Cells, species and ecosystems: how living things work, compete and depend on one another.
Sometimes, for a person, invention takes a while, and at times, it just takes a day to come up with a thought; an idea or a solution to the unsolved mysteries. The following article provides some fabulous invention ideas for sixth graders.
Not many people must be aware of this, but the history of animal testing can be traced back to 4th century BCE, i.e., during the times of Aristotle. Its journey to become a multimillion dollar industry that it is today, has been long, interesting, and controversial.
The debate on whether animals should be used for scientific research seems to have become all the more intense with the pros and cons of this practice dividing the world into two groups. In our quest to find the answer to this question, we decided to evaluate these pros and cons.
Being well-versed with the different levels of organization in ecology is a basic requirement when it comes to environmental studies. In this Sciencestruck article, we will stress on these ecological levels and help you get a better understanding of this concept.
Zoologists study animals and their behavior. So, can you guess some of the tools used by zoologists? Read the following article to check if you guessed right.
If you were thinking you could compare sea sponges to plants and weeds in the sea, you might be a tiny bit mistaken, as they aren’t plants at all. This article provides some sea sponge facts for kids and adults.
As per the definition of ‘symbiosis’, it is a long-term interaction between two organisms which live in each other’s vicinity. Basically, there are three types of symbiotic relationships: (i) mutualistic, (ii) commensal, and (iii) parasitic. These biological interactions have a crucial role to play in the smooth functioning of any given ecosystem.
Tropical rainforests are home to 40% of the plant and animal species inhabiting the Earth. If wildlife experts are to be believed, many of animal species inhabiting these forests are yet to be discovered. Their discovery would take the number of animals finding shelter in this biome beyond our imagination. With such biodiversity, this biome is the best bet when it comes to study of symbiotic relationships between different organisms.
It may not boast of being as biodiverse as the rainforest biome, but the examples of symbiotic relationships in the tundra show us just how interesting this biome is.
Commensalism being a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms, other types of symbiotic relationships include mutualism, in which both the organisms involved benefit from each other, and parasitism, where one of the organisms is benefited, while the other is harmed.
The freshwater biome is not just important for its inhabitants, but is equally important for a whole lot of lifeforms, including us. The freshwater biome is made up of water bodies like rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, etc., all of which make up for mere 0.08 percent of the water available on the planet.
The list of plants and animals found in the rainforest biome is exhaustive, and that makes the rainforest food web one of the most complex food webs on the planet.
Facts about the various alternatives to animal testing are presented in this article. It provides some information about the measures being taken to minimize animal cruelty which happens during the…
While the purpose of creating designer or genetically designed babies was to eliminate potential health risks, a lot of ethical issues have been raised as this technology has been advancing day by day. Read more about the debate surrounding the creation of designer babies in the following paragraphs.
Mutualism relationships are characterized by positive reciprocal relationship between two species, for survival. It helps the species to survive through the challenges of mother nature, and adapt for several future generations.
An overview of the major biomes of the North American continent, which aptly highlights the great deal of diversity that is observed on the planet Earth.
ScienceStruck helps you to distinguish between the processes of osmosis and diffusion, with respect to their characteristic features and modes of operation.
In simple words, osmosis is the transfer of water to even the balance between a weak and a strong solution. The end result of this process is equal amounts of water on both sides of the barrier, creating a state known as ‘isotonic’.
Graphite is a form of carbon with wide industrial applications. Learn about the various graphite uses from this ScienceStruck article.
A vast expanse of land with no trees and freezing temperature, tundra is inhabited by very few living organisms. In this ScienceStruck article, we will put forth some interesting facts to highlight the peculiarity of this biome.
The tropical rainforest food web is highly complicated in its structure and functioning. Information about the different levels of this food pyramid is presented in short.
The marine biome is the largest biome of the world covering about three-fourths of the surface of earth. Read through this ScienceStruck article to know more about the various facts of this aquatic community.
Animal testing is a sensitive subject. Obviously, there is a lot of hue and cry over the ever-increasing number of animals being used for testing. Let us know more...
Animal testing is a sensitive subject. Obviously, there is a lot of hue and cry over the ever-increasing number of animals being used for testing. Let us know more...
The Amazonia or the Amazon Rainforest is located in South America and covers more than half of Brazil. Read on to know more about the climate.
The canopy layer of the rainforest is the primary layer that forms a roof over the understory layer and the forest floor. Many animals and birds live in this maze of leaves and branches. This article will make you aware of the various flora and fauna of the canopy layer.
The Precambrian Era, or Super Eon, spans from the time of the Earth’s formation around 4,500 Ma, till the evolution of macroscopic shelled animals of the Cambrian Era. In spite of a poor fossil presence to support the vast geologic timescale, the unearthed specimens educate us over the earliest multi-cellular lifeforms which inhabited our planet.
A major chunk of the current time span on our planet, i.e., the Cenozoic Era, began after the catastrophic Cretaceous-Paleogene Mass Extinction, eradicating most of the ruling dinosaur and other reptile species. This provided mammals a chance to evolve and dominate.
The taiga biome is characterized by long cold winter and short summer. The plants tolerant to snowfalls such as conifers, lichens, and mosses are predominant in taiga. Similarly, the animals having thick furs such as rabbit, wolf, and bear are commonly found in this biome.
The credit for inventing fireworks goes to the ancient Chinese people. The first man-made firework was a far cry from the modern-day version, which offers a multicolored visual treat to the audience. Let us go through the evolution of fireworks through the centuries.
The food chain or the food network refers to the consumption relationship among different species that inhabit a particular environment. This ScienceStruck article helps you understand the components of a desert food chain in a closer manner.
Rainforests play a crucial role in keeping the ecosystem balanced. Characterized with a rich biodiversity, scientists believe that in spite of the extensive research done in the wilderness, there are still a large number of plants and animals that are yet to be discovered.
The tropical rainforest represents a thick vegetation, characterized by heavy rainfall and rich biodiversity. Here is some information about the energy pyramid of tropical rainforests.
In an ecosystem, the living organisms interact with each other for survival. A pond ecosystem is a freshwater ecosystem.
A scientist who studies about the habitat and the life processes of a wild animal or plant species, is known as a wildlife biologist. This article talks about some of the best known wildlife biologists of the world.
Though they are not as popular as the rainforests, deciduous forests are found on almost all the continents of the world. Large tracts of these forests are predominantly found in North America, Europe and Asia.
‘Designer babies’ is a term that was coined by journalists, not doctors, and is an uncomplimentary one to question the ethics and implications of ‘messing about with nature’.
Animal testing has been a very controversial topic from the very beginning. The following ScienceStruck write-up enlists some of the pros of animal testing...
Even though the world erupted in a cacophony of applause, opinion, cynicism, and even paranoia, after the birth of ‘Dolly’, the first cloned mammal, in 1997. Questions were asked of the scientific community as to where this technology was headed, were humans next on the cloning menu? 15 years down the line, the risks of genetic cloning are all too clear, which we shall try to know more about.
It is sad that the self-proclaimed ‘superior’ in the animal kingdom should use products and medication at the expense of the death and abuse of lower species. It is important to stay updated on the facts about animal testing.
