Life Science

The part of your cells that helps you recover from a hangover is shaped like a maze of tubes and is made of two parts — the rough endoplasmic reticulum and the smooth endoplasmic reticulum.

By Jesslyn Shields

Commensalism is a form of cooperation among species in which one species benefits from another without the first one suffering any harm from the relationship.

By Jesslyn Shields

Ashwagandha, sometimes called Indian ginseng or Indian winter cherry, is one of the most prized herbs in the Indian Ayurvedic science of life.

By Katie Carman

Most people throughout the world are right-handed. So can they teach themselves to use their left hands, too and become ambidextrous?

By Patty Rasmussen

Prokaryotic cells are like single-room efficiency apartments while eukaryotic cells are like mansions with many rooms — and they are the only two kinds of cells in the world.

By Jesslyn Shields

Found along beaches and in the mangrove swamps of tropical climates, the fruit of the manchineel tree was called the 'little apple of death' by Spanish conquistadors.

By Katie Carman

A single-celled algae, barely visible to the eye, plankton contributes to some of the world's most important resources and is essential to the food chain that supports all life.

By Stephanie Vermillion

We make a big deal about modern humans being smarter than Neanderthals, but, really, are we?

By Jesslyn Shields

You could be excused for thinking that, of course, all animals breathe oxygen to live. Because it wasn't until very recently that scientists discovered the only multicellular animal that doesn't. Meet Henneguya salminicola.

By Jesslyn Shields

Influenza, Ebola and COVID-19 are all viruses. Find out what a virus does to your body and how to decrease your chance of exposure.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D. & Patrick J. Kiger

Viruses need hosts to replicate and reproduce. So if a virus has no host, how long can it survive? It depends on a lot of factors.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

Epigenetics – instructions on how your genes are read and whether they are expressed or not – proves that your body is not permanently set on a specific course from the moment you're born.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

If you engage in constant self-talk, it may surprise you that some people think in pictures instead or do nothing at all. And the number of people truly having an inner monologue may not be as great as you think.

By Nathan Chandler

People often make vision boards at the start of the year. Some swear by vision boards for making their dreams come true. But is there any science to back that up?

By Alia Hoyt

Requiring little care and upkeep, daffodils are bright, showy perennials that symbolize rebirth and new beginnings.

By Wendy Bowman

Cork is the go-to material for wine stoppers and bulletin boards. So are we really running out of it? And if so, what happens?

By Wendy Bowman

We all know what it feels like to be burned out. But does that really mean that our brain is tired? And is it the same as when other muscles tire out?

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

On Johns Island, South Carolina, stands an oak tree so big and beautiful that people come just to stand under its branches and feel the magic.

By Patty Rasmussen

You probably feel like you have very little in common with that banana lying on your kitchen counter. But science says you do! So, how is this possible? And is that stat accurate? We talk to the scientist who did the research.

By Alia Hoyt

Chloroplasts are where some of the most miraculous chemistry on Earth goes down.

By Jesslyn Shields

Blood transfusions are required in the U.S. every two seconds. That's why the research from the Withers Lab, which converted Type A blood to universal donor blood using bacteria, is so groundbreaking.

By John Donovan

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.

By Jesslyn Shields

How do we consider a Thing with no edge? Ecosystem ecologists are always trying.

By Jesslyn Shields

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