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

When was the last time you folded a piece of paper to make a fun shape? Maybe you made a paper plane or tried origami to make a swan. Believe it or not, the building blocks inside your body also need to fold into the right shapes to work properly. In this activity, you can build your…

Humans think about food... A LOT. Our mouths might water thinking about the taste of pizza or a big salad or our favorite fruits. But how, exactly, does taste work? Also in: Español | Français

What is all the buzz about honey bees? Are they disappearing? Will you be attacked by the Africanized form of the honey bee? These are just a few of the things you will learn in this story.Also in: Español | हिंदी

An interview with biologist Raul Gutierrez. Dr. Biology and his co-host Taylor Cheatham learn about some very cool desert plants and some non-desert plants that are just wicked.

You are now entering another dimension. A dimension of insects determined to be crowned the next ugly bug champion.

Not what you might think - the study of some grasses might unlock some important understanding to many areas of science including treatments for cancer. Dr.Biology talk with Stan Feath, professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University and learns what secrets…

Imagine you want to pull a long cylinder-shaped piece of soil (called a core) out of the ground in your backyard. What kind of tools would you need? Find out how researchers collect cores in the Frozen Arctic.

An eye in puzzle pieces

Seeing Color

Read Seeing Color and then take this quiz to test your knowledge!

Teaching Kids About Germs

Let the Germs Begin

Germs are tiny organisms that can make you feel sick and cause disease. During this activity you will illustrate the steps germs take during transmission. You will learn about the different…

Ugly Bug Contest 2008

The Ugly Bug Contest has been part of the Flagstaff Festival of Science and Mt. Campus Science Day since 1997. Ask A Biologist is pleased to extend the contest to the world via the Web.…

a time machine with plants on it

Seeds

Read Time Traveling Plants and then take this quiz to test your knowledge!

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.

Feather Zoom Gallery (Feathers up-close)

There is nothing like seeing a feather up close.

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.

Pollen Gallery (Pollen up-close)

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

Monarch butterfly

Metamorphosis – Nature’s Ultimate Transformer

Transforming robots are favorites of television and movies, but nature has some of the best transformers. Animals that can change in ways that almost seem unbelievable. Also in:…

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Half human, half animal eye

Seeing Color

Did you ever wonder why you see the colors you do or if other animals see the same colors that you see? We see light that bounces off of things around us. When the light enters our eyes,…

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Bird puzzle

Feather Biology

Almost everyone has wished at one time or another to be able to fly like a bird. Just the thought of soaring above your city or town without any mechanical device gives us a reason to envy…

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Astronaut

Spaced Out Physiology

Being an astronaut is a cool job, but before you sign up you should know life in space isn’t all fun and games.  The lack of gravity can make our bodies act in strange ways.

Also in…

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