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.

I Spy an Ecosystem

Written by: Tamara Harms

We hear the word ecosystems in the news and at school but just what are ecosystems? It turns out there are lots of ecosystems. You might even learn you have some inside you!
Also in: Français | Español | 中文 | українською

Indiana Jane: Uncovering Mysteries of Ancient Disease

Written by: Kelly Harkins

The past can be hard to remember, so how can we go about studying it? Indiana Jane takes us on a tour of humans from the past, ancient microbes, and the bioarchaeologists that study them both.
Also in: Español

Itty Bitty Beasts

Written by: Ioulia Bespalova

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.

Keeping up With Kangaroos

Written by: Karla Moeller

When you think of kangaroos, you may just think of a hopping furry creature that has a pouch... but there is so much more to learn about them. Let's jump into the lives of kangaroos.

Life and Death of a Fig Wasp

Written by: Dani Moore

Fruit may just be something that you like to eat. For the fig wasp, fig fruit is more than just a food--it's where life begins and ends.

Linnaeus and the World of Taxonomy

Written by: Ruth Kearns

Have you ever wondered how animals and plants get their names? People give them names, lots of different names! That was how it used to be before Carl Linnaeus created the world of taxonomy.

Making Life Crystal Clear

Written by: Martine Oudenhoven

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 of X-ray crystallography.

Making the List

Written by: Johnny Winston

By the time the first endangered species list was made, many species had already gone extinct. Some species, like whooping cranes, were almost extinct at that time. But the US government did not begin to protect animals as endangered species until they were put on the official endangered species list.

Mama Ji's Molecular Kitchen

Written by: Guruatma "Ji" Khalsa

There are lots of sites out there full of molecular techniques and protocols, but very little information (either online or in readable hardcopy form) that explain how and why these techniques work.

Mapping the Future

Written by: Adriana Manrique

Most of us wish we could predict the future. We want to know everything from who will win the big football game to whether or not our favorite superhero will defeat the super villain. Biologists want to know the future too.

Brain scan created with molecular imaging

Does brain size relate to intelligence?

Answer >>

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