BIOLOGY

A detail of a copy of Michelangelo’s ‘David’

12 Facts About the Penis

The male sexual organ is more complicated than it might seem.

Study Reveals How Some Corals ‘Walk’ Across the Sea Floor

Witness a mushroom coral on the move.

Watch a Mushroom Play a Keyboard Through Electronic Sensors

Discover how Bionic and the Wires are turning fungi into electronic musicians.

Red hair and freckles are two traits partially determined by genes.

13 Facts About Genes

Humans are now known to have between 20,000 and 25,000 genes, but researchers still have much to learn about these small segments of DNA.

The corpse flower‘s name comes from its nasty smell.

Tune Into a Livestream of a Blooming Corpse Flower in Sydney

Catch the blooming of Sydney‘s corpse flower without being exposed to its infamous odor.

Certain smells become less pungent in cold air.

What’s Really Happening When You “Smell” Snow?

The sensation is real, but it doesn't have to do with odor.

Your lungs expel carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water vapor every time you exhale.

11 Facts About the Lungs

Taking in oxygen to power your whole body is just one part of your lung function. Altogether, your lungs are a highly efficient machine—and they do a lot more than you might think.

MRSA bacteria bound to a neutrophil, a type of infection-fighting white blood cell.

What Is Antibiotic Resistance?

Public health officials are concerned that we could move back into a situation like that of the early 20th century, before antibiotics were discovered.

13 Enlightening Facts About Body Fat

Body fat is not just something to get rid of. It plays important roles in the human body, from regulating metabolism to storing energy.

Velvet ants aren‘t actually ants. They‘re fluffy wasps.

‘Ultra-black‘ Velvet Ant Reflects Less Than 1 Percent of Light

Meet the insect with an exoskeleton so dark it absorbs almost all light.

Absolutely the last thing you want to see in your hotel room.

Study Identifies Genetic Mutations That Make Bed Bugs Hard to Kill

The bloodsucking hitchhikers have good reason to scoff at insecticides—they’re freakishly resistant to them.

12 Foundational Facts About the Liver

Not only is the liver your largest internal organ; it is in charge of hundreds of bodily processes ranging from fighting infection to manufacturing proteins and hormones to helping your blood clot.

13 Facts About the Spinal Cord

It’s less than an inch in diameter.

The pineal gland is located in the center of the brain.

10 Facts About the Pineal Gland

René Descartes once described the pineal gland as “the principal seat of the soul.” Medical knowledge has vastly progressed since his time, though. Here’s what we know about this critical organ.

Why Does Your Body Jerk Awake As You’re Trying to Fall Asleep?

Up to 70 percent of people have experienced hypnic jerks, but they’re usually nothing to worry about.

Foot pain and sprained ankles are just a few of the common problems affecting our ill-adapted feet.

6 Downsides of Human Evolution

From back injuries to difficult childbirth, here are six annoying parts of being human that you can blame on evolution.

Going on “fart walks” can alleviate digestion issues.

The Science and Benefits of “Fart Walks”

“Fart walks” could be the answer to your gastrointestinal woes.

Here’s the newly-discovered flea toad on top of a coin.

Recently Discovered ‘Toadlet’ Is One of Smallest Vertebrates on Earth

Researchers just described one of the tiniest frogs known to science.

The endangered species faces another obstacle.

Polar Bears Are Picking Up More Pathogens as Sea Ice Shrinks

Researchers recently found that polar bears are facing higher exposure to certain bacteria and viruses.

Tollund Man—a bog body at the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark

8 Kinds of Mummies That Aren’t From Ancient Egypt

China, Chile, and New Zealand are a few places that have historic mummies of their own.

Don’t expect 120th birthdays to become the norm anytime soon.

The Average Human Lifespan May Be Reaching a Plateau

Barring some dramatic medical advancements, living into your eighties remains the best-case scenario.

New ”Golden Lettuce” Was Engineered to Boost Nutrition

Golden lettuce isn’t just pretty—it’s good for you, too.

Watch Mesmerizing Footage of a Deep-Sea ‘Spaghetti Monster’

Bathyphysa conifera, or the flying spaghetti monster, can grow several feet long.

These creepy crawlers must defend themselves from many predators, such as lizards, snakes, and birds.

Tarantulas May Have Evolved Hair to Defend Against Army Ants

A new study on tarantulas reveals surprising insights into their relationship with army ants.

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