Biology...

Do plants breathe? Yes and no… Breathing and respiring are two different things. Mammals, including humans, breathe by using muscles to pull air into the lungs and...

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the molecule that carries the genetic information (the instructions) for the cell, and DNA is found in all cells that have a nucleus. DNA...

Mites are small invertebrates from the group Arachnida, the same group as spiders. Many people are not aware of the mites around them, as most mites are mic...

Many people feel that they have to travel to the countryside to see flowers and trees, but according to a study in Germany in 2008, there are more different species...

‘Impossible bottles’ are bottles containing things that appear too big to have been put in through the neck of the bottle, such as ships, decks of cards, or whole...

Like animals and humans, plants need water, air and food to grow. They get all of these from their growing medium – the compost or soil that they grow in. This...

Growing plants without soil is known as hydroponics. Plants can be grown in many different growing mediums, such as, gravel, sand, perlite, vermiculite, rockwool,...

Potatoes are tubers produced by the stems of the plant called Solanum tuberosum, which is part of the same family as tomatoes, peppers and...

A seed is a minute dormant plant that is waiting for the right conditions to grow (germinate). Seeds range from orchid seeds weighing a millionth of a gram to seeds...

Eggshells are fragile. Everyone knows that. Drop an egg on the floor, or knock it against a sharp edge (like a frying pan) and that is it – eggshell, white and yolk...

Ants are insects and are from the order Hymenoptera, the same order as wasps and bees. They were first seen about 110 to 130 million years ago. Ants are 0.75 to 52...

Plants respond to gravity and to light, with roots growing downwards and away from the light, and shoots growing upwards and towards the light....

Rubber is a natural product made from latex. Many plants, including dandelions, produce latex but most of the world’s latex, the key ingredient of rubber, comes from...

When people think about bacteria and fungi, they usually think of not being well or food going sour or mouldy, but actually bacteria and fungi are essential for...

The body’s sense of touch is a combination of pressure, pain and temperature. Different parts of the body have different numbers of nerve endings, because it's more...

Plants grown from seeds, from the smallest (an orchid, at 85 micrometers long) to the largest (the Coco de Mer palm, at about 30 cm long). Seeds are amazing things –...

Paper is used for a great many things, from paper towels and tissues through sheets of paper for printing at home or work, to special paper for banknotes, and each...

Cheese is made from milk. This is most often cows’ milk, but it can be made from milk from sheep, buffaloes and goats – even yaks. It can be soft or hard, and high...

Minibeasts are small invertebrates and include arthropods such as spiders, insects, woodlice, centipedes and millipedes, as well as slugs and snails and worms....

Plants need water. Water in the cells helps plants to grow and make food, makes leaves and stems firm (a plant that needs watering wilts), and carries minerals from...

Seeds contain the potential to be a whole new plant, and just need a bit of water, care and attention, as well as a bit of time, to grow. Seeds range from smaller...