All of our blog topics in biology and their related topics from the foundation to applied biology concepts and ideas.
When we die, is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Do we know when we’re clinically pronounced dead? How long does it take to actually happen? These are some of the questions that we’ve been asking since the dawn of time. Now, a new study suggests that, yes, we do know when …
Editor’s note: This post has been updated and broken links removed. Please see our policy on broken hyperlinks for more. A few years ago the term “hydroponic” may have conjured up a particularly fragrant cloud in your mind, but these days the horticultural subset is becoming a more popular way of growing produce. Most big grocery stores …
When goldfish are swimming around in their bowl, have you ever stopped to think about what they may be producing through their gills? As it turns out, these otherwise common fish have an uncanny ability to create something humans never would’ve guessed: alcohol. This is what one group of researchers recently determined in a study …
Picture, if you will, a group of campers enjoying an evening around the fire. As the sun sets, the woods darken around them. Nearby, on some rotting wood, the campers spot an eerie glow. Is it aliens? Is it radioactive goo? Nope! It’s probably just a colony of Panellus stipticus, a trippy, glowing mushroom. Panellus …
What if you could design your own children? As it turns out, we may not be far away from this. Thanks to CRISPR, scientists are honing in on the ability to alter DNA and create what we never could’ve imagined. (“Human embryos reportedly edited for first time in the US using CRISPR,” 2017) Shoukhrat Mitalipov of …
Most of us know that dogs evolved from wolves thousands of years ago, but how did they become as domesticated as they are today? Furthermore, is there any science behind their friendliness toward humans? As it turns out, there is data on this very topic. Recently, a group of researchers came together to look at …
As we munch on fresh sweet corn during summer cookouts, it may be easy to imagine that the Native Americans also enjoyed the butter-dipped goodness that is corn-on-the-cob, or maize, as it was originally called. After all, corn is New World plant that was an important food source, commodity, and spiritual item for the people …
The summer sun and heat calls people outside once again. With all the scares of mosquito transmitted diseases, the bug spray is par for the course. Who’s more at risk: city-dwellers or rural lovers? Research out of Panama suggests those along the main roads — whether they are rural or city dwellers are first choice …
Don’t let those hummingbirds fool you. Underneath that tiny, delicate, bejeweled exterior lies the heart of a fierce, angry, territorial bully that is not shy about flashing its wickedly aggressive side. Anyone who has watched humming birds around a backyard feeder can attest to the turf wars, trash talking, pushing and shoving that commonly occurs. …
Sometimes, when the beat drops, you can’t control yourself – you gotta dance! Turns out, this isn’t an exclusively human thing. Many animals have been observed moving in a rhythmic way, either to attract a mate or as a form of communication or to warn off predators – birds, dolphins, bears, dogs, squirrels, and honeybees, …