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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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An interview with cellular researcher and explorer Carolyn Larabell of the National Center for X-ray Tomography. Dr. Biology learns about the new microscope being developed to see inside cells in a way never before possible.

The majority of life in the ocean is found near the shore, in the coastal biome.Also in: Français | Español

An interview with palynologist Vaughn Bryant from Texas A&M. Listen in as Dr. Biology learns how pollen is providing clues for more than scientists. These tiny bits of information turn out to be something more than sneeze triggers.
An interview with biologist Doug Lake from the Arizona State University School of Life Sciences. Dr. Biology and his co-host Ramon Santos find out how something as simple as a paper cut can put our body defense to work.

These fluttering icons of North America are a favorite of many people across the world, but they may be having some population problems. Don’t worry though, there are ways you can help. Conservation specialist Gail Morris talks with our student guest host Kayna Lantz…

What is life and how do biologists decide if something is living or non-living? Dr. Biology visits with physicist Paul Davies and microbiologist Ferran Garcia-Pichel. They talk about life, extreme life forms (extremophiles), and the possibility of life on other…

An interview with arachnologist Norman Platnick. Learn about the animal that has become famous through his Marvel Comics and movie action hero.
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…
Brain tumor

Cutting Out Brain Tumors

Try out some of the new techniques that neurosurgeons are using to guide them during surgery.

Keys to the Ocean Taxonomy Game

Keys to the Ocean Game

Play the Keys to the Ocean GameOur world is full of different plants, animals, bacteria, and other life. But how do we know which species is which?…
Monster game

Monster Maker

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

Plankton Zoom Gallery (Plankton up-close)

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

Feather Zoom Gallery (Feathers up-close)

There is nothing like seeing a feather up close.

Pollen Gallery (Pollen up-close)

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

Ant Gallery (Get up-close to ants)

Now is the time to check out these amazing animals from the safety of your own computer.

Ants carrying puzzle pieces

Collecting Ants

There are several different ways to get ants for an ant farm, depending on when you would like to start the farm and how long you would like for your ant farm to last.

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Itty Bitty Beasts

Itty Bitty Beasts

Tardigrades are some of the toughest animals on earth. They can survive freezing, drying up, radiation, and space, all while being smaller than the tip of a pencil.

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Two illustrated bats

Bats

Like humans, bats are mammals. They are warm-blooded, covered in hair, have live young, and nurse their young (called pups). Unlike humans, bats have wings, which allow them to fly.Also in:…

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Scorpion with laser beams

Not So Scary Scorpions

Scorpions are often misunderstood. Many people say that scorpions are so aggressive they will sting themselves to death, but this is not a natural behavior of scorpions in the wild. Also in:…

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