Regina's Biology Blog November 2006 Archive

Science fair projects are a great way to learn about science and biology. Performing scientific experiments can be an exciting way to discover the wonders of science. However, students sometimes ... Read More

In asexual reproduction, one individual produces offspring that are genetically identical to itself. These offspring are clones that are produced by mitosis. There are many invertebrates that reproduce by asexual reproduction. ... Read More

Thanksgiving is time to give thanks and eat turkey. For several decades researchers have been using science to build a better Thanksgiving turkey. Today's big turkeys owe their size to ... Read More

Chicks atop a picture of a genetic map of a chicken. Photo by Peggy Greb (USDA/Agricultural Research Service) Scientists from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have successfully regenerated ... Read More

Do you know what xenotransplantation means? Biology can be filled with words that sometime seem incomprehensible. By "dissecting" these words into discrete units, even the most complex terms can be ... Read More

A monohybrid cross is a genetic cross using a single trait with two alleles. This cross can be done between two individuals that are homozygous for a single trait or ... Read More

Scientists have successfully changed stem cells into lung cells. The stem cells were obtained from umbilical cord blood and changed into type II alveolar cells. Type II alveolar cells help to ... Read More

The immune system is the body's natural defense mechanism. It protects us from invaders that we can't see, like viruses and bacteria. The immune system uses two types of defense mechanisms ... Read More

An organism that is heterozygous for a trait has two different alleles for that single trait. For example, the gene for seed shape in pea plants exists in two forms. One ... Read More

This cell is undergoing apoptosis.© 2001 by the University of Central Arkansas Scientists have shown that when under stress, cells activate signals that lead to what has been ... Read More

Northern Leopard FrogMike Lannoo (USFWS) Frogs have a very interesting anatomy. They have highly specialized structures, such as a long, sticky tongue. They also have other structures however, ... Read More

Zebra on the savanna.Gary M. Stolz (USFWS) Biomes are the world's major habitats. These habitats are identified by the vegetation and animals that populate them. The location ... Read More

The principles that govern heredity were discovered by a monk named Gregor Mendel in the 1860's. Mendel worked with pea plants. Since pea plants are capable of self fertilization, Mendel ... Read More