Overweight belly with measuring tape
Written by: 
Ananya Sen
People come in all shapes and sizes… but could storing more body fat affect your sense of taste? Scientists try to answer this question by looking at how well taste buds work in lean and obese mice.
3D reconstruction of herpes virus
Written by: 
Ian Vicino
When a virus infects our cells, it can do a lot of damage. But, in some cases, certain viruses get into a cell and go dormant, kind of like they are taking a nap. If we are going to better fight viruses, we need to know what viruses do when they are dormant.
Play Frankenstein game
Written by: 
Karla Moeller
Play Frankenstein's Lab.

Dr. Frankenstein needs your help to learn about how the bodies of different animals work! Build your own creature from 3-D printed animal parts and learn why some parts match up, but others don't in this physiology game.

Learn more about our tools that explore how animal bodies work at Frankenstein Central.
Comparative animal physiology
Written by: 
Karla Moeller and Pierce Hutton
As you go about your day, breathing and thinking, with your heart beating, your body is working. It sends and receives signals, grows, and stores fat, among hundreds of other functions. All of these functions make up your physiology, or how your body works. The same is true for every living animal.
science classroom
Written by: 
Emily Webb and Katelyn Cooper
Many science teachers tell jokes in the classroom, but should they? Scientists found that overall, students like it when their science teachers tell jokes, but girls and boys react differently to certain types of jokes.
Cleaning up the environment with bacteria
Written by: 
Pierce Hutton
Microbes are all around us, and some have the power to hurt or to help. Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown studies the ability of microbes to help, whether deep in our guts or in the environment.
Also in: Español
Conflict
Written by: 
Ioulia Bespalova
Humans have evolved to work together, but it isn't always straightforward. Some people try to bend the rules, or cheat. Athena Aktipis studies what makes cooperation work, and why cheating sometimes backfires.
Pterosaur fossil
Written by: 
Leslie Minton
Scientists thought that flying reptiles known as Pterosaurs were slowly dying off before an asteroid caused a huge die-off on Earth. But new fossils found in Africa tell a different story.
Glowing fungus
Written by: 
Alison Willis
Some organisms, like this fungus, are able to glow, as if they were from an alien planet. But until recently, plants couldn't glow. Learn how scientists have found a way to make plants glow here on Earth.
cheeseburger and fries
Written by: 
Meli'sa Crawford
Fatty foods may be delicious but if we eat too much, the white blood cells in our guts can be destroyed. Learn more about the disease this can cause called “leaky gut”.

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