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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.
What are sickness behaviors and how are they tied to toxins and our immune system? Learn about the work Esther Florsheim is doing to find out how toxins are making us sick.
What could possibly be the difference between a cup of dirt and a cup of soil? Dr. Biology talks with microbiologist Ferran Garcia-Pichel about why he avoids the dirty word and prefers to say soil. Could it be there is more in a cup of dirt - excuse me a cup of soil than meets…
Have you ever wondered how evolution operates at a cellular level? Dr. Biology has a conversation with evolutionary biologist William Ratcliff in an episode that investigates the process of how single cell mutations can make the leap to coordinated groups of cells and ultimately…
What does it take to attract a mate? For some animals it requires some push-ups. Other animals have a dance. And in both cases showing off some color is important. Dr. Biology catches up with biologist David Clark to learn more about his lizards and the robot lizards he has built…
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…
So you think zombies are only on television and in the movies, think again. Dr. Biology learns the details of a nasty fungus and something called the "death grip" from biologist David Hughes. It turns out there are real live, well maybe not live, zombies. The good news is this…
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…
Love them or hate them, something is going on with male crickets on the island of Kauai. Once evenings filled with a chorus of these tiny singers has become strangely silent. Dr. Biology talks with biologist Marlene Zuk about how things are changing fast – maybe the fastest…
Metamorphosis
Read Metamorphosis – Nature’s Ultimate Transformer and then take this quiz to test your knowledge!
Doctor Know
Play doctor in the 21st century! Practice modern medicine by examining all dimensions of the body, from organs to molecules, as…
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'…
Virtual Reality Tours of Biology
See the world of biology through virtual tours. Visit different environments, travel through…
Using the Scientific Method: The Case of the Mystery Images
Play The Case of the Mystery Images
Looking for another detective assignment? Practice all the new detective skills you learned in the…