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

Did you ever wonder what causes river rocks to be slippery? Can you believe it's the same thing that causes plaque on your teeth? Learn about this "biofilm," and how Valerie Stout is fighting it (in some cases) to improve medicine.

Periods are a natural, normal part of life, and many people around the world experience them. So let’s talk about why and how they happen.

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.

Also in: Español

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: Español

For hundreds of years, scientists have explored life on Earth with their feet firmly planted on the ground. Doing research was either in the laboratory, or out in the field. But in recent years exploring our planet has taken to the air. Dr. Biology gets to spend some time with ecologist
Dr. Biology learns how birds might have developed their ability to fly from ornithologist Ken Dial. The two talk about the evolution of bird flight and some of the other cool things birds can do - like are penguins really flying birds?
Dr. Biology sits down to learn from two of the best science journalists in the world. Listen in as he gets some pointers from Pauline Davies and Robyn Williams.

In the tiny world of DNA, we might call genomes monsters. These huge sets of information include all the codes for all the genes present in an organism. From genomes, we can learn about the traits, diseases, and evolution of a species, and that’s just a start. What might such a monster set of…

Cell viewer game

Cell Parts Game

Explore the Cell Viewer Game

Cells are the basic building blocks of life, but what all do cells hold? You can now look inside of cells to learn…

Poppy flower

Composting

Microorganisms in action! Turn a pile of grass clippings into an experiment.
A logo with a brightly colored coral and the letters EcoChains below it.

EcoChains: Coral Futures

EcoChains: Coral Futures

In EcoChains: Coral Futures, your mission is to build and protect a thriving coral reef ecosystem. You’ll build your reef…

bee dance

Bee Waggle Dance Game

Play the Bee Dance Game

Did you know that honey bee workers tell their sisters where to find the best flowers and nectar with a dance? It is called…

A cartoon illustration of a mosquito biting human skin

Epic Mosquito Quest

Play Epic Mosquito Quest

Mosquitoes go beyond annoying, to being downright dangerous at times. How can you reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home, to…

A tablet, squash, plant, and fish

Conserving Water

Play Water Conservation Game

How can you save water? You might start by figuring out what uses the most water in your life. In this choice-…

Nano building game

Nano Building

Play the Bionanoengineering Game

Basic building patterns can be used to think about how technologies are built at the nano-scale. Try your hand…