Life Science

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

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.

By Jesslyn Shields

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?

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

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.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

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

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.

By Jesslyn Shields

Cell division can be confusing, but it's not as difficult if you pretend chromosomes are sentences.

By Jesslyn Shields

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.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

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.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

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

A new global report says 1 million species are at risk of extinction — the greatest number in human history.

By Jonathan Strickland

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.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

It's easy to equate "Caucasian" with "white." But that one word — Caucasian — touches on issues much deeper than skin color.

By John Donovan