Why is tooth enamel so hard? Tooth enamel is so hard because it is made of about 96% minerals, which is more than anything else in the human body. Enamel is the thin layer that sits on top of our teeth. A tooth is made up of layers, and the job of enamel is to […]
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What is Botox? Botox is a drug made from the toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Its name comes from botulium toxin. We have most likely heard of Botox thanks to its role in plastic surgery, but there are several other uses for it as well. In plastic surgery, it is primarily used to
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Why don’t humans have whiskers? We probably lost our whiskers because, as our primate ancestors became increasingly reliant on vision and sensitive, manipulative hands, whiskers became less useful. Whiskers are found in most groups of mammals, although in some species they have become greatly reduced or disappeared completely. Humans are one of the mammals that
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How did we discover DNA? DNA was first discovered in 1869, but it wasn’t identified as the substance carrying hereditary information until 1944, and its structure wasn’t discovered until 1953. DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. Broken down, “deoxyribo” refers to the sugar part of the DNA, “nucleic” means it is found within the nucleus of
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Why do beans cause gas? Beans cause gas because of the complex sugars and fiber that they contain. Beans are the seeds produced by plants in the legume family. A lot of them are edible, but not all of them. Humans cultivate and make use of many different kinds of beans. Beans are seeds, but
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What is rabbit starvation? Rabbit starvation is what can happen when a person eats almost nothing except very lean meat for a prolonged period. A person can feel full, but still become malnourished because the diet is extremely high in protein and extremely low in fat and carbohydrates. The name “rabbit starvation” comes from rabbit
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How did we discover blood types? Blood types were discovered by Karl Landsteiner in 1900. Humans have four blood types. We have A, B, AB, and O. They are further divided into positive and negative, giving 8 different blood types. The positive and negative refer to the Rh antigen. If you have it, you are
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Why are blue whales so big? Blue whales are so big because water can support their weight, it helps them stay warm in cold water, it helps them swim faster, they can carry more energy, and it makes feeding more efficient. Evolution tends to favor the size that gives an animal the greatest chance of
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Why don’t spiders get stuck in their own webs? Spiders don’t get stuck because not all of the web is sticky, they know where to put their feet, and their feet are adapted for walking on silk. There may also be chemical help from their legs, but that part is still not completely proven. Spiders
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Are all birds waterproof? No, not all birds are waterproof in the same way. Some birds are extremely waterproof, some are only water resistant, and some have feathers that are partly wettable because that helps them dive. Birds that live on water usually need very good waterproofing. Ducks are a good example. Ducks can fly
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