3-D: Short for three-dimensional. This term is an adjective for something that has features that can be described in three dimensions — height, width and length.
biologist: A scientist involved in the study of living things.
evolve: (adj. evolving) To change gradually over generations, or a long period of time. In living organisms, such an evolution usually involves random changes to genes that will then be passed along to an individual’s offspring. These can lead to new traits, such as altered coloration, new susceptibility to disease or protection from it, or different shaped features (such as legs, antennae, toes or internal organs). Nonliving things may also be described as evolving if they change over time. For instance, the miniaturization of computers is sometimes described as these devices evolving to smaller, more complex devices.
gullet: The tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.
ingest: (n. ingestion) To eat or deliberately bring nutrients into the body by mouth for digestion in the gut.
python: A large, heavy-bodied, nonpoisonous constrictor snake.
rodent: A mammal of the order Rodentia, a group that includes mice, rats, squirrels, guinea pigs, hamsters and porcupines.
species: A group of similar organisms capable of producing offspring that can survive and reproduce.
tissue: Made of cells, it is any of the distinct types of materials that make up animals, plants or fungi. Cells within a tissue work as a unit to perform a particular function in living organisms. Different organs of the human body, for instance, often are made from many different types of tissues.
zoology: The study of animals and their habitats. Scientists who undertake this work are known as zoologists.