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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.
Being an astronaut is a cool job, but before you sign up you should know life in space isn’t all fun and games. The lack of gravity can make our bodies act in strange ways.
Going where no one has gone before sounds exciting, but are we ready to go to Mars? Traveling long distances, and living on another planet is going to be a challenge. You could say an extreme challenge because of the conditions in which we will have to live. Dr. Biology learns a bit about the…
The desert is a tough place to live – food may be tough to find, rain only comes in certain seasons, and the temperatures can be hard to handle. How does one special lizard, the Gila monster, deal with these difficulties?
What life lies below the surface of the water? A question that marine biologist Susanne Neuer has been studying since her childhood days. Now it is a career that she loves.
Giant beetles, flying treadmills, oxygen and prehistoric insects are just a few of the things that Dr. Biology learns about when visiting with biologist Jon Harrison.
Could fire be important for life on Earth? Would Earth be the same without fire? These are just a few of the many questions we have for fire researcher Stephen Pyne about fire and its role with life. Did we also mention his battle with a dragon? If you have a burning desire to…
Here's the 2012 crop of Ugly Bug candidates. You can help elect the insect that will be the winner and perhaps the next 00 secret agent. Who knows - James Bond might need a few extra hands or legs - like maybe 6.…
Are there really flesh-eating scarab beetles, or is it a movie myth? Dr. Biology and biologist Mary Liz Jameson talk about scarab beetles, dung, and even some insect recipes, minus the dung, for humans to try out for their next dinner or pot-luck.
Antibiotics vs Bacteria
Read Antibiotics vs Bacteria: An Evolutionary Battle and then take this quiz to test your knowledge!
Bee Waggle Dance Game
Play the Bee Dance GameDid you know that honey bee workers tell their sisters where to find the best flowers and nectar with a dance? It is called the…
Life of the Leafcutter
Learn what makes leafcutter ants unique and understand how the different castes of ant work together to provide for the colony.
Ant Gallery (Get up-close to ants)
Now is the time to check out these amazing animals from the safety of your own computer.
Tiger Beetle Zoom Gallery (Up-close with tiger beetles)
Some of the fastest animals on Earth are below. That’s right, if these tiny insects were as large as a horse they would be running 200 miles an hour.
Pollen Gallery (Pollen up-close)
Pollen comes in many shapes and sizes. These are just a few of the thousands of examples.
Feather Biology
Almost everyone has wished at one time or another to be able to fly like a bird. Just the thought of soaring above your city or town without any mechanical device gives us a reason to envy…
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Migrating Monarchs
Thousands of orange and black shapes flutter through the trees. Welcome to one of the few wintering homes of the monarch butterfly. Also in: Español…
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Making Life Crystal Clear
Much like a mechanical watch, living things only work when all the gears work together. Some of the tiniest of gears are proteins. Learning about the shape and size of these proteins is the job…
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How Do Beetles Reproduce?
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,…
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