If it weren't for plants, most of the other organisms on this planet wouldn't survive. Most plants can use energy from the sun to make their own food. Let's take a closer look at the complex process of photosynthesis that gives them this special ability.Also in: Nederlands | Français | Español | Português | Türk | عربى | தமிழ்
Ask A Biologist
Biology Stories
Explore the world of biology and meet some of our biologists. Here you can learn about the living world and find out what is so cool about biology that someone would do it for a living. Pick a story to read or listen to one of our podcast shows filled with guest scientists who share their experiences and passion for discovery.
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 the eye?
The life and work of Gregor Mendel has some surprising pieces. Known as the father of genetics, his work was mostly unnoticed for 30 years after he published his famous paper. It is also possible this famous scientist suffered from test anxiety.
Also in: Türk
Extreme environments can be found on Earth, in space, and in the depths of the ocean. Dr. Biology and physiologist, astronaut, and mountain climber Scott Parazynski sit down and talk about what life is like to explore these environments. So hold on to your seat as we blast off for a fun trip. Did we mention the Vomit Comet?
The human brain works quickly and handles difficult tasks. Is it just the size of our brains that allows us to do these things? As it turns out, it may also have a lot to do with how well our brain cells can send multiple messages to other cells.
Tree shrews eat plants that are extremely spicy, while most other animals avoid these plants. What makes them able to stand this spiciness?
An interview with arachnologist Norman Platnick. Learn about the animal that has become famous through his Marvel Comics and movie action hero.
An interview with arachnologists Eileen Hebets and Lisa Taylor. Two women that defy the convention that women are all afraid of spiders. Listen in as Dr. Biology learns there are no Miss Muffets in this show.
As most spies know, the best way to infiltrate a group is to look and act like the members of that group. But what does it take to be a spy among ants? One beetle may have figured out the ultimate ant imitation strategy.
Some people on the internet want to trick you when it comes to science. Here are some tools you can use to arm yourself with the truth.
Also in: Español
Watching the news is a daily part of life for some people. What effect does that action have on the rest of your life? Scientists studied whether news reports can influence what you search for or communicate through your network when online.
It's a mystery, at least until you try to guess what animal children book author Conrad Storad is describing at the beginning of this episode. Joining Conrad is physiologist Michael Quinlan. Together they give us all the gory details behind this desert dwelling animal.
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 observed evolutionary change in an animal in the wild.
Feeling stressed out? Wonder what stress is or how to best to deal with stress? Then you might like to listen in as Dr. Biology talks with Miles Orchinik, Associate Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University, about his work on stress.
Many people know that the brain is important. But what does it really do, and who has a brain? In this article, scientists investigated what students think about these questions to try to understand how much they know about the brain.
Melissa Wilson Sayres never expected that her love for both math and biology would lead her to studying genetics and sex chromosomes. But the newest surprise in her work comes from finding out about some very colorful monsters.
RNA is an important molecule that often helps your body make proteins. But RNAs aren’t all the same—some may help your immune cells fight off infections by providing them with extra sugar.
Our biological sex affects the way we look in some obvious ways, like deciding what body parts we are born with. But, it also has effects on a range of other sexual traits that you might not expect.