Welcome to Ask A Biologist. This site has a large collection of biology learning materials that includes stories, games, activities, videos, and a podcast.

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Periods are a natural, normal part of life, and many people around the world experience them. So let’s talk about why and how they happen.
March Madness in the past has been reserved for college basketball. But in 2013, biologist Katie Hinde and a group of scientists, writers, and other creative souls started the ultimate animal competition that expanded beyond humans – March Mammal Madness. Don’t worry, the competition is virtual. No…

Have you ever wondered how animals and plants get their names? People give them names, lots of different names! That was how it used to be before Carl Linnaeus created the world of taxonomy.

The life of a biologist may not be what you expect. It is not all white lab coats and microscopes. There are remote islands, makeshift shacks that serve both for sleeping and a field laboratory. For this guest, it also includes cricket serenades and nighttime scuba dives in the ocean filled with…
Have you ever wondered where plants get their mass? All those leaves and branches have to come from somewhere, but where?
Diving deep into the ocean is likely the most extreme place someone can set out to collect data, but sometimes that is what scientists need to do. In this show, Dr. Biology finds himself on board the research ship Atlantis in the floating laboratory of Colleen Hansel who is teaming…
An interview with mathematicians Cassie Pawling and Genevieve Toutain from the ASU Department of Mathematics and Statistics. A show filled with fun math tricks and even a bit of mind boggling mind reading.

In the tiny world of DNA, we might call genomes monsters. These huge sets of information include all the codes for all the genes present in an organism. From genomes, we can learn about the traits, diseases, and evolution of a species, and that’s just a start. What might such a monster set of…

Three bees on a honeycomb background

Bee Learning Lab

Visit the Bee Learning Lab

Take a trip with us today into the Bee Learning Lab. Train bees in your very own experiment and see how you can make them learn…

How can we fight mosquitoes? Image is an illustration of a mosquito laying eggs, with insecticide being sprayed

Managing Mosquitoes

Learn about mosquito life cycles, the dangers of mosquitoes, and how to protect yourself and reduce breeding grounds for mosquitoes around your home.
City pollution

Air Pollution

The Phoenix metropolitan area, like many large cities, has problems with air pollution at certain times of the year. You can do a simple study to determine some of the factors that affect air…

a cartoon of a human and some animals showing internal body parts

Animal Physiology

Read Focusing on Physiology and then take this quiz to test your knowledge!

An illustration of pea pods with different genes (yellow and green, and round and wrinkled)

Genetics Game

Play Garden Gene Genius

Our genes control much of how we look and who we are. But do you really know how genetics work? Take a moment to gather some…

Four mini-illustrations of a water bottle, the sun, a child, and sun protective wear (hat, glasses, and light t-shirt)

Beat the Heat

Play Beat the Heat

Staying safe in the heat is more than just a game, it can be a life saver. Luckily, you can see if you have what it takes to…

A cartoon illustration of a mosquito biting human skin

Epic Mosquito Quest

Play Epic Mosquito Quest

Mosquitoes go beyond annoying, to being downright dangerous at times. How can you reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home, to…

Scientific mysteries

Using the Scientific Method to Solve Mysteries

Play the Training Room Escape Game

Put your detective skills to the test with our escape room! Use the scientific method and your problem…