Banana plants, with their tall and majestic appearance, often deceive people into believing that they are trees. However, these tropical wonders are not woody plants at all. In fact, they belong to the family Musaceae, which is closely related to the ginger family or Zingiberaceae. The truth is that bananas are large herbaceous plants, exhibiting […]
Category: Informative
The lesser mouse-deer (Tragulus kanchil)
The lesser mouse-deer (Tragulus kanchil), also known as the lesser Malay chevrotain or kanchil, is a small even-toed ungulate in the family Tragulidae. It holds the distinction of being one of the smallest hoofed mammals globally, measuring around 45 cm in length and weighing about 2 kg. Sporting a reddish-brown coat with white underparts and […]
The Unlikely Relationship Between Opossums and Snake Venom
Opossums are fascinating creatures that are well-known for their ability to resist the toxic effects of venom from venomous snakes, such as rattlesnakes and coral snakes. While opossums are not completely immune to snake venom, they do possess some unique biological mechanisms that make them more resistant to it than many other animals. One such […]
Anise Seeds: The Little Powerhouses with Big Benefits
Star anise have been used for centuries for their aromatic flavor and medicinal properties. Although star anise are often confused with seeds, they are, in fact, small fruits that come from the star anise plant, Illicium verum. This member of the Apiaceae family is native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia but is […]
Capturing Light: How the Human Eye and Black Holes Are Alike
The human eye and black holes are two vastly contrasting objects that surprisingly share a common trait: their ability to absorb light. The human eye is a marvel of nature, capturing and decoding light to give us a window into the world around us, while black holes are enigmatic regions of space where not even […]
Chemical Engineering in the Wild: The Defense Mechanism of Asian Bombardier Beetles
Asian bombardier beetles are a unique group of insects known for their impressive defense mechanism against predators. These beetles have the ability to shoot a hot chemical spray from their abdomens, which can deter would-be attackers and give the beetle time to escape. The spray is created by storing two separate chemicals, hydrogen peroxide and […]
The Fungus That Can Control the Minds of Ants
Imagine a fungus that can infect an ant, take control of its behavior, and ultimately kill it. This might sound like a science fiction story, but it is actually a real phenomenon that occurs in nature. The fungus in question is called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, and it specifically infects and kills ants. The fungus infects the […]
A Journey into the Invisible World: 2022 Photomicrography competition
Have you ever wanted to see what the world looks like at a microscopic level? With photomicrography, you can do just that! This process uses a microscope and a camera to capture images of small objects or features that are too small for the naked eye to see. These images can show us the intricate […]
The Colugo: A Unique and Fascinating Glider of Southeast Asia
The colugo, or flying lemur, is a unique and fascinating mammal found in Southeast Asia. Despite its name, it is not a lemur and does not actually fly; instead, it glides through the air using a patagium, a membrane of skin stretched between its limbs. This adaptation allows the colugo to cover long distances between […]
Green Globe Trotters: The Many Ways Plants Disperse Their Seeds
Plants are the masters of survival and reproduction, and they have developed some truly ingenious ways of dispersing their seeds in order to thrive and spread across the land. From fluffy seeds that float on the wind to explosive capsules that shoot seeds far and wide, there are countless strategies that plants use to ensure […]