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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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Part of what makes science fun and challenging is solving puzzles and investigating mysteries. For this episode, Dr. Biology sits down with ecologist Charles Brown and the two talk about his 40-year journey of discovery and rediscovery. This is a curious story that involves an…

Have you ever wondered why some twins look so alike and other siblings may not? Let’s explore how twins form in the womb and how they may grow up to be similar or different.
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…

When you visit a pond or the beach, what kinds of living things do you see in the water? Depending on the environment, you might find fish, frogs, crabs, insects, seaweed, or lily pads. Don’t let your eyes fool you, though… there’s a hidden world in water full of creatures too small to be…

An interview with arachnologists Eileen Hebets and Lisa Taylor. Two women that defy the convention that women are all afraid of spiders. Listen in as Dr. Biology learns there are no Miss Muffets in this show.

Natural history museums may not come to life as they do in a Hollywood movie, but they do have some amazing stories. They also have all kinds of cool stuff that many of us never get to see. Paleontologist Richard Fortey talks about the life and some of the treasures hidden…

Remember your last paper cut, or the bad cold that had you coughing and blowing your nose? It was your immune system that was busy trying to make you better by battling the bacteria or virus that was attacking your body. How your immune system works is the discussion Dr. Biology has with…

Step-by-step tutorial for building your own Pocket Seed Viewer. You can use it to test the effects of light, dark, temperature and gravity on seed germination and plant growth.

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!

a fig and a wasp

Fig Wasps

Read Life and Death of a Fig Wasp and then take this quiz to test your knowledge!

Zoomed in picture of bug

Ugly Bug Contest 2012

Vote in the 2012 Ugly Bug Contest!

Pollen Gallery (Pollen up-close)

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

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.

Bone Zoom Gallery (Up-close Inside Bones)

Take a look at the microscopic world of bone in our virtual bone histology lab. Just pick a microscope slide from below and click on it to view under the virtual microscope.

Time traveling seeds

Time Traveling Plants

Every year billions of babies are dried and buried, not to be unburied for weeks, months, years or even decades. Don't worry, these are not babies like your little brother or sister, these are…

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Two green salamanders

He Ain't Tasty He's My Brother

While cannibalism is fairly common among insects and crustaceans, most backboned animals avoid feeding on their own kind.

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Desert Fruits Rock!

Desert Fruits Rock!

Desert flowers do not own the spot light when it comes to beauty. Many desert fruits deserve equal attention.Also in: Español |…

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Monarch butterfly puzzle

Migrating Monarchs

Thousands of orange and black shapes flutter through the trees. Welcome to one of the few wintering homes of the monarch butterfly. Also in: Español…

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