Category: 5. Biology

It’s estimated that around 13.4 million infants are born prematurely around the world, and preterm birth complications are a major cause of mortality for these babies. Preterm births can happen both…

Not all scars are created equal. That’s the conclusion of a new study by Weizmann Institute of Science researchers: They found that two distinct types of scars, referred to as “hot” and “cold,” can form in the diseased heart, and that…

Cell culture is a deliciously inviting hub for bacteria, fungi, and mycoplasmas. However, as our own ‘cell-culture sleuth’ points out, failing to detect and eliminate contamination can alter all aspects of…

Birds-of-paradise are a family of small to medium-sized forest birds found in the New Guinea region. With their elaborate and colorful feathers, these birds are among the most beautiful creatures on Earth. In a new study, ornithologists from…

The metabolism of theanine — a unique non-proteinogenic amino acid — is a necessary biological process during the planting and production of tea (Camellia sinensis) that determines tea quality.

Blue whales and other baleen whales, which filter seawater through their mouths to feed on small marine life, once teemed in Earth’s oceans. In the 20th century, 1.5 million baleen whales were slaughtered in the southern hemisphere,…

An international team of researchers has analyzed the groans, moans, whistles, barks, shrieks and squeaks in humpback whale song recordings collected over eight years in New Caledonia.

The fatty membrane surrounding every living cell is a vibrant environment where countless biological processes take place. This membrane protects the cell from its surroundings and divides it into internal compartments; it is responsible for…

Cave-dwelling, orb-weaving spiders of the subfamily Metainae infected by Gibellula attenboroughii exhibit behavioral changes similar to those reported for zombie ants.

If you can wiggle your ears, you can use the auricular muscles, which helped our distant ancestors listen closely. These muscles helped change the shape of the pinna, or the shell of the ear, funneling sound to the eardrums. Millions of years…