biology

The average adult human has 28 to 32 teeth, give or take a set of wisdom teeth. But besides the importance of brushing and flossing, how well do you know your chompers?

That’s the salmon’s albumin—here’s everything you need to know about what it is and how to avoid it when cooking salmon.

New video evidence shows that orcas are capable of hunting and killing blue whales—the largest animals on Earth.

What color are a zebra's stripes? Though it may sound like a philosophical query, it is possible to answer this question with science.

If you've managed to get this far in life without swallowing gum, you may ask yourself: Can ingesting gum really hurt you?

Though humans and koalas don't have much in common, there is one big similarity: fingerprints. Koalas have looping fingerprints just like humans, and some might not be able to tell them apart.

mihailomilovanovic/iStock via Getty Images

Though it may be annoying, sudden muscle fatigue during exercise is nothing to worry about. It's a byproduct of the way your body uses energy.

David Clark, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0

Smelling or touching the plants in the Poison Garden at the UK's Alnwick Castle could send you to the hospital.

Pink flamingos’ ability to stand on one leg seems impressive—but it might be less of a balancing act than you think.

An echidna’s penis doesn’t have to excrete any urine, which may help explain why it’s fancier than a human’s.

The chocolate frog on a very green leaf.

We simply have to assume that at least one researcher made some reference to Harry Potter’s chocolate frogs when they found it.

If you get natural blond highlights in the summer, your hair may be damaged by too much exposure to the sun.

They may be small, but these invasive insects have caused serious damage to agriculture and the environment since invading the U.S.

You might think that urine is just bodily waste—but you would be wrong. It's been used in cleansers, medicine, and infertility treatments for centuries.

A fox near the Chernobyl power plant in 2017.

Rare animal species in Chernobyl, from lynxes to wild horses, seem to be weathering all that radiation relatively well.

When the Brood X cicadas emerge in late spring 2021, their mating calls will rival the volume of lawn mowers, car stereos, and low-flying planes.

Octopuses never have to say a farewell to arms for long.

The cephalopod is strikingly intelligent, but its most spectacular talent may be its ability to fully regrow arms lost to predators.

You can blame that glossy finish, which comes from a mysterious, potentially harmful chemical called BPA.

J. Martin and E. Olson, Northland College; from Olson et al. 2021, Scientific Reports

Sometimes the trick goes unnoticed. But at least we can use blacklights to recognize the biofluorescent beasts who lay hidden in our midst.

You can chalk it up to hormone changes, but your genes aren’t so innocent when it comes to hair color.

Science is closer to understanding what prompts severe COVID-19 illness.

The "cytokine storms" that precede severe illness in patients with COVID-19 has been poorly understood. New research has traced the risk of lung damage and organ failure to two key proteins that have the potential to be treated with drugs.

There's a good chance his parents have dimples, too.

Genetics probably play a part in dimple formation, and so does a muscle called the “zygomaticus major.”

10 Brilliant Facts About Teeth

What’s That White Stuff on Your Salmon (And Is It Safe to Eat)?

For the First Time Ever, Scientists Witnessed—and Recorded—Orcas Stalking and Killing a Blue Whale

Are Zebras Black With White Stripes or White With Black Stripes?

Here's What Really Happens When You Swallow Gum

Koalas Have Fingerprints That Are Nearly Indistinguishable From Ours

The Surprising Reason Your Muscles Get Tired When You Exercise

Don’t Smell the Flowers: How Alnwick Castle’s Poison Garden Finds Beauty in the World’s Deadliest Plants

Why Do Flamingos Stand on One Leg?

Scientists Are Unlocking the Mysteries of an Echidna’s Fancy, Four-Headed Penis

Scientists Have Identified a New ‘Chocolate Frog’ Species

Why Does the Sun Make Hair Lighter?

7 of the Most Destructive Invasive Insects

7 of the Most Destructive Invasive Insects

7 of the Most Destructive Invasive Insects

9 Fascinating Facts About Urine

Chernobyl May Not Be Habitable for Humans for Another 24,000 Years, But Wildlife Is Thriving

Louder Than Traffic: Listen to the Deafening Sounds of a Cicada Chorus

On a Limb: How an Octopus Regrows Its Arms

Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Recycle Your Giant CVS Receipts

11 Animals You Wouldn't Expect to Glow

Why Does Our Hair Grow Darker as We Get Older?

Scientists Come Closer to Understanding COVID-19 'Cytokine Storms'

Why Do Some People Have Dimples?