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Congress of the United States
Congress of the United States the legislative branch of the federal government, instituted (1789) by Article 1 of the Constitution of the United States , which prescribes its membership and defines its powers. Congress is composed of two houses—the Senate and the House of Representatives.
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quelea
quelea , common name for an East African weaverbird, Quelea quelea. Less than 5 in. (13 cm) long and weighing slightly more than 1/2 oz (1.4 grams), these tiny birds are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa in areas receiving less than 30 in. (76 cm) of annual rainfall. With the spread of grain...
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ionosphere
ionosphere , series of concentric ionized layers forming part of the upper atmosphere of the earth from around 30 to 50 mi (50 to 80 km) to 250 to 370 mi (400 to 600 km) where it merges with the magnetosphere, the region of the Van Allen radiation belts . The degree of ionization and the heights ...
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aureole
aureole , in physics, luminous circle seen when the sun or other bright light is observed through a diffuse medium, i.e., smoke, thin cloud, fog, haze, or mist. It sometimes occurs as a series of concentric circles. The aureole results from the dispersion of light by particles of dust or water. Beca...
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neostigmine
neostigmine , drug used to mimic the effects of stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system . Along with several other drugs that have a similar mode of action, it inhibits the action of the enzyme cholinesterase, which destroys the substance acetylcholine at nerve endings. Because neostigm...
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parathyroid glands
parathyroid glands , four small endocrine bodies, located behind the thyroid gland, that govern calcium and phosphorus metabolism. These four masses of tissue (each about the size of a pea) are difficult to distinguish from the thyroid and are often embedded in it. Consequently, before their signifi...
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op art
op art , movement that became prominent in the United States and Europe in the mid-1960s. Deriving from abstract expressionism , op art includes paintings concerned with surface kinetics. Colors were used in creating visual effects, such as afterimages and trompe-l'oeil. Vibrating colors, concentri...
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Josiah
Josiah or Josias , in the Bible. 1 King of Judah, son and successor of Amon. The great event of his reign came in its 18th year, when the book of the law, apparently Deuteronomy , was found in the Temple. Josiah had it read publicly, and a reform movement began, led by the young king. The bas...
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diffusion
diffusion in chemistry, the spontaneous migration of substances from regions where their concentration is high to regions where their concentration is low. Diffusion is important in many life processes. It occurs, for example, across the alveolar membrane of the lung, which separates the carbon-dio...
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Swaziland
Swaziland , officially Kingdom of Swaziland, kingdom (2005 est. pop. 1,174,000), 6,705 sq mi (17,366 sq km), SE Africa. It is bordered on the S, W, and N by the Republic of South Africa and on the E by Mozambique. The capital and largest city is Mbabane .
Land and People
The country is mo...
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