Read our stories
Listen and watch
Enjoy our activities
View zoom galleries
Solve puzzles
Welcome to Ask A Biologist. This site has a large collection of biology learning materials that includes stories, games, activities, videos, and a podcast.
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…
There are many types of relationships that exist in the living world. This episode dives into one special relationship that an insect has with some tiny microbes. It is a life and death story that microbiologist John McCutcheon has been exploring. Dr. Biology gets the…
For many organisms, reproduction is a huge part of life. But what, exactly, does reproduction mean? Well, it can mean so many different things, including breeding or not, caring for young (or not), or giving birth (or not)... read on to learn about the diversity of ways that organisms reproduce…
An interview with microbiologist Shelley Haydel from the School of Life Sciences and the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University by co-host Marissa Henderson. This episode gives you something to think about when it comes to mud and why we say science is…
What animal runs so fast that it temporarily goes blind? It turns out that these tiny insects are fast, but don't have enough brain power to keep up with their speed. Learn more about these tiny tigers in this video.
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…
Dr. Biology along with a group of curious high school students learn why Detective Flora Delaterre is investigating plants and how they can be the perfect medicine for what makes you sick.
We peek behind the curtain of SICB and the band of scientists who are investigating the world of animal communication. Scientists Kim Hoke and Nate Morehouse sit down with Dr. Biology and talk about how the Spatio-temporal Dynamics in Animal Communication group…
Scientific Method
Read Using the Scientific Method to Solve Mysteries and then take this quiz to test your knowledge!
Venom!
Play the Venom! GameThe shape of a molecule is very important. It’s what makes it possible for proteins to interact with other parts of the cell. In this…
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.
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.
Ant Farm
Farming ants might sound like a crazy thing to do unless you might like to eat chocolate covered ants. It turns out we can learn a lot from ants and the best way is to build your own ant farm.…
Wordsearch | Crossword
Making the List
By the time the first endangered species list was made, many species had already gone extinct. Some species, like whooping cranes, were almost extinct at that time. But the US…
Wordsearch | Crossword
Desert Diggers
The digger bee is just one of about a thousand species of native bees in Arizona, many of which have females that burrow into the ground with their jaws and legs when constructing a nest.
…Wordsearch | Crossword
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.
Wordsearch | Crossword