From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
- Environment
Camels have been dying after mistaking plastic for food
Plastic waste has been building up in the guts of some camels. It may now be killing off one percent of them in the United Arab Emirates each year.
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Scientists Say: Respiration
Breathe in and out, that’s respiration. Have a cell break down sugars for energy, and that’s respiration too.
- Brain
Loneliness makes our brains crave people
An area of the brain that lights up when hungry people see food also revs up when lonely people see social activities.
- Brain
A taste map in the brain is a scattering of tiny flavor islands
Some senses are highly organized in the brain. Taste is not. And that points to just how important it is.
- Animals
Touching allows octopuses to pre-taste their food
Special sensory cells in their arms’ suckers sense chemicals. Those cells allow them to taste the difference between food and poison.
- Health & Medicine
Strongest bones come from Goldilocks recipe of exercise and rest
Building strong bones for life depends on adolescents staying active and getting enough sleep. Sometimes a lot of sleep, like 11 hours!
- Psychology
Can’t remember? Maybe you multitask too much between screens
Splitting your attention between devices can make it hard to create new memories, even when you’re not multitasking.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Medullary bone
Medullary bone is a layer that forms inside bird and dinosaur bones. It’s a source of the calcium in eggshells.
- Plants
How to grow your own science experiment
Does fertilizer help plants grow better? You might expect it to, but how can you know? This experiment will help you test it yourself.
- Life
Ogre-faced spiders listen closely to snatch bugs from the air
Ogre-faced spiders can hear prey sneaking around behind them. Low frequencies can trigger a blind, backwards attack.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Apoptosis
When it’s time for cells to die, they need to do it carefully, so they don’t harm other cells.
- Plants
Please do not touch the Australian stinging tree
Stinging-tree leaves look soft and inviting, but one touch delivers agony. Structurally, the plant's painful chemical looks a lot like spider venom.
