An integral tenet of contemporary conservation biology discourse is the ongoing biodiversity crisis. Approximately 65 species go extinct daily, translating to an annual extinction rate of around 30,000 species. Although biological factors such as disease outbreaks and fierce interspecies competition contribute to this issue, increased human activity is to a great extent the leading cause …
As stipulated in the kinetic molecular theory, solids, liquids, and gases are made up of tiny particles in constant motion. Solids and liquids are in condensed states wherein their particles are close together, thus limiting their range of movement. In contrast, air particles are sparsely packed, allowing them more room for random movement. Gaseous molecules …
Chemotaxis is a phenomenon where somatic cells, single-celled and multicellular organisms, and bacteria direct their movement according to specific chemicals in the environment. The word chemotaxis comes from two words; chemo (chemicals) and taxis (order and arrangement). Such chemical concentration gradient stimulated movements are crucial for the survival of the organisms. In bacteria, for instance, …
DNA analysis is one of the techniques used in forensic science. It is applied in paternity testing and the identification of crime suspects. A sample of cells from a crime scene is analyzed, and the results are compared with those of a suspect in a criminal investigation. In paternity testing, the DNA of a father …
The cell is the basic unit of life. Cell organelles perform different specific functions, which we can compare to physical processes in our daily lives. When a cell organelle fails to perform its function, the rest of the organelles are affected. Suppose the mitochondria fail to break down glucose and convert it to energy; the …
In biology, symmetry is a basic feature that is observed in many living things. Basically, this is a type of order that is shown in the arrangement of body parts of the organism. However, not all living things have symmetry. Living things lacking symmetry are called asymmetrical to distinguish them from symmetrical organisms. When it …
In your high school science classes, you probably got introduced to osmosis. So, it may sound a bit confusing to hear about reverse osmosis! Let’s refresh a bit on your high school osmosis lesson and then dash back to take a look at reverse osmosis to understand it. Osmosis is defined as a process where …
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) has been described as the molecule of life. It has been found in the cells of all organisms that have ever been observed. But is it possible that we could have organisms with no DNA? So far, the organisms we know are just a fraction of all living organisms. Many more organisms …
We often think of the average guy as unspectacular. He doesn’t win the medals or get the highest grades. However, he also doesn’t fail but just gets by. This mediocrity makes his chances of surviving just as good as losing. But in biology, average individuals can become consistent big winners, outshining their counterparts through stabilizing …
If you look at a collection of almost anything—people, objects, animals—those with average characteristics dominate in numbers. e.g. for humans those who are of average height, weight, etc are in the majority. However, when it comes to disruptive selection, this rule doesn’t apply. Disruptive selection is a kind of natural selection in biology where individuals …
