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Biology

Cells, species and ecosystems: how living things work, compete and depend on one another.

Biology is the science with the most moving parts, most of them alive and few of them cooperating. This shelf covers how living things work and how they get along, or fail to: cells and what runs them, species and how they adapt, and the ecosystems where everything is somebody's lunch.

The strongest vein here is ecological relationships. Symbiosis in every biome you can name, from rainforest to tundra; food chains and food webs traced link by link; producers, consumers and decomposers each given their due. Alongside it sit the mechanism guides, covering photosynthesis, osmosis, enzymes and genetics, written to explain what actually happens rather than to decorate a diagram.

The featured guides above collect the big ecosystem references. For anything else, the article list runs from adaptations to zoology. One standing note: articles about the human body here explain how it works and never tell you what to do about yours; that conversation belongs to a professional who can see you.

Biology

Decomposers in the Ocean: Role and Examples

3 min read

As a part of an ecosystem, all decomposers are important in sustaining the food chain. In this ScienceStruck article, we discuss the importance of decomposers, and the various creatures which perform this role in the vast oceanic zones of our planet.

12 Lesser-known Examples of Intraspecific Competition That Exist

5 min read

The continuous struggle between individuals of a species for a limited common resource is called intraspecific competition. This competition is required for the stability of any ecosystem. ScienceStruck gives you an overview of this concept along with some examples of intraspecific competition.

Steps for Making a Dry Cell Battery on Your Own

3 min read

A dry cell battery, as the name suggests, consists of electrolyte in the non-volatile form. In this ScienceStruck article, we explain to you the steps to make a dry cell battery using the simplest of the things.

Understanding the Working Principle and Uses of a Dry Cell Battery

5 min read

A dry cell battery is a type of chemical battery that uses an electrolyte, which is in the immobilized state. The electrolyte in this cell battery contains very little moisture to allow the passage of current through it. This ScienceStruck post provides the history, definition, composition, uses, and recycling process of the dry cell battery.

Examples of Symbiotic Relationships in the Deciduous Forest

8 min read

A symbiotic relationship is defined as a relationship in which two organisms interact with one another. There are various examples of symbiotic relationships such as mutualism, commensalism, parasitism and more seen between organisms inhabiting the deciduous forest.

Polysaccharides Explained With Examples

3 min read

Polysaccharides are carbohydrates whose molecules are made of numerous sugar units that are bonded together. In this article, we shall study their formation, properties, functions, and much more.

Types of Survivorship Curve with Examples

6 min read

Survivorship curves shows the decline of individuals with age. It can help us to know about various aspects such as life expectancy and age-specified survival of a particular species. This ScienceStruck article elaborates on the different survivorship curves with a few examples of each, and also shows you how to create a survivorship curve on a spreadsheet in a stepwise manner.

Enthralling Examples of Primary Consumers in the Food Chain

3 min read

In a food chain, primary consumers are assigned the task of converting plant nutrients into digestible form for secondary and tertiary consumers. Examples of primary consumers include all the plant-eating species (herbivores) found on the planet, right from leaf-cutter ants to elephants.

Understanding the Limiting Factors in a Rainforest Ecosystem

4 min read

That something can limit life in a rainforest biome, which is literally brimming with life, is bound to come as a surprise for most people. But then, a rainforest ecosystem does have its fair share of limiting factors, which help in maintaining the ecological balance.

Similarities and Differences Between Voltaic Cells and Electrolytic Cells

8 min read

The voltaic cell and the electrolytic cell are both electrochemical cells which are at the heart of electrochemistry. In this ScienceStruck article, we learn about the individual workings of each of these cells, and then do a voltaic cell vs. electrolytic cell comparison by listing out their similarities and differences.

Limiting Factors in the Desert Ecosystem You Really Need to Know

4 min read

The desert ecosystem, so to speak, is devoid of crucial ingredients for life’s survival, and hence, speaking in terms of correctness, ‘limiting factors’ pretty much sum up the definition of deserts. What makes things all the more interesting is the fact that the least favorable factor is often the deal breaker when it comes to this ecological concept.

A Helpful Guide to Understand the Photic Zone

8 min read

The region of a water body that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis to take place, is called the photic zone. The characteristics of this environment encourages the growth of a wide variety of flora and fauna. This article will provide more information about the photic region and its biome.

Understanding the Ocean Ecosystem

8 min read

Marine ecosystem includes saltmarsh, mangroves, mudflats, lagoons, coral reefs, barrier islands, estuaries, the ocean floor, and the deep sea etc. This ScienceStruck article highlights facts, structure, and lifeforms belonging to this ecosystem.

An Overview of the Flora and Fauna During the Ordovician Period

10 min read

Adaptation of different species, mass extinctions, diversification of marine life; all these are characteristics of the Ordovician Period, which belongs to the Paleozoic Era. Read this article to gain more information about this period, along with its major plants and animals, fossils, climate, environment of deposition, etc.

Pepsin Enzyme: Structure, Function, and Important Facts

5 min read

The first animal enzyme to be discovered and crystallized, pepsin is a proteolytic enzyme that breaks down proteins into peptides. This ScienceStruck post provides information on the structure, function, and important facts about pepsin.

12 Types of Ecosystems You Should Know About, But Don’t

9 min read

Life on Earth is categorized under specific levels of organization, depending upon various factors of different organisms such as complexity, type, population, and adaptation to a specific biome. Ecosystems are considered one of the highest ranks of co-habitation, which encompasses our planet in the form of a single level called Biosphere.

Information about the Worldwide Protein Data Bank

4 min read

Somewhere in the Internet ether is a repository of information that spurs the advancement of science and medicine by helping biomedical researchers share their findings. An example of one such repository is a database called the Protein Data Bank (PDB), which is managed through an international collaboration called the Worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB).

Major and Lesser Extinction Events in Earth’s History

14 min read

Since life began to appear on Earth millions of years ago, the planet has witnessed extinctions of numerous of its species. This ScienceStruck article sheds light on the major and lesser extinction events in the history of our planet.

How Does Fingerprinting Work

6 min read

Fingerprinting is the most common method used for personal security as well as investigation of crimes. With a unique fingerprint for each and every person, it is one of the most reliable methods to establish the identity of a person. Brush through this article to know about this unique method.

Mojave Desert Animals and Plants

7 min read

To survive in the Mojave Desert, the plants and animals here have to adapt themselves to some harsh abiotic factors that exist here. As you go through the following write-up, you will come across some adaptations that these species resort to for survival.

Taiga Biome Food Chain

4 min read

Various types of plants form the foundation of food chain in the taiga biome. The main trophic levels in the taiga biome food chain are producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers and decomposers. Read on, to know about these taiga biome nutritional levels in detail.

Abiotic Factors of the Rainforest

5 min read

Rainforests are home to half the plants and animals found of the planet, and the abiotic factors of these rainforests play a crucial role in adding to their biodiversity. Continue reading....

Landforms in Tropical Rainforests

5 min read

The rainforest biome is marked by the presence of different landforms such as mountains, valleys, rivers, wetlands, etc. These landforms give rise to a complex ecosystem with varied species. Read to know more in detail.

Savanna Biome Facts

4 min read

Grasses are signature plant forms of the savanna biome, while small shrubs and trees are found to a lesser extent. It usually presents a warm climate all the year round.

Grassland Animal Adaptations

5 min read

Though in moderate level, one does get to see species diversity in the grassland biome. Grassland animal adaptations, some of which are quite amazing in themselves, have a crucial role to play in making this biome so diverse.