DEET (short for N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) is the most widely used insect repellent in the world for a very good reason – it works really, really well! Just a quick spray on exposed skin keeps mosquitoes, flies, fleas, chiggers, and ticks away. Developed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and patented by the U.S. Army […]

A third of reef-building corals around the world are threatened with extinction, according to the first-ever comprehensive global assessment to determine their conservation status. Corals produce reefs in shallow tropical and sub-tropical seas and have been shown to be highly sensitive to changes in their environment. The study findings were published July 11, 2008 by […]

Many news outlets reported earlier this week that recent rice crop failures could have been avoided. An infestation of the brown plant hopper is the cause for the crop failure. The science knowledge and biotechnology needed to breed resistant rice plants have been in existence for several years. However, funds were not available to mass […]

Those of us born after World War II have take antibiotics for granted. Strep throat? Ear infection? Acne? Bronchitis? Not a problem. Take the full prescribed antibiotic dose and you are cured. The reality of antibiotic resistant bacteria however, disrupts that scenario. No longer can we always trust in a full recovery from a bacterial […]

Typically, a middle school life science study of cells explores the ways cells get what they need and get rid of waste, and the cell cycle concept, including how cells reproduce through mitosis. Discussion of cancer at this time is appropriate since cancer cells share the needs of normal cells in terms of obtaining nutrients […]

This week’s blog focuses on Earth Day, April 22. There is no news article accompanying today’s blog. Instead, we provide you with an assortment of resources related to Earth Day. Do you know how Earth Day started? You can find the answer to that question and more in The History of Earth Day by Gaylord […]

This week’s post focuses on the definition of species and its implications beyond science content knowledge—specifically, how the definition is related to species conservation and protection.
For example, the brown bear of the Iberian Peninsula is a different species compared with other European brown bears because it is geographically isolated, right? According to a press release, […]

Seed gene banks exist throughout the world. As you might guess, their purpose is to catalog, store, and protect as many varieties of plants as possible. These banks are useful to plant breeders trying to find crop species that are more drought or disease resistant, for example. They also provide a resource for countries in […]

No one wants to see pandas, polar bears, or penguins go extinct. Why have organizations like the World Wildlife Fund been so successful in garnering the general public’s support for their conservation efforts? Perhaps it is because we find these animals appealing on an affective level. In many people’s minds, they’re worth conserving for emotional […]

The American Association for the Advancement of Science news site, EurekAlert!, brings us this week’s topic. Increasing rates of extinctions have focused conservation biologists on finding the most effective means of preserving biodiversity. Releasing captive-bred animals is one. However, a review of 45 published studies of 17 different carnivores revealed the high mortality rates of […]