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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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The desert is a tough place to live – food may be tough to find, rain only comes in certain seasons, and the temperatures can be hard to handle. How does one special lizard, the Gila monster, deal with these difficulties?
If a living organism freezes, it can die. But by freezing living cells at just the right temperature, scientists can preserve living cells instead of killing them.
Elizabeth Pringle grew up in a family of biologists, but didn't think she would end up as a biologist until she fell in love with research.

We peek behind the curtain of SICB and the band of scientists who are investigating the world of animal communication. Scientists Kim Hoke and Nate Morehouse sit down with Dr. Biology and talk about how the Spatio-temporal Dynamics in Animal Communication group…

Are there really flesh-eating scarab beetles, or is it a movie myth? Dr. Biology and biologist Mary Liz Jameson talk about scarab beetles, dung, and even some insect recipes, minus the dung, for humans to try out for their next dinner or pot-luck.

An interview with taxonomist Diana Lipscomb from George Washington University. Dr. Biology dives into the mystery of the dying coral reefs. This is a hot topic in the marine biology world and one you are sure to learn a lot about these amazing animals.

Have you ever wished for a place on the Web where you could find quality science content that you can count on and trust? Your wish has been granted. Learn about the National Science Digital Library and all the projects and resources created just for science, technology, engineering and math. It…

What does it take to attract a mate? For some animals it requires some push-ups. Other animals have a dance. And in both cases showing off some color is important. Dr. Biology catches up with biologist David Clark to learn more about his lizards and the robot lizards he has built…

Build an Ant Farm

Have you ever watched ants going into and out of their nest, and wondered what was going on underground? It’s pretty hard to find out from the surface. If you dig up the nest, the ants get…

Zoomed in picture of grassbug

Ugly Bug Contest 2011

Ugly Bug Contest 2012

Comparative physiology game

Frankenstein's Lab

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…
some puzzle pieces with pollen cells

Pollen

Read Pollen - Nature's Tiny Clues and then take this quiz to test your knowledge!

Tiger Beetle Zoom Gallery (Up-close with tiger beetles)

Some of the fastest animals on Earth are below. That’s right, if these tiny insects were as large as a horse they would be running 200 miles an hour.

Plankton Zoom Gallery (Plankton up-close)

Plankton comes in many shapes and sizes. These are just a few of the thousands of examples.

Ant Gallery (Get up-close to ants)

Now is the time to check out these amazing animals from the safety of your own computer.

Pollen Gallery (Pollen up-close)

Pollen comes in many shapes and sizes. These are just a few of the thousands of examples.

Saguaro

Sonoran CSI

Little water, sweaty, hot summer days and frigid winter nights make the desert an uninviting place for most animals and plants. But hiding just below the surface, the desert is alive with…

Wordsearch | Crossword
Beetles puzzle piece

How Do Beetles Reproduce?

Every living thing must be able to reproduce and make offspring. Most of us are familiar with how humans and mammals make babies, but do all creatures reproduce in the same way? Do insects,…

Wordsearch | Crossword
Darwin and Mendel's Afternoon Tea

Darwin and Mendel's Afternoon Tea

An imaginary conversation between two great thinkers, Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel. While the monk, Mendel, had read Darwin’s publications - Mendel's work only came to be known later. We…

Wordsearch | Crossword
Ant close-up

Secrets of a Superorganism

Ants are everywhere - they thrive in forests, fields, deserts, and cities all over earth. But what is the secret behind their success? Like humans, ants are social. They live and work together…

Wordsearch | Crossword