Biology
Exploring "Why" questions about Biology
483 articles
Why do we use anti-bacterial toilet bowl cleaner?
Bacteria grow and make bad smells or nasty looking messes in the bowl. Killing them stops that.
Why is general anaesthesia so common for wisdom teeth removal, if it isn’t necessary?
It varies from patient to patient. But the general rule is to try and avoid exposure to general anesthesia for ~~unnecessary~~ procedures *that do not really need GA*. It is advised to remove wisdom t
Why does chloroplast contain DNA?
It's actually believed that chloroplasts and mitochondria used to be their own unique, single-celled organisms, which evolved to work symbiotically with the bigger, eukaryotic (more complex, with a tr
Why are some animals scared of humans but not other animals of different species?
The wildlife of the Galapagos islands often show no fear of humans at all. They have experienced little or nothing in the way of human predation. That is some pretty strong evidence.
Why aren’t there any viruses out there that make our bodies feel great?
Two reasons. The first reason is that viruses use your own cells to reproduce, which eventually destroys them (so Hepatitis virus will cause jaundice, for example). The second reason is because your i
Why are white t-shirts see-through when wet, while other colored shirts generally aren’t
White reflects the most light, and when a T-shirt is wet, the threads in the shirt expand and in the case of white shirts, allows light through and therefore sometimes reflecting off of the darker mat
Why doesn’t poor eyesight regenerate like a wound does?
Poor eyesight generally is not because of an injury, but because the eye developed slightly wrong. It won't heal because as far as the body is concerned nothing is wrong.
Why do humans seem to be the only species that look after their weak populations?
Humans are one of a small minority creatures that exhibit *altruism,* the behavior in which members act for the good of most/all members of the group, not just their own good. This increases our abili
Why are viruses not considered lifeforms?
Think of life forms as we understand them as spaceships. They repair themselves when they are damaged, they use fuel to move or power themselves, they take on more fuel, they remove fuel waste, then t
Why are men’s pant sizes in measurements and women’s pant sizes in generalized numbers?
Women's sizes basically mean nothing anymore. They were suppose to be a ratio of bust, waist, and hip and were meant to show a smaller number because it made women feel better about their body. Smalle