I learned this today. Slime mold is a collection of single-celled organisms that can move, function, and “think” as a single organism. Slime molds are eukaryotes: cells that have a nucleus enclosed within a nuclear envelope. They usually live as single cells, but they can join together with other cells to create a multicellular organism. […]
#45 Why is slime mold so awesome? Read More »
I learned this today. Cigarettes are addictive because the nicotine they contain is a highly addictive chemical. Nicotine is a naturally occurring chemical that is produced by plants. It is produced by many different types of plants: nightshade, tobacco, the coca plant, tomato, potato, eggplant, and green pepper. The concentrations differ depending on the plant.
#41 Why do we become addicted to nicotine? Read More »
I learned this today. Unlike when skin heals, bones usually heal without a scar. When you cut yourself, your body’s primary goal is to replace the skin as quickly as possible to keep infection out and your blood in. When it does this, it leaves a scar because it builds the new skin so quickly.
#39 How do broken bones heal? Read More »
I learned this today. The most common kidney stones are caused when there are more minerals in the blood than the kidneys can reabsorb. Most people have two kidneys. The kidneys have three jobs that they do for us. Their first job is to filter waste products out of the blood. Together, they filter 200
#36 How do kidney stones form? Read More »
I learned this today. Scars are left after a wound because the body is trying to put a protective covering over the wound as fast as it can. When you cut your skin, if it is more than a surface graze, you start to bleed. The first thing that happens is your blood clots. There
#32 Why do wounds heal with scars? Read More »
I learned this today. Venus flytraps know when to close on an insect because of tiny hairs inside them. Venus flytraps are carnivorous plants that grow in the subtropical wetlands of the United States. They live in nutrient-poor soil, specifically nitrogen-poor soil, which is the main reason they have evolved to eat insects. The plants
#30 How does a Venus flytrap know when to close? Read More »
I learned this today. We can’t see colors in the dark because our eyes detect light waves in two different ways. In our eyes, we have rods and cones that are both used to detect light. The cones are sensitive to light wavelengths, and we use them to see color. The rods are sensitive to
#28 Why can’t we see color at night? Read More »
I learned this today. Why would we evolve with a throat and windpipe that are so close together we can choke? In 2019, 5228 people choked to death in the United States. As a cause of death, it was the fourth highest. Chocking happens when an object, typically food, blocks the throat or windpipe cutting
I learned this today. An electric eel produces electricity in the same way that a battery does. Electric eels usually grow to be about 2m long and they have three organs that they use to make electricity. These are called the main organ, Hunter’s organ, and Sach’s organ. These three organs take up most of
#23 How do electric eels make electricity Read More »
I learned this today. Hibernation is not the same as sleeping. Animals sometimes have to come out of hibernation to be able to sleep. Hibernation is basically an energy-saving technique. During the winter, the temperature obviously drops, which means that endothermic animals (animals that generate their own heat internally) need more energy to keep themselves
#17 What happens when animals hibernate? Is it the same as sleeping? Read More »
