Environment

For living organisms to survive, they require various physiological processes and metabolic pathways which influence their physical forms. These processes have been adapted over millions of years of evolution thanks to their ability to pass information on from generation to generation. This information is...

The temperature ranges of our planet are incredibly dynamic, but we can find the coldest zones at the poles. Especially during winter where there is no sunlight, temperatures drop dramatically with levels being recorded as low as -89 ºC (-128.2 ºF). The result of such sub-zero temperatures is found...

The Protista kingdom is the classification of eukaryotic organisms consisting of various unicellular and multicellular microorganisms that, although they do not have much in common, are placed in the same kingdom because they do not fit into other kingdoms. Protists have very specific, distinctive characteristics...

You may be aware of wetlands. It may also be fairly easy to deduce that a wetland is a piece of land with a high water content, but then it is easy to be unsure how to differentiate this between geographical features such as lakes and swamps. For this reason, understanding the terminologies of different...

Although planet Earth is a closed system in terms of matter, it is constantly changing as a response to the conditions of a given place and time. From our human perspective, some of these changes are not easily perceptible. This is the case with evolutionary processes. While it may be common to think...

When we look at the diversity of nature, we may marvel at how these incredible organisms that inhabit are planet differ from each other. This wonderment is made all the greater when we consider the fact all the cells of living beings evolved from the same common cell ancestor. We know this thanks to the...

Evolution is the process by which living organisms change over time. They do so in order to adapt to the particular conditions of their environment. These changes take place in the genetic code of the organism, allowing them to be passed down from generation to generation. Much of what we know about evolution...

The Andes are one of the world's most beautiful mountain ranges, extending from Venezuela in the north all the way through to Argentina in the south. In fact, they are the largest continental mountain range in the world. Covering such a large span of territory, it is understandable that the area around...

Ecology is the study of ecosystems and the various biological, zoological, botanic and environmental processes which construct these ecosystems. One definition of ecosystems states they are formed by natural environments called biotopes and by a community of living beings called biocenosis. These can be...

Supporting our environment is not a selfless act. Finding ways to reduce the impacts of climate change and the environmental degradation our world faces is the only way to ensure our future. The same applies to future generations. Knowing how to slow or even reverse the effects of environmental degradation...

We should all be aware of environmental impact in a general sense. When we discuss the environmental impact of something, we refer to the consequences certain actions have on the larger environment. Such impacts can be large or small and they do not always have to be negative. Our very existence will have an impact...

Even if you have never heard the term, you will likely know of different xerophytic plants. Also known as xerophytes, these plants are drought resistant and can be found all over the world. Perhaps the most well known are different type of cacti, although there are many other different types of xerophytic...

Biodiversity reaches higher rates in tropical biomes than in polar biomes. We know this thanks to studies of the world's ecosystems. Ecologists have been able to confirm the fact that greater diversity in nature occurs closer to the equator by obtaining exact data on the flora and fauna of each biome on...

You may notice there are times of the year when insects are more abundant than usual. This is seen in summer when mosquitos make themselves well known. You may not have spent much time wondering why. The availability of resources is one such reason, as is the change of weather. Many animals have adapted...

The enormous natural splendor of our planet is still being discovered, despite our best attempts to chart every last inch of the globe. In an attempt to understand how it works, cartographers, researchers and various scientists have had to rely on a range of categorizations. This includes to myriad species...

Lakes, lagoons, rivers, ponds, seas or oceans are all types of bodies of water. Some are much bigger than others, but size is not the only difference between them. Since so many of the world's bodies of water and waterways are so interconnected, it can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between one...

Deforestation will occur to some degree due to natural causes. Some ecosystems have their own ways of regenerating and continuing their lifecycles. Human action on various ecosystems has also caused deforestation, something which has been important for various types of infrastructure and other aspects of civilization....

When we consider plant reproduction, it is likely we first think of seeds. By submerging in various substrates, many seeds can germinate, develop roots and produce the shoots which result in an adult plant. While a common method of propagating a species, this is not the only way plants reproduce. Especially...

Temperate forest biomes are very diverse, as we can distinguish between different types, such as temperate deciduous forests, temperate rainforests, temperate coniferous forests, temperate deciduous forests, or mixed temperate forests, to name a few. These forests, as their name implies, are located in the temperate...

One of the most important ways to understand living beings is to classify them. Since there are so many types of organism, we choose various metrics by which we can group them. Some are larger than others. For example, we make a clear distinction between plants and animals. Not all distinctions are so...

Also known as cytology, cell biology is a field of science which helps us to understand how living beings work. Different techniques have been developed to help facilitate our understanding, providing us great insight into how different cells work to fulfill their functions. We don't use this knowledge...

Pollution of the seas and oceans is a major environmental problem for mankind. There is a huge amount of garbage in the sea, and more than 80% of it is plastic waste found from surface waters to deep-sea sediments. In fact, at least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year. Can you imagine...

Spermatophyte plants are plants that produce and develop from seeds. They are divided into angiosperms and gymnosperms. The main difference between these two groups is that angiosperms are plants that bear flowers and fruits, while gymnosperms develop their seeds on the surface of scales or leaves....

We can become complacent with the plants and animals living around us, but our planet's biodiversity is astonishing. Although they are fascinating, it is not necessary to only look at exotic ecosystems to see how flora and fauna interact. Even the most humble weed exists in careful coexistence with the other...

All living things are capable of reproduction. It is carried out as an evolutionary ability to continue their species. While the act of reproduction is universal, how it is carried out is much more varied than you may think. New organisms are known as offspring which result from the parent organism. We may think...