Western Spadefoot (Spea hammondii) Image from Wikimedia Commons Listen to the call of the Western Spadefoot

If you could think of an ocean animal with eight arms, living in the deep depths of the sea, and propelling itself forward with jet propulsion? If you said squid or octopus, you’re wrong! Despite the misnomer, the vampire squid is neither a squid nor an octopus. With the average squid having eight arms and two long tentacles and the average octopus having eight arms, the long filament-like appendages (that are able to retract into pouches) of the…

Remember in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones when Jango Fett was cloned to create a clone army to fight against Count Dooku’s Separatist droid army? And eventually the clones turned on the Jedi? It ponders the question whether humans can be cloned in order to create a giant army to take over the world. Scientifically, human cloning is a real science and the cloning of billions of humans is possible, but may not be plausible.

Roadside Hawk (Buteo magnirostris) Image from Wikimedia Commons

Mountain Dew. Skittles. Jell-O. Fruit Loops. Barbecue sauce. Anyone can go buy these items from any grocery store due to their popularity and accessibility. However, has anyone looked at the ingredient list? While the flavors are entirely different, they do have an ingredient in common—Red No. 40, the hottest topic in the food dye world at the moment. Whenever I hear talk of how bad it probably is, it makes me think about what I eat and how it is affecting my health, so I decided to do some looking into what the dye actually is and what it does to those who consume it.

Defining the human microbiome has been a struggle for scientists for a long time. Eventually, Joshua Lederberg coined the term in 2001 as the biological ecosystem of symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms that we share our body with. While microbiota (the microbial organisms in the body) and the microbiome (the collection of microbial organisms and their genes) have different definitions, they are often used interchangeably.

YouTube video by Andrew Isbell

There is an assassin out there that always meets their mark, never ages, and is virtually indestructible. They can strike immediately or wait years before attacking its victim. They can clone themselves thousands of times and remain as deadly as ever years later. And what’s worse? They are not even alive. Mad cow, kuru, CJD, and more. Prion diseases are one of, if not, the deadliest type infectious disease out there.

A White Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) Image from Wikimedia Commons

Like the title says, it’s a no brainer! No literally. Jelly fish not only have no brain, but no lungs, bones, or blood. You’re probably thinking "I know fish don’t need lungs, but what about the rest?." Well, they aren’t actually fish. Contrary to popular belief, and their name, Jellyfish are actually invertebrates. According to Britannica, invertebrates are "any animal that lacks a vertebral column, or backbone…

Mascarene Ridged Frog (Ptychadena mascareniensis) Image from Wikimedia Commons

Cats are often considered to have nine lives for their ability to evade harm, and always come out on four feet. Yet, they cannot recover lost limbs or truly get a second chance. So this poses the question: Is there anything or anyone with nine lives? Well, yes, it just so happens to be a small, cute amphibian, which often captivates the internet!

“He’s a little schizo...” is a common phrase using the slang word “schizo” to negatively describe someone as crazy, odd, mentally disabled, or neurodivergent. Though this term is an indirect insult, what does the word “schizo” actually refer to? Moreover, what is schizophrenia and how do genetics play a role in this mental disorder? Here’s a psychobiological breakdown of schizophrenia and where it may genetically stem from.

Parasites rely on a host, another organism, for food and growth while also harming the host. However, when people think of parasites, they mostly think of ectoparasites, parasites that live on the outside of their host, like fleas, lice, ticks, and mites. However, another prevalent type of parasite is helminths, worm-like parasites that are visible to the naked eye and cause parasitic infection in humans and other animals.

Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Image from Wikimedia Commons Learn more about Starling behavior here.

There was a naked mole rat that lived to 37, a koi fish that lived for 226 years, and there is a lobster that has been alive since 1869. All of these animals and more have something in common, they are able to produce telomerase in every cell for as long as they live. Humans have always looked for a way to live for longer, so is there a way to maybe use telomerase in our bodies?

Recently, my ELA class was reading an excerpt from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. The passage describes an experience of innocent joy disrupted by the brutal and curious reality of nature. As a frog is seen in the water, mysteriously unmoving, it suddenly begins to fold into itself. The reader is then informed that this peculiar occurrence is the result of a giant water bug’s hunting.

Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris) Image from Wikimedia Commons

An intriguing co- and post-translational modification called N-acetylation is both beneficial and harmful to humans. This process involves an acetyl group being added to the N-terminus of a polypeptide chain. An acetyl group consists of a carbonyl group linked to a methyl group. This acetyl group is carried by acetyl-CoA, the famous coenzyme that is also involved in the Krebs cycle during cellular respiration.