Biology
Exploring "Why" questions about Biology
482 articles
Why are pharmaceuticals in general, but particularly pills, so insanely expensive when they cost so little to manufacture?
Research is very expensive. Many companies lose millions of dollars a year doing research on a drug. After they get a drug that they think works, they have to get approval (in the US) through the FDA.
Why is some handsoap labeled ‘Antibacterial’ and some aren’t? Isn’t all soap antibacterial? Isn’t that the point of soap?
No, most soaps are just "release agents" which just help remove particulates without actually killing bacteria. Antibacterial soaps actually contain an antibiotic that kills the bacteria. Also you sho
why are beer bottles generally brown?
I think if it's out in the sun, a clear bottle would cause the beer to break down chemically but a brown bottle reduces the sunlight and causes it to last longer
Why does it take a few days to get DNA tests complete for the NY escaped convicts but it takes months to get DNA results in sex crime investigations?
It's just a matter of prioritization. For the backed-up case load it wouldn't make sense to do the new one first. But the escaped fugitives are a priority so they push it to the front of the line.
Why do scientists claim they have found the fossils of a “new species” when it could just be a deformed individual of an aleady discovered one?
The chances of a seriously deformed individual surviving long past birth are pretty small. If it's an injury that healed wrong, the bone itself usually looks weird texture wise. It's possible for more
Why does inbreeding cause genetic abnormalities in offspring?
Members of the same family can have the same recessive genes that can cause defects - It's usually not a problem to have a recessive gene that can cause a defect, unless you procreate with another per
why does rice have more genes than humans do?
The number of genes isn't what determines complexity, it's how those genes are used. Imagine the same principle with language. If you try to describe something simple with thousands of words, your des
Why do retail stores have the most uninspiring/generic music playing, and rarely play mainstream songs?
I always thought it had something to do with paying royalties to the artists (or their record companies). Then again, it might be that they choose that music specifically for background noise and noth
Why are mosquitos able to successfully transmit certain viruses such as zika, malaria, and dengue, but not others such as HIV and hepatitis?
I can answer at least part of this. Mosquitoes aren't a viable host for HIV because they lack the T-helper cells HIV requires in order to reproduce. HIV breaks down in the mosquito's digestive system
Why don’t humans (and other organisms) evolve into perfect beings?
All evolution does is adapt you to survive and reproduce in your surroundings. If thats the end goal, humans pretty much are perfect