World of Biology

Searching for Alien Life

Written by: Finlay Warsop Thomas

Is there life on other planets? Let’s take a look at how scientists are trying to solve this mystery.

Searching the Savanna

Written by: Melinda Weaver

To a new visitor, the savanna may look just like a grassland with a few trees. But if you spend some time in the savanna, you learn it is quite different from other biomes.

Also in: Français | Español | Italiano | Deutsch

Secrets of a Superorganism

Written by: Tate Holbrook, Rebecca Clark, and Brian Haney

Ants are everywhere - they thrive in forests, fields, deserts, and cities all over earth. But what is the secret behind their success? Like humans, ants are social. They live and work together in highly organized societies called colonies.
Also in: Español

Secrets of Sleep

Written by: Sisi Gao, Patrick McGurrin

You sleep every night, but do you know what happens when your body sleeps or why we sleep the way we do?

Seeing Color

Written by: CJ Kazilek, Kim Cooper

Did you ever wonder why you see the colors you do or if other animals see the same colors that you see? We see light that bounces off of things around us. When the light enters our eyes, special cells tell our brains about the light.
Also in: Français

Sensing the World

Written by: Dr. Biology

Living things need to be able to sense the world around them to avoid danger, find food, find mates, and for other important activities. Learn about the five senses used by many animals to sense the environment.
Also in: Français

Singing in the Rain

Written by: Alex Brashears

Many things change during the seasons, including the temperature and the amount of rain that falls. Plants and animals also change with the seasons.
Also in: Español | বাংলা

Six-legged Recipes

Written by: CJ Kazilek, Mary Liz Jameson

Food fit for a king or maybe a local pot-luck dinner. These six-legged recipes will be sure to have everyone talking. In some cases, you might end up the buzz of the meal.

Snacking on Sunlight

Written by: Heather Kropp, Angela Halasey

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

Sonoran CSI

Written by: Kirsten Traynor

Little water, sweaty, hot summer days and frigid winter nights make the desert an uninviting place for most animals and plants. But hiding just below the surface, the desert is alive with microbes—tiny, living things too small to see without magnification.
Also in: Français | Español

Spaced Out Physiology

Written by: Amy Shira Teitel

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.

Also in: Shqipe | Italiano

Spotting Science Lies

Written by: Serena O’Sullivan

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

Switching of Seasons

Written by: Sisi Gao

You might think that most places on Earth experience the changing of seasons because of the distance from the Sun. But, surprise, that's not the cause. Come and learn some new information to lean on about the tilt of the Earth. 

Taking Care of Nature

Written by: Kayna Lantz, Maria Eller, Annika Andersen

Humans are constantly changing the world. This can be in good ways, like some conservation efforts, but sometimes it is also in bad ways, like with pollution. Learn the ways in which we can help the world around us by understanding how we affect nature.
Also in: Español

Taking in the Temperate Forest

Written by: Drew Peltier

In many fairy tales and folktales, the temperate forest is a place for discovery, adventure, and maybe a little magic. What makes this biome so special in our minds? Maybe it's the animals, the quiet that can be found there, or the way the leaves change color with the seasons.
Also in: Français | Español

The Peppered Moth: A Seasoned Survivor

Written by: Ronald Rutowski, Sean Hannam

The colorful wings of butterflies and moths aren't just part of a beauty contest.  Learn how these changes in coloration have allowed species like the peppered moth to survive in an ever-changing environment.
Also in: Deutsch | Español

The Tale of the Two-Headed Lampropeltis getula californiae

Written by: CJ Kazilek

A Common Kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula californiae, but this snake was anything but common. From the title of our story, you may have guessed that our snake, or maybe we should call it snakes, had two heads.

Time Traveling Plants

Written by: Elena Ortiz

Every year billions of babies are dried and buried, not to be unburied for weeks, months, years or even decades. Don't worry, these are not babies like your little brother or sister, these are baby plants, or as you might call them, seeds. Why would a mom do such a thing?
Also in: Français | Español

To Breed or Not to Breed

Written by: Sarala Pradhan, Ioulia Bespalova

For many organisms, reproduction is a huge part of life. But what, exactly, does reproduction mean? Well, it can mean so many different things, including breeding or not, caring for young (or not), or giving birth (or not)... read on to learn about the diversity of ways that organisms reproduce.