Biology

Tapeworms, like this one imaged using a scanning electron micrograph, weaken their victims but don't typically kill them.

The World's Parasites Are Going Extinct. Here’s Why That’s a Bad Thing

Up to one-third of parasite species could vanish over the next few decades, disrupting ecosystems and even human health

Taxonomic vandalism can have disastrous consequences for wildlife conservation—but it could also impact human health. Shown here, an African spitting cobra poised to strike.

A Few Bad Scientists Are Threatening to Topple Taxonomy

Naming species forms the foundation of biology—but these rogue researchers are exposing the flaws in the system

Gesundheit! African Wild Dogs Sneeze to Vote on Group Decisions

A new study found that the more the pooches sneeze, the more likely they are to set off on a hunt

A baby gray whale surfaces in Magdalena Bay, Baja, Mexico.

A Whale’s Baleen Bristles Reveal the Story of Its Life

Like tree rings, these layered plates hold chemical clues to how the animals adapt to a changing world

Why Are Some Leaves Massive and Others Minuscule?

Researchers have found that the rainfall, sunshine and the threat of frost or overheating set the maximum size for leaves

A member of the Myrmoteras genus of trap-jaw ants, with mandibles deployed.

Prying Apart the Mighty Bite of a Malaysian Trap-Jaw Ant

Its mandibles strike in a fraction of a blink of an eye, but how does it do it?

Warning: Here's a King Cobra Swallowing Another Snake Whole

Raja the King Cobra is about to eat. He’s sunk his teeth into an ambushed rat snake, shot a dose of neurotoxin into it, and is now about to swallow it

This slimy green algae is far more complex than the type that helped fuel the formation of modern creatures, but it's a distant relative.

How Microscopic Algae Kick-Started Life As We Know It

Some 650 million years ago, algae took over the seas, which may have been a needed spark in the formation of complex life

Watch Two King Cobras Romance Each Other

King cobra mating techniques aren’t subtle. To indicate his interest, the male will engage in frequent headbutting with the female

Monarch caterpillars feeding on milkweed leaves and dropping their feces (taken in the laboratory facility).

How Insect Poop Could Solve All Our Problems

Bugs use their feces for weapons, navigation and gardening. Can we tap into this poop party?

A new tissue paper (as in, paper made from biological tissue) is so strong it can be folded into origami.

A Lab Accident Leads to Bioactive "Tissue Paper"

A spill of bioactive ink made from ovarian cells led to the creation of paper made from organs and tissues, with various potential medical uses

This protein powder is made of bacteria that use hydrogen as their energy source. Not the most appetizing thought for some, but the researchers who developed this say using this as livestock feed could free up land for other purposes.

Scientists Make Food From Bacteria, Water, Electricity, and a Whole Lot of Patience

You may have heard that Finnish scientists had made food from electricity, but the truth is more complicated

This bubble eye goldfish may or may not be drunk.

How Do Goldfish Survive Winter? They Make Alcohol

A mutant enzyme allows goldfish and carp to live in low oxygen ponds by turning toxic lactic acid into ethanol

The Joshua tree is one of the Mojave Desert's most iconic inhabitants. But it's under threat—and the key to saving it may lie in better understanding its tiny winged partner.

How a Tree and Its Moth Shaped the Mojave Desert

The partnership between the Joshua tree and the yucca moth may be key to understanding how plants and insects co-evolve

Jenks' mice, preserved at Harvard in alcohol in a 12-inch tall glass jar, are each tagged with critical information.

A Scholar Follows a Trail of Dead Mice and Discovers a Lesson in Why Museum Collections Matter

A former Smithsonian curator authors a new book, <i>Inside the Lost Museum</i>

A close-up of a camel spider's multifaceted mouthparts, taken in Namibia's Namib Desert.

Camel Spiders Are Fast, Furious and Horrifically Fascinating

Yet another mystery about these arachnids: Why are they so intent on mass-murdering ants?

Luckily stress doesn’t do this to you!

How Your Body Reacts to Stress

A little tension can keep you on your toes. Too much can break down the system

A green bluebottle fly, part of the Calliphoridae family of carrion flies.

How Fly Guts Are Helping Researchers Catalog the Rainforest

These tiny, buzzing lab assistants provide scientists with a treasure trove of conservation data

By editing a gene soon after fertilization, scientists were able to successfully fix a disease-causing mutation in human embryos

Five Things to Know About the Latest Gene Editing Breakthrough

While it's not the first case of genetically modifying human embryos, the study has reignited a long-running controversy

In a healthy reef, coral symbionts make food for the coral animal.

A Blueprint for Genetically Engineering a Super Coral

Why some researchers are proposing a drastic measure to save a threatened ecosystem

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