Welcome to Ask A Biologist. This site has a large collection of biology learning materials that includes stories, games, activities, videos, and a podcast.

Whether coming up with new methods for microscopes, or finding out new things about photosynthesis, Petra Fromme loves the process of discovery.

Temperature is important to all organisms, including you. Professor Angilletta studies the thermal biology of animals, which means that he investigates how different temperatures affect them.

Being a parent is hard work. Though a snake might not seem comforting to you, pythons are actually very dedicated moms that take good care of their kids.Also in: Español

Most girls around the world have periods, but how and why do periods happen? Periods are part of the menstrual cycle, which is an essential part of the female reproductive system.

Dive into the behavior and physiology of two different primate species that are helping biologists explore the science of stress, aging, and immunity. Dr. Biology sits down with scientist Noah Snyder-Mackler from Arizona…

Coral reefs may look like colorful rocks, but they’re living animals that support entire ocean ecosystems. In this episode, Dr. Biology chats with professor Liza Roger, whose lab at Arizona at Arizona State University is home to corals, sea anemones, and some unusual upside-down jellyfish. Together…
It is surprising how much of the land on Earth is what scientists call drylands. You might think that these areas are not crucial to life on the planet, but in fact, they are. They are also some of the most challenging places to do research. Part of the challenge is what we see above ground is only…

Looking into the past can be strange and exciting. To understand a past that goes back millions of years, we often depend on the stories told by fossils. Dr. Biology talks with anthropologist Donald Johanson about Lucy, a fossil of human ancestors that has taught us some…

Dr biology looking at some ants

Collecting Ants

Read Collecting Ants and then take this quiz to test your knowledge!

a fig and a wasp

Fig Wasps

Read Life and Death of a Fig Wasp and then take this quiz to test your knowledge!

scorpion game

Venom!

Play the Venom! Game

The shape of a molecule is very important. It’s what makes it possible for proteins to interact with other parts of the cell. In…

Drops of water

Heavy Water

This activity explores how the temperature of water affects its density. You will need to gather the following materials: a pencil; a small paper cup; a small-mouthed, clear-glass jar (the cup…

hand bones

Busy Bones

Explore the Bone Anatomy Viewer

Ever wonder what’s inside your bones? Here’s your chance to find out! Dissect a virtual bone and learn…

An illustration of pea pods with different genes (yellow and green, and round and wrinkled)

Genetics Game

Play Garden Gene Genius

Our genes control much of how we look and who we are. But do you really know how genetics work? Take a moment to gather some…

Monster game

Monster Maker

Play Monster Maker

Build your own monster by decoding the monster genome in Monster Maker, a DNA game. It is not very different from what…

A colorful DNA helix, three Cas9 proteins, and a handful of florescent markers.

Cracking CRISPR

Play Cracking CRISPR

DNA is the key to life, so it's no wonder that we've been working to crack the code. With the tool CRISPR Cas9, we'…