Biology Popular Science

Cat and Dog。圖片來源：Pingz Man，採用  CC BY 2.0  授權。 Before attempting to answer whether dogs are smarter than cats, we first need to clarify what “smart” actually means. In everyday discussion, people often equate intelligence with something like an IQ score. For humans, IQ can be assessed through standardized tests. However, animals such as dogs and cats cannot take these kinds of tests, so scientists must rely on other methods when trying to estimate animal intelligence. For a lo

To understand what a gene is, it is helpful to begin with chromosomes and gradually work inward through the levels of biological organization. Each species possesses a characteristic number of chromosomes. Humans, for example, have 23 pairs, peanuts have 20 pairs, coyotes have 39 pairs, and the plant Ophioglossum reticulatum  contains an astonishing 630 pairs. In eukaryotic cells, chromosomes reside within the nucleus. When a cell is not dividing, chromosomes do not appear as

兔兔！圖片來源：JM Ligero Loarte，採用  CC BY 3.0  授權 Pseudorumination Pseudorumination is a digestive strategy used by certain herbivores to cope with diets rich in fibrous plant material. Unlike true ruminants, which rely primarily on microbial fermentation within specialized stomach chambers, animals that employ pseudorumination rely mainly on processes occurring in the intestines. Among these animals, rabbits possess one of the most distinctive digestive systems. Rabbits are small t

Sneezing appears to be a simple action, yet when the entire process is examined closely it becomes clear that it is a remarkably complex physiological response. Even today, its mechanisms are not fully understood. The nasal cavity is lined with mucous membranes and easily collects external particles such as dust and pollen during breathing. When such irritants are detected, the body expels air outward with explosive force—reaching speeds of up to about 40 meters per second—to

The genus Enterovirus  belongs to the family Picornaviridae . Within this genus there are 13 viral groups, which can be further divided into more than 300 serotypes. Among them, seven groups are known to infect humans, including polioviruses (PV), enteroviruses (EV), coxsackieviruses (CV), rhinoviruses (RV), and echoviruses. Viruses in the family Picornaviridae  possess an icosahedral capsid composed of four structural proteins, VP1–VP4, with a diameter generally ranging from

The order Apodiformes includes three extant families: ➤  Apodidae (true swifts) ➤  Hemiprocnidae (tree swifts) ➤  Trochilidae (hummingbirds) Molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate that Apodiformes diverged from Caprimulgiformes (nightjars and their relatives) during the late Paleocene. Within this lineage, hummingbirds separated from other apodiform birds during the Eocene approximately 42 million years ago, whereas the split between true swifts and tree swifts occurred som

As winter arrives, the activity levels of many animals decline noticeably. Wildlife in nature slows down, and even domesticated pets respond to the seasonal change. Yet in everyday life there are always a few small creatures that seem unaffected by the cold. Insects, for instance, can still be seen even in winter. Among them are the familiar household pests that appear throughout the year. Today, Rodrigo will introduce one such resident of our homes: the fruit fly. Black-bell

Morgan and the Fruit Fly: How Fruit Flies Entered the World of Medicine It is quite ironic that Thomas Hunt Morgan, a scientist now famous for his work on fruit flies and chromosomes, initially disliked both fruit flies and Mendelian genetics. Early in his career, Morgan hoped that by studying patterns of inheritance he could disprove Mendel's laws and the idea that genes were associated with chromosomes. To pursue this goal he experimented with many different organisms, incl

In Redwood National Park in California, USA, there grows a species of conifer known as the coast redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens ), the tallest tree species on Earth. Among them stands a remarkable individual known as Hyperion, the tallest of all known redwoods. Its height reaches approximately 116 meters, surpassing even the Statue of Liberty when the pedestal is included. The tree is estimated to be around 600 to 800 years old. Redwoods belong to the cypress family (Cupressa

Snakebite envenoming claims more than 100,000 human lives every year, yet it remains a medical problem that has long received insufficient attention. Snake venoms consist largely of proteins and include components with both cytotoxic and neurotoxic effects. Cytotoxic venom components damage cell membranes and lead to cell rupture, whereas neurotoxins interfere with neural signaling by binding to receptors involved in neurotransmission. For example, the cobra toxin ScNtx can b

The Slender-billed Curlew ( Numenius tenuirostris ) was a migratory shorebird belonging to the sandpiper family. It once occupied a broad breeding and wintering range across Eurasia and parts of North Africa. Adults measured roughly 40 cm in body length with a wingspan of about 80 cm. The principal breeding region was believed to lie in western Siberia of Russia extending into northern Kazakhstan. During the non-breeding season the species ranged widely, occurring across east

The colors observed on animals are generally produced through two different mechanisms. One mechanism is pigmentary coloration, in which pigments generate color by selectively reflecting and absorbing certain wavelengths of light. Molecules such as melanin, carotenoids, and rhodopsin belong to this category. The resulting color depends on the chemical structure of the pigment molecules, and these pigments may originate either from dietary sources or from compounds synthesized

Crop milk (also known as pigeon milk) is a nutritive substance secreted from the crop or upper esophagus of certain birds during the breeding period. In pigeons (order Columbiformes), crop milk is produced by the crop and appears as a pale yellow or whitish paste-like material. Newly hatched squabs are unable to feed themselves for several weeks and grow more slowly than many other birds; during this early stage they rely entirely on crop milk provided by their parents as the

Insects that undergo complete metamorphosis experience dramatic transformations throughout their life cycle. The transition from larva to pupa and finally to adult involves not only profound morphological change but also extensive reorganization of tissues and organs. At first glance, such a process appears so radical that it seems unlikely that anything from the larval stage could persist into adulthood, particularly elements of the nervous system. Yet some research has sugg

In recent years, the rapid increase in environmental microplastics and nanoplastics has raised growing concern about the potential health risks associated with the accumulation of plastic particles in the human body. As concentrations of these particles in the environment continue to rise, understanding how they enter and persist within human tissues has become an important scientific question. A research team led by Alexander J. Nihart analyzed human liver, kidney, and brain

The kiwi ( Apteryx ), also known as the apterygid birds, is a group of flightless birds found only on the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Although current taxonomy generally recognizes five species— the great spotted kiwi ( Apteryx haastii ), the little spotted kiwi ( Apteryx owenii ), the Okarito brown kiwi ( Apteryx rowi ), the southern brown kiwi ( Apteryx australis ), and the North Island brown kiwi ( Apteryx mantelli )—phylogenetic analyses indicate that the dive

Tetragonisca angustula （圖片來源：Bibafu，採用  CC BY-SA 3.0  授權） When people think of honey bees, the species that usually come to mind are the Eastern honey bee ( Apis cerana ) and the Western honey bee ( Apis mellifera ), both members of the genus Apis . In Central and South America, however, there exists a small insect that does not belong to the genus Apis  yet is also capable of producing honey. This species is the stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula . The appearance of Tetrag

Many people grow up with a familiar image: a crocodile resting on a riverbank in the sun, its jaws wide open while small birds enter its mouth to clean its teeth. Among the birds often associated with this story are the Egyptian plover ( Pluvianus aegyptius ) and the spur-winged lapwing ( Vanellus spinosus ). Because of this supposed behavior, the Egyptian plover has long been nicknamed the “toothpick bird” or the “crocodile bird.” Nile crocodile and Egyptian plover（圖片來源：Henr

Morphology of the eversible vesicles of the springtail（圖片來源：Chen CG et al，採用  CC BY 4.0  授權） Springtails (Collembola) belong to the subphylum Hexapoda and are closely related to insects. These tiny arthropods, commonly known as springtails, inhabit a wide range of moist environments, including leaf litter, soil surfaces, low vegetation, and even tree canopies. A distinctive feature shared by all members of Collembola is the presence of a ventral tube, or collophore, located o

Photos showing interactions between a white-faced capuchin ( Cebus capucinus imitator ) and infant Coiba Island howler monkeys ( Alouatta palliata coibensis )（圖片來源：Goldsborough Z et al，採用  CC BY 4.0  授權） “Kidnapping” behavior is extremely rare in the animal kingdom. Yet on Jicarón Island in Coiba National Park, Panama, an unusual tradition has emerged. A population of Panamanian white-faced capuchin monkeys ( Cebus capucinus imitator ) has repeatedly abducted infants of the C