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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.
If you are a tobacco plant, you have a bad reputation. The link to cancer and other health related diseases is cause for any person to avoid you. But there is another side to this plant. Dr. Biology sits down with biologist Charlie Arntzen to talk about how tobacco plants are…
These fluttering icons of North America are a favorite of many people across the world, but they may be having some population problems. Don’t worry though, there are ways you can help. Conservation specialist Gail Morris talks with our student guest host Kayna Lantz…
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.
What happens when you mix part Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson with biology? You get an adventure that has filled many lifetimes (bird lifetimes). Dr. Biology had the opportunity to sit down with Peter and Rosemary Grant to talk about the more than 30 years…
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.
"Your home has termites" – is not something anyone wants to hear. But these insects are really important for our survival. Dr. Biology learns about these insects from entomologist, Barbara Thorn. It turns out that these critters are like tiny 'green machines' and one of the…
Around 4,000 years ago, on the wind-swept island of St. Kilda, Scotland, people started creating a food storage of sorts. They moved a population of sheep to the island, likely as a backup food resource for when times were tough. Little did they know that their actions would affect 21st-century…
The life of a biologist may not be what you expect. It is not all white lab coats and microscopes. There are remote islands, makeshift shacks that serve both for sleeping and a field laboratory. For this guest, it also includes cricket serenades and nighttime scuba dives in the ocean filled with…
Managing Mosquitoes
Learn about mosquito life cycles, the dangers of mosquitoes, and how to protect yourself and reduce breeding grounds for mosquitoes around your home.
Using the Scientific Method: The Case of the Mystery Images
Play The Case of the Mystery ImagesLooking for another detective assignment? Practice all the new detective skills you learned in the…
Seasoned to the Tilt
Have you ever thought about your favorite season, and why it looks and feels the way it does? This activity will help you see and understand why Earth has seasons, and the two things that…
Antibiotics vs Bacteria
Read Antibiotics vs Bacteria: An Evolutionary Battle and then take this quiz to test your knowledge!
Pollen Gallery (Pollen up-close)
Pollen 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.
Plankton Zoom Gallery (Plankton up-close)
Plankton comes in many shapes and sizes. These are just a few of the thousands of examples.
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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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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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…
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Bee Jeweled
Orchid bees come in an amazing array of shapes and colors. You could call them the jewels of the bee kingdom. Also in: Nederlands | …
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