prostacyclin (ËprÉstÉËsaÉªklÉªn) n (Biochemistry) biochem any of several prostaglandins produced in the blood vessels, causing vasodilation and inhibiting platelet aggregation. prosâ¢taâ¢cyâ¢clin (ËprÉs tÉËsaÉª klÉªn) n. a prostaglandin, C20H32O5, that specifically inhibits the formation of blood clots.
This article is about the animal. For other uses, see Otter (disambiguation). Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the weasel family Mustelidae, which also includes badgers, honey badgers, martens, minks, polecats, and wolverines.
Mongoose is the popular English name for 29 of the 34 species in the 14 genera of the family Herpestidae, which are small feliform carnivorans native to southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. The other five species in the family are the four kusimanses in the genus Crossarchus, and the only species in the genus Suricata: Suricata suricatta, commonly called meerkat in English. Six species in the family Eupleridae, endemic to the island of Madagascar, are also called mongoose and were originally