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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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Mutations can change how genes work and produce big changes in our bodies. Kerry Geiler-Samerotte is tracking how mutations affect cells at the microscopic level.

If the world of fashion were to choose the most fabulously colored animals they would likely decide upon butterflies and birds. These animal fashion statements are well known to most people, but what is less clear is how and why these bright colors have evolved in the animal world.

If you spend some time hiking around the American Southwest, you might be lucky enough to spot a Gila monster. But you probably won't see one climbing a tree.

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.

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 …

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

An interview with, biologist, movie maker, and Pulitzer Prize winning author Bert Hölldobler. Venture into the world filled with amazing facts and feats by an animal that will remain a mystery... at least until you listen to the clues at the beginning of this episode and make…

Who in this mysterious cast of characters is the ugliest? Look in the study — is it Colonel Mustard? Or is Ms. Scarlet, hiding in the library, the most grotesque? Get the clues and decide on your own.
Monster game

Monster Maker

Play Monster MakerBuild your own monster by decoding the monster genome in Monster Maker, a DNA game. It is not very different from what happens in every…
An eye in puzzle pieces

Seeing Color

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

Microbes cartoon

Microbes

Microbes: The Good, the Bad, The Ugly takes you on comic book journey inside the human body where there are both good and bad bacteria and viruses.

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.

Microorganisms cartoon illustration

An Invisible Watery World

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…

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Tree lizard puzzle

Mighty Morphing Tree Lizards

Biologists at Arizona State University hope that by learning more about animal behavior, they will also be able to understand why people act the way they do. Also in:…

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Ants carrying puzzle pieces

Collecting Ants

There are several different ways to get ants for an ant farm, depending on when you would like to start the farm and how long you would like for your ant farm to last.

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Nerve impulse thumbnail

A Nervous Journey

Let’s take a ride. It is going to be a fast one, so be prepared. Where are we going? We are going to start at your head and end up at your toes. It may not seem like a long trip, but it is…

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