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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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The colorful wings of butterflies and moths aren't just part of a beauty contest.  Learn how these changes in coloration have allowed species like the peppered moth to survive in an ever-changing environment.Also in: Deutsch |

Every living thing must be able to reproduce and make offspring. Most of us are familiar with how humans and mammals make babies, but do all creatures reproduce in the same way? Do insects, like the beetle, give birth to little insects? Also in:…

One of the benefits of being a biologist can be travel. There are some researchers who travel the globe as part of their work. Arvind Varsani is a molecular virologist who studies viruses found around the world. Dr. Biology was able to catch Arvind between trips to talk about his…
Most organisms have just one set of DNA. So why would some scientists want to work with or create organisms that have two sets of DNA?
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.
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.
Not what you might think - the study of some grasses might unlock some important understanding to many areas of science including treatments for cancer. Dr.Biology talk with Stan Feath, professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University and learns what secrets…
This is the story of wild rabbits, humans, and a virus that might lead to a treatment for cancer. It is also a lesson about learning from history and how a virus that is deadly to some rabbits could become a new cancer-fighting tool for humans. Twice humans moved wild rabbits from Europe to other…
Comparative physiology game

Frankenstein's Lab

Play Frankenstein's Lab. Dr. Frankenstein needs your help to learn about how the bodies of different animals work! Build your own creature from 3-D…
a time machine with plants on it

Seeds

Read Time Traveling Plants and then take this quiz to test your knowledge!

a cartoon of the temperate forest

Temperate Forest

Read Taking in the Temperate Forest and then take this quiz to test your knowledge!

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.

Pollen Gallery (Pollen up-close)

Pollen comes in many shapes and sizes. These are just a few of the thousands of examples.

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.

Building Blocks of Life Illustration

Building Blocks of Life

All living beings are made up of cells. Some of them are made up of only one cell and others have many cells. Also in: Español |…

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Endangered animal list

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…

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Half human, half animal eye

Seeing Color

Did you ever wonder why you see the colors you do or if other animals see the same colors that you see? We see light that bounces off of things around us. When the light enters our eyes,…

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Two ants carrying a puzzle piece

Ants

There are so many types of ants that it's funny the animated movie about them centers on one type that doesn't exist: a male worker ant. In this story you can explore some of the types of ants…

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