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

Some people gaze out at the landscape and see plants. Associate Professor Kathleen Pigg of Arizona State University sees the latest chapter in a long story.

Fascinating and bizarre interactions control the world around us, at a scale too small to see—the nanoscale. By studying the nanoworld, we can create nanomachines that mimic nature.Also in: Italiano | عربى…

The largest biome on Earth is also one of the least explored. Come take a look in the mysterious ocean, a watery world that is home to organisms of all kinds.Also in: Français | Español

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.

Imagine a world where animals have the capacity to show their natural behaviors and even engineer their own environments. For this episode, we're thrilled to have Danielle Wong, the Behavioral Enrichment and Animal Welfare Coordinator at the…

Dr. Biology drops in on biologist Michael Angelletta and the researchers in his laboratory. Besides getting a fun tour of the place, he learns how they study animals and their methods of heating and cooling their bodies.

Take a breath and breathe out. What you just exhaled is the subject of this podcast. It is a story of over 140 thousand molecules and what we are learning about them and what a single breath might tell us about our health. Dr. Biology catches up with bioanalytical chemist …

It is surprising how much of the land on Earth is what scientists call drylands. You might think that these areas are not crucial to life on the planet, but in fact, they are. They are also some of the most challenging places to do research. Part of the challenge is what we see above ground is only…
An illustration of three monsters with different features, like number of horns

Monster Inheritance

In this lesson, with a few rolls of a die, our Monster Maker game, and a presentation, you will learn a bit about how traits are inherited. Explore the activities for the basics, or dive in further…
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 drawing of a list

Endangered Species

Read Making the List and then take this quiz to test your knowledge!

scorpion game

Venom!

Play the Venom! Game

The shape of a molecule is very important. It’s what makes it possible for proteins to interact with other parts of the cell. In…

EcoChains logo, a polar bear over an iceberg with text below that says EcoChains.

EcoChains: Arctic Futures

Play EcoChains: Arctic Futures

EcoChains: Arctic Futures is a game that introduces you to arctic life and ice that is so very important for survival.…

A pipe filling a glass of dirty water with an arrow to another pipe filling a glass with clean water.

Water Treatment Facility Game

Play Water Treatment Facility Game

Build your own water treatment plant by placing the cleaning steps in the correct order! Learn how each…

Blue the water drop character looking happy and holding an Arizona map.

Myth or Fact - Arizona Water Game

Play Arizona Water Myth or Fact Game

Every state has its own strategies and approaches to make sure people, cities, and the environment gets…