biology

A 19th-century illustration of a human heart.

Technically, your heart isn’t made of gold. And don't wear it in on your sleeve—you’ll make a mess. Here are 11 scientific facts about your ticker.

Mantis shrimp can deal incredible blows without damaging themselves, but how? The makeup of their armor is key.

George Washington died after his physician treated his sore throat with bloodletting, but don't let that stop you from learning more about the human circulatory system.

The funnel they use to get around serves a dual purpose.

Newly metamorphosed Darwin’s froglet at London Zoo.

The Southern Darwin’s frog is unique in the amphibian world, and conservationists are racing to save it from extinction.

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

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

Witness a mushroom coral on the move.

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

Red hair and freckles are two traits partially determined by 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.

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

Certain smells become less pungent in cold air.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

It’s less than an inch in diameter.

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

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.