She's shy 😭

This tiny fella is from the family of Vaginicolidae. Pardon my shaky images

Dr. Courtney Duchardt of University of Arizona has spent more than a decade studying the ecology of American prairies — an ecosystem of great economic and conservation importance. In this episode, Dr. Duchardt explains how prairie dogs are a major player in this vital ecosystem. Not only are they significant food sources for all types of predators, but they reshape the way the grass grows and provide habitat for multiple bird and mammal species. When prairie dog towns are killed off by plague, every other animal on the prairie — including the cattle that feed millions of Americans — is affected in surprising ways.

To celebrate the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, Dr. Duchardt explains why prairies are so important and complicated.

https://youtu.be/R2LX5ntuVyw?si=QdYI6I4iscpKXNuY

Go check it out before they catch on!!

Just had this random thought today. Even if all animals were just as intelligent as humans, would they still develop civilizations and technology? Regardless of our intelligence, human anatomy seems perfectly built to create. Our digits are seemingly so coordinated and dexterous compared to other species. If giraffes, for instance, were as intelligent as humans, it doesn’t seem likely they could create similar technology because of their anatomy. This is probably a dumb question and not even worth asking but screw it.

So I failed my first test for entering a biology university, but I'll try it again for the 25th. Today I start studying now with more focus, problem is that I'm probably doing something wrong.

I'm trying another method of studying, because reading the pages of the book and then doing some questions exercises is not the best idea, it didn't work. So I'm trying this method, I'm reading a paragraph of the page, then close the boom and try to write down in a speech what I remember, after I take back the book and with a own of a different color write what I missed.

The problem is that in 1 hours I just made 2 pages and a half. I mean it's too slow way too slow. What shall I do? I don't know how to improve the speed of it because if I takes this long I think I'm gonna fail even the next test

I searched, but didn't see anything recent, so I figured I'd ask because this might well be the hardest, most stressful class I've ever taken. I've taken and excelled in some very challenging courses in other areas—particularly math, computer science, and physics—but biology is taking the cake for most difficult. (edit: intro course in mol/cellular bio)

There is just so much, and it seems like a single gap in your knowledge could collapse the whole thing (very different from math/CS/physics). It's hard to tell what is important to cram in my head and what's not.

Advice I'm already aware of and doing my best to engage with:

• mnemonics

• "turn it into a story"

I also decided to learn the Greek and Latin roots, and that's alleviated some of the pressure.

If there isn't really much more to studying for biology, so be it. But if anyone has any further advice, I'm all ears. I really want to love this class—I came in highly motivated and excited—but I'm feeling utterly panicked and like dropping while I still can, but I'd rather not.

Hey guys! I'm currently in middle school, and I've become really interested in sciences like genetics and bioengineering (pretty unusual interests for a school kid, I know :-/). If there is anyone here who is already working in this field or just studying it, could you please recommend which subjects I need to focus on, what books are worth reading, what software to use, etc.? I would be very grateful for any answers.

I find biology fascinating yet I can't seem to learn it for the life of me. I study so hard and still fail my tests I'm in college btw. I was wondering if anyone here who's mastered biology, have you struggled this hard and then magically got better. I feel like I'm about to give up. I don't understand how I can put this much time in and still be stupid is that normal?

Was at a oceanarium today and saw a picture of Dunkleosteus and how it's teeth(??) grew out as a whole piece and thought about how humans need higher maintenance for the spaces between our teeth (need to floss, toothbrush can't reach it etc.)

Why didn't we evolve to have teeth that grew as a whole piece instead of individually?

And theoretically speaking, if we did evolve to have teeth growing out in a single row without space, would that be even be possible and/or advantageous for us?

hey there,

i wonder if someone knows how that geneology thing works. especially when they sending you the results where you find something like:

85% human, 10% zebra, 4.8% snail and 1.2% bubblegum.

is that the absolute content of your dna and the info is 100% there like it's on the paper or are these just probability values and you actually have nothing to do with the rest of whats there other than the highest value?

im 19, currently doing my A levels but somehow I still haven't made up my mind on what I wanna do. im definitely not very disciplined, im not interested in doing something unless I hold genuine interest in it. That being said, i find human biology fascinating, its more a hobby than a subject to me. I also love astronomy and astrophysics as a result, physics is also something I like studying. I mainly want to do med school more than anything related to physics and astronomy, but i have no idea still. I want to be in biology, but I would love to learn more about astrophysics just to cure my curiosity. any suggestions?

​

Where do germs hide when they aren't making us sick? That's the question this video aims to answer.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAb-UqadxuC4&si=L_EMPJAyKJeMp7Eu

I’ve been curious as to how memory works in the brain and have a couple of questions maybe someone can help answer.

Do you already have all the neuron networks that your brain stores the memories in from birth, are they grown over time or are new ones created as you experience more memories?

How does your brain determine what memories will be stored, is it emotional significance, trauma, etc?

Continuing from question 1 if the neurons are there from birth, why do we have almost no memories from very early childhood? Are those memories overwritten by more significant memories overtime?

There's this Egyptian story on my Facebook feed, and it's an old story from last year but it keeps getting reposted. The story goes that the boy died from an obstructed bowel after eating three packets of uncooked noodles. Koreans eat packets of raw noodles as a snack all the time and there's been no cases of this in Korea. Why did this story come out of Egypt, and not a country where noodles are extremely popular such as Korea or Japan? I dunno just seems a little bit odd to me.

Pasta expands way more than noodles do, and since I was little I've easily consumed 200 grams or more of raw pasta in a single sitting with no ill effects. Not to mention that the whole idea of pasta swelling up and causing stomach or intestine rupture or blockage is a known urban myth. The pasta absorbs water, so the overall volume stays the same.

Plus, he would have been chewing the raw noodles, and they would've been digested by his stomach acid before reaching his intestines.

edit: another plothole in the story: it says the boy began feeling ill in 30 minutes with extreme abdominal symptoms, but instant noodles would take 4 to 6 hours to reach the intestines...

Still, the article seemed to use a photo of a teen boy. each time I've seen this story the same teen boy's photo is posted. Could've been AI generated though?

Im studying as an undergrad bio major and I used to wanna be a veterinarian. So, I did internships with veterinary hospitals and took a job as a vet tech but realized I didn't want to go to vet school anymore. I still like animals but vet school isnt for me. At max, ill go for masters.

However I still love animals and was thinking about animal nutrition but that eventually leads back to veterinary school. I was wondering what my other options are as a current student in biology with an interest in animal science and or nutrition...

Im open to ideas 💡

Hi there currently working on a project on peptide bioactivity prediction using a dataset of ~728 ACE-inhibitory peptides divided into dipeptides , tirples, ..., >6 .

I'm using physicochemical descriptors and experimenting with models like Ridge/Lasso and protein language models I'm comfortable with the ML side, but I'm still learning the biology and would really appreciate a quick look from a PhD student/researcher in biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, etc.

I mainly want to know if my biological reasoning makes sense and whether I'm missing something obvious. It shouldn't take long even 15–20 minutes of feedback would be incredibly helpful.

Alright, so I need career ideas. I LOVE cell bio, DESPISE chemistry, but absolutely ADORE neuroscience. I also aspire to be a rich (relative term, I just want a house and pool guys). What career ideas ya'll got for me? I've been considering medical lab sciences, but I want something else.

Thank you for any and all suggestions. <3

We made this free so teachers & students could use it without spending money:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/microscope-viewer-camera/id6766951907

(Not goods or services... it's a free gift to the community!)

WHAT IT DOES

- Enables you to take pictures & videos from any microscope where you can stably position your iPhone or iPad in front of an eyepiece

- Once your subject is in focus, adjust fine focus using the long vertical slider on your screen, or tap screen to focus anywhere

AND BEST OF ALL, WHAT IT DOESN’T DO

- Switch camera lenses on you when you're zooming in or out (you can choose the lens)

- Charge you anything (it's free and we intend to keep it that way forever)

- Steal & use your data, photos, information, etc.

Tardigrade not included :)

I know this type of post is probably common on here, but I've been really having a career crisis and don't know who to talk to on campus about it. I really hope the broadness of the internet can offer a new perspective from my specific experience... this post might be a lot but I hope all the info helps others understand.

TL;DR: path recommendations for a 2nd yr student who is ABYSMAL at math, medically can't handle the outdoors, wants a masters/phd, currently has no debt, and loves a lot of things all over the place?

--
I'm 21F and in my second year of university. I'm currently majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology, which I chose on a whim when entering because I wanted to do something like environmental but didn't know where to go with it. Hadn't taken a science class since elementary school (i was raised "unschooled" in an anti-education household) and I did not expect to love general biology so much! I had SO much fun in the class I know it's exactly what I want to study. I'm in organismal bio class now and over the moon about every lecture.

However, I don't really know what to do with that. I loved learning about hormones and cellular communication, I loved learning about the structure and reproduction cycles of cells, I love learning about evolution, I love learning about bugs and plants, I think viruses and bacteria are really really cool!!! did not love genetics ...where do I go with that?? I'm willing to get a masters and would love to get a Phd, I am getting my bachelors free on the pell grant.

Online, I see so many people say "biology isn't worth it" "there are no jobs" "50% of bio masters regret it and are unemployed RN!" and I'm so scared I'm going into a highly competitive incredibly scarce field that won't even pay that well. I see a lot of "pair it with engineering or computer science" but I have dyscalculia and failed calculus last semester (good grades in everything else I've taken, though). I'm doing my best to catch up as is. I also tried and failed doing fieldwork with a geology research group, I cannot handle the sun or extreme physical stress and I learned I cannot "no, my disability is just an excuse!" my way out of getting hospitalized...

I'm seeing clinical lab technician jobs prefer people who major in that specifically, pharmacy prefers chemists or biochemists, and had a professor tell me that working in academia isnt a realistic goal. I also do not think I could ever be a doctor for being born poor reasons, being very sensitive, and my gpa + ged + having a limp resume at my age, so no premed route... it sucks, I feel so lost and discouraged whenever I find a job that sounds awesome.

I know a fallback route will always be teacher, but what else can I do with a biology degree? I was debating changing majors to microbiology or molecular and cellular biochemistry since ecology seems to just be conservation work (will kill me) but,, for what job ?? where am I going with this ?? I want to be realistic with myself and focus on a set direction to go in, wherever that may be. Is biology for me at all?

So for some reason I'm having trouble understanding where ancestral species go in a phylogenetic tree. Each node represents a common ancestor to all its descendants, and that common ancestor belongs to some species, but that species also has to be separately represented at the tip of its own clade, right? So every ancestral species is basically represented twice in a tree? For some reason that confuses me, like species can only be represented at the tips of the tree but some of those tips represent nodes way further up the tree. Is there any way to tell from a diagram alone which species or group belongs to a node? Like in this diagram of Canidae I know that some member of Hesperocyon is considered the ancestor of the Borophagine/Canine clade. Is there any way to tell from the diagram though? Like, in this diagram if you trace the sister taxa Hesperocyoninae all the way to the left you get the ancestor, but is that always the case? Is the left-most tip always the common ancestor of the sister taxa if it's known? Or can you just not tell which group belongs to that node from the diagram?

I wanted a fitting way to store my whiteboard markers at our genetics department.

The model is a right turning double helix depicting the DNA backbone. The markers take the place of the nucleotides connecting the two strands of the double helix together.

For those interested, I have uploaded the files here: https://www.printables.com/model/1826655-dna-whiteboard-marker-holder