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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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What are sickness behaviors and how are they tied to toxins and our immune system? Learn about the work Esther Florsheim is doing to find out how toxins are making us sick.

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.

Our biological sex is mainly controlled by our sex chromosomes. But sex hormones also influence what body parts and characteristics we have.

When it comes to fighting off bad germs, doctors have to use their best medicines. What do we do though, when our best weapons make our enemies stronger?Also in: Español | Italiano |…

Can storytelling transform biology research? Join us for an engaging conversation with Kayla Burgher and Risa Schnebly, two visionary PhD students at Arizona State University.…

A quiet western town waits for the arrival of the swarm of contestants for the 2011 Ugly Bug Contest. Who will be this year's most WANTED bug? 

Welcome to an exciting journey that takes you through the wild and fascinating world of zoos. Our guest for this episode is none other than Bert Castro, the President and Chief Exective Officer of the Arizona Center for Nature Conservation.…

Do you need to run five miles every day to get in shape and be healthy? Dr. Biology has a chance to sit down after a workout session to talk about exercise and kids with metabolic biologist Gabriel Shaibi. What he and a group of researchers found might surprise you.
Mama Ji and DNA

Mama Ji's Molecular Kitchen

There are lots of sites out there full of molecular techniques and protocols, but very little information (either online or in readable hardcopy form) that explain how and why these techniques…

a time machine with plants on it

Seeds

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

a zoomed in cartoon of plankton

Plankton

Read An Invisible Watery World and then take this quiz to test your knowledge!

Beetle Dissection

Beetle Dissection

Explore the Beetle Dissection

The outside of beetles can be shiny, dull, or extremely colorful. But what is going on inside of beetles? Take a…

Plankton Zoom Gallery (Plankton up-close)

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

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.

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.

Itty Bitty Beasts

Itty Bitty Beasts

Tardigrades are some of the toughest animals on earth. They can survive freezing, drying up, radiation, and space, all while being smaller than the tip of a pencil.

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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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Large Ants

Face to Face with Ants

Imagine being the size of an ant. Be careful - a face-to-face encounter with an ant would be scary and potentially life-threatening! But, if you avoided being eaten, you could learn a lot about…

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Pollen close up

Pollen - Nature's Tiny Clues

Most might be surprised that pollen is being used to catch thieves, illegal drug dealers, murders, terrorists, and even catching those who commit less visible crimes such as making and selling…

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