World of Biology

Read about research projects being conducted at Arizona State University. Many of the articles you find on this page are written by graduate students in the life sciences departments. The list is always growing so be sure to come back and visit often.

Earth Day All Year

Written by: Dr. Biology

We celebrate Earth Day every year, but in reality every day is Earth day. For our part here are some fun activities and things you can do to help the Earth.

Exercise for Your Brain

Written by: CJ Kazilek, Gabriel Shaibi

Not all exercise is the same, but all exercise can help you grow strong and keep you healthy. Exercise can also help you with your homework and that science project due at the end of the year.

Face to Face with Ants

Written by: Tate Holbrook

Imagine being the size of an ant. Be careful - a face-to-face encounter with an ant would be scary and potentially life-threatening! But, if you avoided being eaten, you could learn a lot about ant anatomy from a close-up view. Ants have many body parts that are normally hard to see without a magnifying glass or microscope. And each structure has its own special function.

Falling into Freshwater

Written by: Jason Borchert

Lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers are all sources of freshwater. But there is a lot less freshwater on earth than you might think. Fall into freshwater with us to learn some new things about this near-saltless water biome.
Also in: Español | Français | Português

Feather Biology

Written by: CJ Kazilek

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 these feathered animals.
Also in: Français | Español | Türk

A black box, shown in support of the Black Lives Matter movement

Fighting Racism and Bias

Written by:

Ask A Biologist stands in support of Black Lives and people of color (POC). As a scientific and academic entity, we have benefitted from the progress made by Black people and other POC, and have learned from the viewpoints of people with a diverse range of backgrounds. Despite the benefits of supporting diversity in science, racism is inherent in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) fields, and across all of academia.

Focusing on Physiology

Written by: Karla Moeller, Pierce Hutton

As you go about your day, breathing and thinking, with your heart beating, your body is working. It sends and receives signals, grows, and stores fat, among hundreds of other functions. All of these functions make up your physiology, or how your body works. The same is true for every living animal.

Frozen Life

Written by: Kyle Kinzler

When you think of the Arctic, you might picture mostly empty ice. But the Arctic ecosystem is home to many organisms, from microscopic bacteria to large animals like whales and polar bears. Much of this life in the Arctic depends on tiny organisms called plankton which make up the base of the food web.
Also in: Español

Grasping Grasslands

Written by: Stephanie Bittner

Grasslands may look like they sound – just land filled with grass – but there is a lot more to grasslands than you might think.
Also in: Español | Français | Português

An illustration of gloved hands holding a petri dish where cells are being grown

Growing Cells

Written by: Sunaina Rao

Growing cells outside our bodies in tiny plastic dishes might seem a bit complex. But scientists have been doing this for many years now. It has opened our eyes to the bustling life inside our tiny cells and has led to some life-saving technologies.

Do different "races" exist?

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World of Biology

Earth Day All Year

Exercise for Your Brain

Face to Face with Ants

Falling into Freshwater

Feather Biology

Fighting Racism and Bias

Focusing on Physiology

Frozen Life

Grasping Grasslands

Growing Cells

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World of Biology

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