fungus: Annotated classification: Order Pleosporales Forms lichens, some are pathogenic on plants; asci borne in a basal layer among pseudoparaphyses; included in subclass Pleosporomycetidae; example genera include Pleospora, Phaeosphaeria, Lophiostoma, Sporormiella, and Helminthosporium. Order Botryosphaeriales (incertae sedis; not placed in any

  • pleroma (Gnostic mythology)

    Christianity: Messianic secrets and the mysteries of salvation: …divine sparks expelled from the pleroma. Christ was sent from the pleroma to teach gnostics the saving knowledge (gnosis) of their true identities and was crucified when the Demiurge of Genesis discovered that Christ (the male partner of the feminine Holy Spirit) was in Jesus. After Christ returned to the…

  • plerome (plant anatomy)

    plant development: The root tip: …histogens, in the apical meristem—plerome, periblem, and dermatogen respectively. A fourth histogen, the calyptrogen, produces the root cap. The histogens have been thought to lie in linear order in the apex, with the initial cells of the vascular system toward the older part of the root, and those of…

  • Pleshette, Suzanne (American actress)

    The Birds: …Brenner’s mother, Lydia, and by Suzanne Pleshette as his former girlfriend Annie. The screenplay was adapted by popular writer Evan Hunter, better known by his pseudonym Ed McBain, from a novella by Daphne Du Maurier. Hitchcock used electronic sounds instead of a musical score to great effect. A strange real-life…

  • Plesiadapis (fossil primate genus)

    primate: Paleocene: …are available for the genera Plesiadapis, Ignacius, and Palaechthon from Europe and North America. The skulls show a number of dental specializations, including, in the case of Plesiadapis, procumbent rodentlike incisors in the upper and lower jaw and the absence of other antemolar teeth, though the molar teeth show more…

  • Plesiopidae (fish family)

    perciform: Annotated classification: Pseudochromidae, Grammatidae, and Plesiopidae Quite similar, small, darkly colourful, rather secretive coral-reef basslike fishes of tropical Indo-Pacific and Caribbean seas. An interesting specialization of numerous species is the presence of multiple horizontal, interrupted lateral lines on trunk: 1 along the back, 1 along the side, and 1 along…

  • plesiosaur (fossil marine reptile)

    plesiosaur, (clade Plesiosauria), any of a group of long-necked marine reptiles found as fossils from the late Triassic Period into the late Cretaceous Period (215 million to 66 million years ago). Plesiosaurs had a wide distribution in European seas and around the Pacific Ocean, including

  • Plesiosauri (fossil marine reptile)

    plesiosaur, (clade Plesiosauria), any of a group of long-necked marine reptiles found as fossils from the late Triassic Period into the late Cretaceous Period (215 million to 66 million years ago). Plesiosaurs had a wide distribution in European seas and around the Pacific Ocean, including

  • Plesiosauria (fossil marine reptile)

    plesiosaur, (clade Plesiosauria), any of a group of long-necked marine reptiles found as fossils from the late Triassic Period into the late Cretaceous Period (215 million to 66 million years ago). Plesiosaurs had a wide distribution in European seas and around the Pacific Ocean, including

  • plesiosauroid (fossil reptile group)

    plesiosaur: …the head elongated; and the plesiosauroids (which belong to the suborder Plesiosauroidea), in which the head remained relatively small and the neck assumed snakelike proportions and became very flexible. The late evolution of plesiosaurs was marked by a great increase in size. For example, Elasmosaurus, a plesiosaurid, had as many…

  • Plesiosaurus (fossil marine reptile)

    plesiosaur: Plesiosaurus, an early plesiosaur, was about 4.5 metres (15 feet) long, with a broad, flat body and a relatively short tail. It swam by flapping its fins in the water, much as sea lions do today, in a modified style of underwater “flight.” The nostrils…

  • Plesiosaurus conybeari (fossil marine reptile)

    10 Organisms Named for David Attenborough: A genus of plesiosaur: • What: small, hardy hawkweed, the only living species from the British Isles to be named after David Attenborough. The plant blooms briefly in the summer, sprinkling the remote and

  • Pleskov (Russia)

    Pskov, city and administrative centre of Pskov oblast (region), northwestern Russia. The city lies along the Velikaya (Great) River at its confluence with the small Pskova River, at a point 9 miles (14 km) above the Velikaya’s outfall into Lake Pskov. Pskov is one of the oldest Russian towns, being

  • Plesman, Albert (Dutch pilot)

    KLM: …by a former Dutch pilot, Albert Plesman (1889–1953), who headed the company until his death. KLM’s first route, between Amsterdam and London, was followed the same year by a route to Copenhagen, via Hamburg, and in 1923 by a route to Brussels. As early as 1921 KLM had opened the…

  • Plessis-Marly, Philippe de Mornay, seigneur du (French diplomat)

    Philippe de Mornay, seigneur du Plessis-Marly was a French diplomat who was one of the most outspoken and well-known publicists for the Protestant cause during the French Wars of Religion (1562–98). Mornay received a Protestant education, studying Hebrew, law, and German at the University of

  • Plessner, Helmuth (German philosopher)

    Helmuth Plessner was a German philosopher credited with establishing European philosophical anthropology, the study of the nature of individuals through their experiences. In his theory of existence based on a balance between an “inner” and an “outer” self, he differentiated humans from animals.

  • Plessy v. Ferguson (law case [1896])

    Plessy v. Ferguson, legal case in which the U.S. Supreme Court on May 18, 1896, by a seven-to-one majority (one justice did not participate), advanced the controversial “separate but equal” doctrine for assessing the constitutionality of racial segregation laws. Plessy v. Ferguson was the first

  • Plessy, Homer (American shoemaker)

    Homer Plessy was an American shoemaker who was best known as the plaintiff in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which sanctioned the controversial “separate but equal” doctrine for assessing the constitutionality of racial segregation laws. Three years after Plessy’s

  • Plessy, Homère Patrice Adolphe (American shoemaker)

    Homer Plessy was an American shoemaker who was best known as the plaintiff in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which sanctioned the controversial “separate but equal” doctrine for assessing the constitutionality of racial segregation laws. Three years after Plessy’s

  • Plestiodon (reptile)

    skink: In many of the striped skinks, such as the five-lined skink (P. fasciatus) and the broad-headed skink (P. laticeps), stripes fade after the skinks reach sexual maturity. Plestiodon is the dominant genus of skink in north temperate regions of the New World as well as Japan and surrounding areas;…

  • Plethodon (amphibian genus)

    Caudata: Annotated classification: …Plethodontinae, with 7 genera (including Plethodon and Desmognathus in North America and Hydromantes in western North America and the central Mediterranean region) and about 105 species. Family Proteidae (olms and mud puppies)

  • plethodontid (amphibian)

    lungless salamander, (family Plethodontidae), any of more than 370 species of lungless amphibians dependent largely on cutaneous respiration (gas exchange through moistened skin). Plethodontidae is the largest group of salamanders, and its members occur predominantly in the Americas from southern

  • Plethodontidae (amphibian)

    lungless salamander, (family Plethodontidae), any of more than 370 species of lungless amphibians dependent largely on cutaneous respiration (gas exchange through moistened skin). Plethodontidae is the largest group of salamanders, and its members occur predominantly in the Americas from southern

  • Plethodontinae (amphibian subfamily)

    Caudata: Annotated classification: …America, and South America, and Plethodontinae, with 7 genera (including Plethodon and Desmognathus in North America and Hydromantes in western North America and the central Mediterranean region) and about 105 species. Family Proteidae (olms

  • plethodontine (amphibian subfamily)

    Caudata: Annotated classification: …America, and South America, and Plethodontinae, with 7 genera (including Plethodon and Desmognathus in North America and Hydromantes in western North America and the central Mediterranean region) and about 105 species. Family Proteidae (olms

  • Plethon, George Gemistus (Byzantine philosopher)

    George Gemistus Plethon was a Byzantine philosopher and humanist scholar whose clarification of the distinction between Platonic and Aristotelian thought proved to be a seminal influence in determining the philosophic orientation of the Italian Renaissance. Plethon studied in Constantinople and at

  • plethron (unit of measurement)

    mathematics: The pre-Euclidean period: …length of 70 plethra (one plethron equals 100 feet) as the diagonal of a square of side 50 plethra; in fact, the actual diagonal of the square is 502 plethra, so this was equivalent to using 7/5 (or 1.4) as an estimate for 2, which is now known to equal…

  • pleura (anatomy)

    pleura, membrane lining the thoracic cavity (parietal pleura) and covering the lungs (visceral pleura). The parietal pleura folds back on itself at the root of the lung to become the visceral pleura. In health the two pleurae are in contact. When the lung collapses, however, or when air or liquid

  • pleural cavity (anatomy)

    human respiratory system: Gross anatomy: The lung surfaces facing these pleural areas are named accordingly, since the shape of the lungs is determined by the shape of the pleural cavities. Because of the presence of pleural recesses, which form a kind of reserve space, the pleural cavity is larger than the lung volume.

  • pleural effusion (pathology)

    pleural effusion, accumulation of watery fluid in the pleural cavity, between the membrane lining the thoracic cage and the membrane covering the lung. There are many causes of pleural effusion, including pneumonia, tuberculosis, and the spread of a malignant tumour from a distant site to the

  • pleural pressure (physiology)

    human respiratory system: The lung–chest system: The force increases (pleural pressure becomes more negative) as the lung is stretched and its volume increases during inspiration. The force also increases in proportion to the rapidity with which air is drawn into the lung and decreases in proportion to the force with which air is expelled…

  • pleural recess (anatomy)

    human respiratory system: Gross anatomy: Because of the presence of pleural recesses, which form a kind of reserve space, the pleural cavity is larger than the lung volume.

  • pleural rub (medicine)

    diagnosis: Auscultation: Pleural rubs sound like creaking leather and are caused by pleural surfaces roughened by inflammation moving against each other, which occurs in patients with pneumonia and pulmonary infarction.

  • pleural sac (anatomy)

    human respiratory system: Gross anatomy: The lung surfaces facing these pleural areas are named accordingly, since the shape of the lungs is determined by the shape of the pleural cavities. Because of the presence of pleural recesses, which form a kind of reserve space, the pleural cavity is larger than the lung volume.

  • Pleurastrophyceae (class of green algae)

    algae: Annotated classification: Class Pleurastrophyceae Freshwater and marine; includes marine flagellate Tetraselmis. Class Prasinophyceae (Micromonadophyceae) Paraphyletic, primarily marine; includes Micromonas (sometimes placed in Mamiellophyceae), Ostreococcus, and Pyramimonas.

  • pleurectomy (surgery)

    mesothelioma: Survival prediction and treatment: …growing (a procedure known as pleurectomy) may be best in early-stage patients. A more aggressive operation, extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), may be required in more-advanced cases. EPP involves the removal of tumour, pleura, diaphragm, and pericardium, with reconstruction of the latter two structures. The tumour grows over a very large surface…

  • pleurisy (medical disorder)

    pleurisy, inflammation of the pleura, the membranes that line the thoracic cavity and fold in to cover the lungs. Pleurisy may be characterized as dry or wet. In dry pleurisy, little or no abnormal fluid accumulates in the pleural cavity, and the inflamed surfaces of the pleura produce an abnormal

  • pleurisy root (plant)

    butterfly weed, (Asclepias tuberosa), North American plant of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae), a stout rough-haired perennial with long roots. The erect, somewhat branching stem grows up to 1 metre (3 feet) tall and has linear, alternately arranged leaves. In midsummer it bears numerous clusters

  • pleuritis (medical disorder)

    pleurisy, inflammation of the pleura, the membranes that line the thoracic cavity and fold in to cover the lungs. Pleurisy may be characterized as dry or wet. In dry pleurisy, little or no abnormal fluid accumulates in the pleural cavity, and the inflamed surfaces of the pleura produce an abnormal

  • Pleurocanthodii (fossil fish order)

    chondrichthyan: Evolution: One order, the Pleurocanthodii, made up of one family of freshwater sharklike fishes, appeared in the Late Devonian (about 380 million years ago). Pleurocanthodians were abundant in the Carboniferous and Early Permian (an interval lasting from 360 million to about 270 million years ago); however, they disappeared during…

  • Pleuroceridae (gastropod family)

    gastropod: Classification: …1 group of families (Thiaridae, Pleuroceridae, Melanopsidae) especially abundant and varied in the Tennessee and Alabama river systems; 13 marine families, including worm shells (Vermetidae), horn shells (Potamididae), and button shells (Modulidae). Superfamily Strombacea Foot and

  • Pleurococcus (genus of green algae)

    Pleurococcus, genus of green algae (family Chaetophoraceae). Pleurococcus species sometimes form a thin green covering on the moist shaded side of trees, rocks, and soil. The spherical cells, either solitary or clumped together, have heavy cell walls that protect them against excessive water loss.

  • Pleurodeles waltl (amphibian)

    newt: One species, the Spanish ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl), combines its poisonous skin secretions with sharp barbs running along the sides of its body; the barbs are ribs that can be forced through the animal’s skin when threatened. Commonly, these poisonous salamanders are brightly coloured to advertise their toxicity…

  • Pleurodira (reptile)

    side-necked turtle, (suborder Pleurodira), any species of turtle belonging to the families Chelidae, Pelomedusidae, and Podocnemididae. The common name is derived from the animal’s defensive posture. Instead of retracting the head and neck into the shell for protection, turtles of this group lay

  • pleurodire (reptile)

    side-necked turtle, (suborder Pleurodira), any species of turtle belonging to the families Chelidae, Pelomedusidae, and Podocnemididae. The common name is derived from the animal’s defensive posture. Instead of retracting the head and neck into the shell for protection, turtles of this group lay

  • pleurodonty (dentition)

    lizard: Dentition: …mode of tooth implantation is pleurodonty, in which the teeth are fused to the inner side of the labial wall. In the other mode, acrodonty, teeth are fused to the tooth-bearing bone, often to the crest of the bone. Acrodont teeth are rarely replaced once a certain growth stage is…

  • pleurodynia (viral disease)

    pleurodynia, viral (coxsackie B) epidemic disease with an incubation period of two to four days, marked by a brief fever, severe chest and lower back pain aggravated by deep breathing and movement, and a tendency to recur at intervals of a few days. The disease is usually self-limiting, terminating

  • Pleurogona (tunicate subclass)

    tunicate: Annotated classification: Subclass Pleurogona Gonads and digestive tract by side of gill. Order Stolidobranchia Gill with longitudinal vessels, folded. Class Appendicularia (or Larvacea) Adult small, pelagic, retaining larval notochord and tail; pharynx simple with two gill openings; no

  • Pleurogrammus azonus (fish)

    scorpaeniform: Ecology: The related Okhotsk Atka mackerel (P. azonus) has been observed in the upper layers of the ocean in calm weather and is usually captured in purse seines. At night it descends to the bottom.

  • Pleurogrammus monopterygius (fish)

    scorpaeniform: Ecology: …of the best-known members, the Atka mackerel (Pleurogrammus monopterygius), which is common in the North Pacific and has considerable sporting and commercial fishing value, spends the major part of its life in the open sea. The related Okhotsk Atka mackerel (P. azonus) has been observed in the upper layers of…

  • Pleuromeia (fossil plant genus)

    Pleuromeia, genus of extinct lycopsid plants from the Triassic Period (about 251 million to 200 million years ago) and characterized by an unbranched trunk up to 2 metres (6.6 feet) tall. Unlike other arborescent lycopsids of the Carboniferous Period (about 359 million to 299 million years ago),

  • Pleuromeiales (fossil plant order)

    lycophyte: Annotated classification: †Order Pleuromeiales Extinct unbranched plants, with subterranean, rootlike rhizophores; heterosporous; a single fossil genus, Pleuromeia. This group is treated as a separate class, Lycopodiopsida, in recognition of its distinctive reproductive structures and long fossil history. The number of genera

  • Pleuronectes platessa (fish)

    plaice, (Pleuronectes platessa), commercially valuable European flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. The plaice, like others of its family, normally has both eyes on the right side of the head. It also has about four to seven bony bumps near its eyes. It reaches a maximum length of about 90

  • Pleuronectidae (fish family)

    pleuronectiform: Annotated classification: Family Pleuronectidae (right-eyed flounders and halibuts) Eyes dextral; anus on blind side, commonly on or near midline; gill membranes connected; dorsal and anal fin rays shortened posteriorly; pelvic fin bases of ocular side short or long, on blind side short, 3–13 pelvic fin rays. 23 genera…

  • pleuronectiform (fish order)

    pleuronectiform, (order Pleuronectiformes), any one of about 680 species of bony fishes characterized by oval-shaped, flattened bodies as in the flounder, halibut, and turbot. The pleuronectiforms are unique among fishes in being asymmetrical. They are strongly compressed, with both eyes on one

  • Pleuronectiformes (fish order)

    pleuronectiform, (order Pleuronectiformes), any one of about 680 species of bony fishes characterized by oval-shaped, flattened bodies as in the flounder, halibut, and turbot. The pleuronectiforms are unique among fishes in being asymmetrical. They are strongly compressed, with both eyes on one

  • Pleuronectoidei (fish suborder)

    pleuronectiform: Annotated classification: Suborder Pleuronectoidei No spines in fins; however, 1 spine present in pelvic fin of Citharidae. Dorsal fin extending forward onto head; usually no supplemental bone on maxillary (may be present or absent in Citharidae); vertebrae 27–70 (generally numbering 34 or more); preopercular margin free; lower jaw…

  • Pleuronema (ciliate genus)

    hymenostome: In the genus Pleuronema the membrane is greatly enlarged to form a saclike food scoop. The order also contains parasites, such as the genus Ichthyophthirius, which attacks the skin of freshwater and aquarium fishes. The numerous, mostly marine species now known as the scuticociliates are classified here as…

  • Pleuroploca gigantea (mollusk)

    conch: It is rivaled by the Florida horse conch (Pleuroploca gigantea), sometimes more than 50 cm long, in the family Fasciolariidae, which includes tulip conchs (Fasciolaria).

  • pleuropneumonia (disease of cattle and sheep)

    pleuropneumonia, lung disease of cattle and sheep, characterized by inflammation of the lungs and caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma mycoides. Fever, thirst, loss of appetite, and difficult breathing are signs of the disease. The United States and Europe eradicated the disease near the end of the

  • pleuropneumonia-like organism (biology)

    life: Sizes of organisms: …smallest free-living cells include the pleuropneumonia-like organisms (PPLOs). Whereas an amoeba has a mass of 5 × 10−7 gram (2 × 10−8 ounce), a PPLO, which cannot be seen without a high-powered electron microscope, weighs 5 × 10−16 gram (2 × 10−15 ounce) and is only about 100 nanometres across.…

  • pleurosaur (fossil reptile)

    tuatara: Evolution and classification: …group of aquatic species, the pleurosaurs, radiated into a small number of genera and species between the Early Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods (approximately 200–100 million years ago). The pleurosaurs had an elongate body and tail and a streamlined head that suggest an active fish-eating lifestyle. After the Jurassic the…

  • Pleurothallidinae (plant subtribe)

    orchid: Natural history: …become predominantly fly-pollinated: the subtribe Pleurothallidinae in tropical America, containing more than 4,000 species; the Bulbophyllum group of about 1,800 species found mainly in the Old World; and the large genus Pterostylis and its relatives in Australia.

  • Pleurothallis (plant genus)

    Pleurothallis, large genus of orchids (family Orchidaceae) native to tropical and temperate areas of the Americas. A number of species are known as bonnet orchids and are grown for their attractive hooded flowers. Others, such as Pleurothallis leptotifolia and P. rowleei, are diminutive plants and

  • Pleurothallis macrophylla (plant)

    Pleurothallis: The widow orchid (P. macrophylla) is a dark, deep purple.

  • Pleurotomariacea (gastropod superfamily)

    gastropod: Classification: Superfamily Zeugobranchia (Pleurotomariacea) Slit shells (Pleurotomariidae) in deep ocean waters; abalones (Haliotidae) in shallow waters along rocky shores of western North America, Japan, Australia, and South Africa; keyhole limpets (Fissurellidae) in intertidal rocky areas. Superfamily Patellacea

  • Pleurotomariidae (gastropod family)

    gastropod: Classification: Zeugobranchia (Pleurotomariacea) Slit shells (Pleurotomariidae) in deep ocean waters; abalones (Haliotidae) in shallow waters along rocky shores of western North America, Japan, Australia, and South Africa; keyhole limpets (Fissurellidae) in intertidal rocky areas. Superfamily Patellacea (Docoglossa) Conical-shelled limpets, without slits or holes,

  • Pleurotus (fungus)

    fungus: Predation: For example, the mycelia of oyster mushrooms (genus Pleurotus) secrete adhesives onto their hyphae in order to catch nematodes. Once a passing animal is caught, a penetration tube grows out of a hypha and penetrates the host’s soft body. This haustorium grows and branches and then secretes enzymes that quickly…

  • Pleurotus eryngii (fungus)

    king oyster mushroom, (Pleurotus eryngii), widely cultivated edible mushroom. King oyster mushrooms are native to temperate, humid areas of the Mediterranean, Asia, and North Africa and are extensively grown in East Asia. Known for their meaty texture, rich umami taste, and long shelf life, they

  • Pleurotus lampas (fungus)

    bioluminescence: The range and variety of bioluminescent organisms: …ghost fungus (Omphalotus nidiformis, formerly Pleurotus lampas) of Australia and the jack-o’-lantern (O. olearius, also known as Clitocybe illudens) of the United States, which reach approximately 13 cm (about 5 inches) in diameter.

  • Pleurotus ostreatus (fungus)

    Agaricales: Other families and genera: …from tree trunks is the oyster cap (Pleurotus ostreatus; family Pleurotaceae), so called because of its appearance. It is edible when young, but, as with most shelf and bracket fungi, it tends to become hard or leathery with age.

  • pleuston (biological organism)

    marine ecosystem: Physical and chemical properties of seawater: …surface of the water (pleuston) and sails with the assistance of a modified flotation chamber—contrasts sharply with the sleek, elongated shape of the barracuda.

  • Pleve, Vyacheslav Konstantinovich (Russian statesman)

    Vyacheslav Konstantinovich Plehve was a Russian imperial statesman whose efforts to uphold autocratic principle, a police-bureaucratic government, and class privilege resulted in the suppression of revolutionary and liberal movements as well as minority nationality groups within the Russian Empire.

  • Pleven (Bulgaria)

    Pleven, town, northern Bulgaria. It lies a few miles east of the Vit River, which is a tributary of the Danube. At one time a Thracian settlement called Storgosia, the town was destroyed by Huns and was restored by the emperor Justinian I in the 6th century. Renamed Kajluka by Slavs, it became

  • Pleven Plan (European history)

    René Pleven: …for his sponsorship of the Pleven Plan for a unified European army. His efforts spurred the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

  • Pleven, René (premier of France)

    René Pleven was a French politician, twice premier of the Fourth Republic (1950–51, 1951–52), who is best known for his sponsorship of the Pleven Plan for a unified European army. His efforts spurred the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). After receiving a law degree from

  • Pleven, Siege of (Russo-Turkish War)

    Siege of Pleven, (July 20–Dec. 10, 1877), in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, the Russian siege of the Turkish-held Bulgarian town of Pleven (Russian: Plevna). Four battles were fought, three being repulses of Russian attacks and the fourth being a defeat of the Turks in their attempt to escape.

  • Plevna (Bulgaria)

    Pleven, town, northern Bulgaria. It lies a few miles east of the Vit River, which is a tributary of the Danube. At one time a Thracian settlement called Storgosia, the town was destroyed by Huns and was restored by the emperor Justinian I in the 6th century. Renamed Kajluka by Slavs, it became

  • Plevna, Siege of (Russo-Turkish War)

    Siege of Pleven, (July 20–Dec. 10, 1877), in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, the Russian siege of the Turkish-held Bulgarian town of Pleven (Russian: Plevna). Four battles were fought, three being repulses of Russian attacks and the fourth being a defeat of the Turks in their attempt to escape.

  • Plevneliev, Rosen (president of Bulgaria)

    Bulgaria: Bulgaria’s transition: …when they elected GERB candidate Rosen Plevneliev president in October 2011. Bulgaria’s goal of greater integration with the EU continued to be frustrated, however, as EU authorities expressed concern that the country had not taken sufficient steps to reduce political corruption, organized crime, and threats to press freedom. As a…

  • plexiform layer (anatomy)

    photoreception: Neural transmission: …the horizontal cells (the outer plexiform layer), and between the bipolar cells and the ganglion cells, there exists a similar layer (the inner plexiform layer) containing amacrine cells of many different kinds. A great deal of complex processing occurs within the two plexiform layers. The main function of the horizontal…

  • plexiglas (chemical compound)

    Lucite, trademark name of polymethyl methacrylate, a synthetic organic compound of high molecular weight made by combination of many simple molecules of the ester methyl methacrylate (monomer) into long chains (polymer); this process (polymerization) may be effected by light or heat, although

  • Plexigum (chemical compound)

    major industrial polymers: Acrylic polymers: Kahlbaum prepared polymethyl acrylate, and in 1901 the German chemist Otto Röhm investigated polymers of acrylic esters in his doctoral research. A flexible acrylic ester, polymethyl acrylate, was produced commercially by Rohm & Haas AG in Germany beginning in 1927 and by the Rohm and Haas Company…

  • plexitis (pathology)

    neuritis: …a plexus of nerves (plexitis). When several single nerves are affected simultaneously, the condition may be referred to as mononeuritis multiplex. When widely separated nerves are affected, it is known as polyneuritis. The symptoms of neuritis are usually confined to a specific portion of the body served by the…

  • Pleyel, Camille (Austrian piano maker)

    Ignace Joseph Pleyel: The piano-manufacturing company Pleyel had founded in Paris in 1807 continued to prosper. In 1815 Pleyel’s eldest son, Camille (1788–1855), became a legal partner of the firm, which then adopted the name “Ignace Pleyel et fils aîné.” Recognized as a fine and sensitive pianist as well as an…

  • Pleyel, Ignace Joseph (Austrian-French composer)

    Ignace Joseph Pleyel was an Austro-French composer, music publisher, and piano builder. Trained in music while still a very young child, he was sent in 1772 to Eisenstadt to become a pupil and lodger of Joseph Haydn’s. Pleyel later claimed a close, warm relationship had existed between them, and

  • Pleyel, Ignaz Josef (Austrian-French composer)

    Ignace Joseph Pleyel was an Austro-French composer, music publisher, and piano builder. Trained in music while still a very young child, he was sent in 1772 to Eisenstadt to become a pupil and lodger of Joseph Haydn’s. Pleyel later claimed a close, warm relationship had existed between them, and

  • Pleyel, Lyon and Company (French piano company)

    keyboard instrument: Modern revival: …piano firms of Érard and Pleyel in Paris. Almost immediately, the full brunt of 19th-century piano technology was applied to the manufacture of the revived instruments, and they became increasingly massively strung and framed as time passed. Pedals for changing registers were included from the beginning, and Pleyel first added…

  • Pleyel, Marie-Félicité-Denise (French musician)

    Marie-Félicité-Denise Pleyel was a French pianist and teacher, one of the most-celebrated virtuosos of the 19th century. She studied with Henri Herz, Friedrich Kalkbrenner, and Ignaz Moscheles, and by the age of 15 she was known in Belgium, Austria, Germany, and Russia as an accomplished virtuoso.

  • PLF (Palestinian organization)

    Palestine: Years of mounting violence: …October 1985 members of the Palestine Liberation Front, a small faction within the PLO headed by Abu Abbas, hijacked an Italian cruise ship, the Achille Lauro, and murdered one of its passengers. Following an Israeli bombing attack on PLO headquarters near Tunis several days before the hijacking, Arafat moved some…

  • PLI (political party, Italy)

    Italian Liberal Party, moderately conservative Italian political party that dominated Italian political life in the decades after unification (1861) and was a minor party in the period after World War II. The Liberal Party was first formed as a parliamentary group within the Piedmont assembly in

  • Pli selon pli (work by Boulez)

    Pierre Boulez: …in Pli selon pli (1957–62; Fold According to Fold), in which performers must orient themselves by maintaining a constant awareness of the structure of the work. In his Piano Sonata No. 3 (first performed 1957), as in Pli selon pli, he introduced elements of aleatory music.