South American lungfish has the largest animal genome, with 91 billion base pairs

Explore different living beings' sizes, from DNA to whales and the Pando clone

The Pando is actually a single organism in Utah, comprising more than 47,000 stems connected by a vast root system. It spans roughly 108 acres. Meanwhile, the average human stands at 5 feet and 7 inches. DNA, the genetic instructions for life, stands at a height of 3.5 nanometers.

Only 2% of human DNA codes for proteins

The entire human genome contains about 20,000 protein-coding genes, with the rest having initially been categorized as "junk" DNA. However, research since 2003 suggests that this "dark genome" regulates how protein-coding genes are expressed in response to environmental factors encountered by cells.

Nineteen years after its conclusion, scientists finish what the HGP started

The Human Genome Project mapped 92% of the human genome sequence upon its completion in 2003, leaving unreachable DNA regions unmapped. PacBio HiFi DNA sequencing allowed its completion 19 years later, with the additional mapping of 200 million DNA letters.

Fruit fly experiments helped identify genes responsible for major body development

The insects' fast life cycle and affordability have allowed geneticists to quickly identify which genes are responsible for limbs, eyes, and other body structures by inducing mutations. The same genes may be responsible for different parts of a species' body, such as limb-building genes being responsible for wing pigmentation in butterflies.

Large animals like giraffes and elephants have evolved unique cancer defenses

One may expect the larger an animal is, the more likely it is to develop cancer—simply because there are more cells and more chances for a dangerous mutation. However, some large animals show cancer rates almost 10 times lower than humans—a phenomenon known as Peto's Paradox.

Visualizing the 75 largest underwater animals

With so many fish in the sea, which are the largest? This infographic shows fantastic illustrations of the 75 largest sea animals, ranked by average size. The detailed visual is organized in descending order of size, starting with the blue whale,...

Larger animals like giraffes, elephants, and blue whales have developed a unique defense against cancer, a phenomenon known as Peto's Paradox

The tongue evolved in animals roughly 350 million years ago

Creatures like fish rely on suction to consume food, flexing their gills to create water currents that vacuum up their meals. The evolution of the tongue enabled vertebrates to completely cut ties with the sea, moving onto land where they could sample new foods and ways to eat them.

Scientists can suck animal DNA from the air

A look at how researchers filtered the air around two zoos and identified genetic material from dozens of species, a technique that could help track and conserve wildlife.

DNA cassette tapes could store 36,000 terabytes of data

By translating binary code into the base-pair code found in genetic sequences, researchers in China are storing digital data on DNA-coated tapes for compact, durable, and energy-efficient storage. The tapes use a blend of polyester and nylon with barcode patterns for data addressing.

See how each of the more than two million known species relates to each other—and to common ancestors—in this zoomable tree of life.

Chinese scientists transplanted a pig lung into a human being—but it had to be removed

In August 2025, Chinese scientists transplanted a pig lung into a brain-dead person, a common research step for this type of experimental work. Researchers used CRISPR technology to alter six proteins in the pig genes to make the organ seem less foreign to the human immune system. Within a day there were indications the organ wasn’t functioning well and that the person’s body was rejecting it. Scientists ended the experiment after nine days.

Here’s how different genetic disorders get passed on

The human genome is complex, as identified by the Human Genome Project. This article digs in to genetic disorders, the most common ones, and how they are diagnosed.

Why human brains were bigger 3,000 years ago

Our modern civilisation may be the most advanced to ever exist on Earth, but around 100 generations ago, our ancestors had brains that were larger than our own.

Genetic analysis indicates that every organism on Earth evolved from a single cell

LUCA—the last universal common ancestor—lived about 4.2 billion years ago and likely obtained energy through the conversion of carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas consumed from atmospheric gases at the ocean's surface or hydrothermal vents—openings on the seafloor where fluid warmed and enriched with minerals by Earth's interior is expelled.

Supermountains the size of the continental US may have sparked complex life on Earth

Geological records show that the Nuna and the Transgondwanan Supermountains existed around the same time as two major jumps in species complexity on the planet: the rise of large organisms and the Cambrian explosion, respectively. Researchers believe that the erosion of these mountains deposited major nutrients into the oceans and boosted oxygen levels, both of which supported more complex species.

The longest word in English is 189,819 letters long

The wildly-winding word (so long that we can't fit it here) is the proper name for titin, a protein that keeps muscles elastic.

These animals are only found in the Amazon rainforest.

The mighty Amazon River and its surrounding rainforest is home to millions of different species of animals, with new ones being discovered regularly.

Alaska's Bristol Bay hosts the world's largest self-sustaining wild salmon runs

Nearly 50 million of the fish return to the area each year to spawn, sometimes in the same spot they were born. A journalist tracked the supply chain journey of one sockeye salmon from the sea to the customer's plate.

View some of the most invasive species in US waters

Introduced in the late 1600s from Eastern Asia, the goldfish is considered the first invasive fish in North America. The venomous lionfish is safe to consume, but catching it is complicated by its reluctance to respond to hook-and-line-style fishing attempts.

One jellyfish species is biologically immortal

Turritopsis dohrnii is a type of jellyfish that can revert back to a juvenile stage after reaching sexual maturity, theoretically allowing it to stay alive for good. But that's a tough sell in a world full of predators. See this list of some of the longest-living species on Earth.

Indefinite cloning of some endangered species may not sustain their longevity because cloning success rates decrease as genetic mutations accumulate.

Spinosaurus had the weirdest dinosaur tail of all time

A new fossil of one of the most unusual dinosaurs, Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, suggests it was a swimming predator powered by a fin-like tail.

Biosphere 2 is the largest Earth science experiment ever built

The vivarium—an enclosed system including animals and plants—is sealed from below with 454 metric tons of stainless steel liner and includes an ocean habitat with more than 700,000 gallons of seawater. B2 is visited by 100,000 people yearly, including more than 10,000 K-12 students.

Angler catches nine-foot-long catfish

An Italian fishermen struggled for 43 minutes to reel in an over nine-foot catfish in the river Po, marking one of the largest such catches in history.

Long-term evolution experiments use microbe's short generations to speed up selection

With quick generations of microbes, scientists can speed up the evolutionary process, with projects like the LTEE in California running for 40 years and generating 80,000 generations of E. coli.

Snake venoms are repurposed proteins responsible for other bodily functions

Just as saliva aids digestion in humans, proteins responsible for bioactivities such as digestion and blood clotting were eventually secreted in the glands and fangs of snakes across evolutionary history. Organisms that could not withstand the effects of these molecules (e.g., excessive bloodstream clotting) became ideal prey for snakes.

TIGR may supplement CRISPR by providing more refined DNA targeting

The tandem interspaced guide RNA is primarily found in viruses—unlike CRISPR, which is bacterial in origin—and is smaller than CRISPR, making it easier to deliver into cells. The TIGR-Tas system appears to read both sides of the DNA double helix and opens a smaller segment of DNA for repairs, improving the precision of single letter modification.

The syncytiotrophoblast is the outer layer of the placenta and the largest human cell, spanning an area about twice that of a king-sized bedsheet.

Astronauts have repaired genetic damage in space using CRISPR—a molecular tool that can make precise changes to DNA and is used in single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses.

Fish populations in the Great Barrier Reef have increased after installing waterproof speakers on the ocean floor that played recordings of sounds from healthy coral reefs.

Planarian flatworms are small, aquatic worms with exceptional regenerative capabilities. When cut, the worms can regenerate multiple bodies in a matter of weeks.

When caught in the mouths of cardinal fish, seed shrimp release glowing, bioluminescent chemicals, which alert predators of the cardinal fish, prompting the shrimp's ejection.

The Great Salt Lake's distinct dual coloration results from high-salinity organisms that only live in the northern portion and produce a purple protein.

Some Pokémon have been named after real and fictional organisms, while some real-world species have been named after Pokémon, such as Chilicola charizard and Binburrum zapdos.

Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus remains extremely rare, so the 2026 hantavirus cruise ship outbreak doesn't mean we're facing a COVID-style pandemic risk.

Bone marrow (soft tissue found inside certain bones) generates roughly 500 billion new blood cells each day

Waves off the coast of Nazaré, Portugal, can reach over 100 feet and are caused by the area's deep underwater canyon geography

The animatronic shark from Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws,' the first modern blockbuster, was a complex underwater apparatus called 'Bruce.'

The American cockroach is actually from Africa, an apparent hitchhiker aboard ships carrying enslaved people, with evidence suggesting the bug may have arrived in the New World as early as the 1600s.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

Most of the observable universe's volume consists of voids and supervoids—enormous regions of space with little to no galaxies, stars, or light.

English mathematician Ada Lovelace wrote the first computer algorithm a century before computers existed and hypothesized that computing devices would one day be able to compose music—foreseeing the generative AI systems of today.

The US Constitution is widely regarded as the longest-standing written national constitution still in force—see how it has influenced rights worldwide.

Search a massive database of over 4 decades of clues from the TV quiz show 'Jeopardy!'

The Nasdaq's 'Magnificent 7' companies are responsible for roughly 40% of the Nasdaq 100 index's gains, while the remaining 93 companies account for the other 60%.

Quincy Jones' 'Big Band Bossa Nova' helped introduce bossa nova—a jazz-influenced Brazilian genre—to the US

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is the largest ground war in Europe since World War II in terms of casualties, forces mobilized, and displacement of civilians.

Sony set the standard for cylinder-shaped batteries when it repurposed manufacturing equipment used to make rolls of magnetic recording tape.