HowStuffWorks Newsletter
From the smallest microbe to the largest mammal, Life Science explores the origins, evolution and expansion of life in all its forms. Explore a wide range of topics from biology to genetics and evolution.
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Emotionally sensitive people sometimes get a bad rap from others. But being an empath can be a gift, as long as you take care of it. So how do you know if you're one?
By Alia Hoyt
No life, except possibly very small bacteria, would exist on Earth without photosynthesis.
How do we consider a Thing with no edge? Ecosystem ecologists are always trying.
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DNA websites can give you info about your ancestry and possible health issues. They can also give you trait reports about taste preferences and personal habits. But how much of that is really DNA-driven?
By Alia Hoyt
Yep, fungi are all around us — in the grocery store, in the woods or living on your discolored toenail. And fungi can break down almost anything.
For what looks like a big old lump of putty, the human brain is a truly incredible thing. Think of it as the body's Mission Control Center. Find out how much of a brainiac you are with our quiz.
By Alia Hoyt
When an electron loses its partner, it creates a free radical. So is that free radical now potentially hazardous to your health?
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These majestic trees send their roots down in pillars from branch to ground, can form a canopy over 80 feet high and can live to be 250 years old.
People who hallucinate typically see, hear, feel, smell or otherwise experience things that simply aren't real. Often, these sensory fake-outs indicate a serious medical condition.
By Alia Hoyt
Many of Sigmund Freud's well-known theories have been discredited by modern psychiatry. Does that include the Oedipus complex?
By John Donovan
At least not in nature. Scientists have discovered the two gene families that play key roles in making fruits and vegetables either round or long. Could a square fruit be on the horizon?
By Dave Roos
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While plant and animal cells are strikingly similar, the main difference between them is that plant cells are able to create their own food and animal cells cannot.
Cell division can be confusing, but it's not as difficult if you pretend chromosomes are sentences.
Humans are a diverse lot. We can look distinctively different. But is that because of race or ethnicity?
By John Donovan
Nearly every living cell is made of DNA, and every chromosome contains exactly one molecule of DNA. But not all cells are made of the same number of chromosomes.
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Before the widespread use of DNA, establishing the paternity of a child was a tricky business. Ever heard of the oscillophore?
By Dave Roos
The flightless Aldabra rail lives exclusively on the Aldabra Atoll in Madagascar. But it appears to have descended from birds that soar.
By Mark Mancini
Maybe. A study that wasn't even about kissing turned out to (sort of) give the answer.
Poison sumac is even more toxic than its cousins, poison ivy and poison oak, in its ability to cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems.
By Alia Hoyt
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A new global report says 1 million species are at risk of extinction — the greatest number in human history.
While researchers can't say from this small study whether hairy men are inherently germier than the rest of the human race, the results are startling.
It's easy to equate "Caucasian" with "white." But that one word — Caucasian — touches on issues much deeper than skin color.
By John Donovan
Does everyone have a double out there somewhere that they don't know about? Science says the odds are pretty slim.
By Alia Hoyt
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This stunning sight is totally natural and totally cool.
Researchers from Penn State University College of Medicine suggest that a shared circuit in the brain could be one reason why heavy drinking and high-fat 'junk food' cravings go hand in hand.