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Using anatomical terms for human organs and parts of plants

I know how to apply anatomical directional terms (e.g., dorsal/ventral, anterior/posterior, etc.) for animals as a whole (bipeds and quadrupeds). Recently, I've been studying plant physiology, and I came to know that the upper surface of a leaf is…
MrAP
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How does a brain distinguish stimuli?

If all the brain ever "sees" is action potentials, how do we know that one set of action potentials denotes a flash of light, another one signifies a loud sound, etc ?
Gabriel Fair
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How do prokaryotes perform cellular respiration without membrane-bound organelles?

In order to survive, prokaryotes such as bacteria need to produce energy from food such as glucose. In eukaryotic cells, respiration is performed by mitochondria, but prokaryotic cells do not have membrane-enclosed organelles. How do prokaryotic…
Orcris
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Origin of the biochemical term, Pi (inorganic phosphate)

I would like to know when the term Pi (inorganic phosphate) was introduced in the representation of biochemical reactions, how it was originally defined, and the justification given then for using it rather than an individual species of phosphate.…
David
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Hundreds of Red Spiders in Individual Webs

I live in the USA in south Louisiana. I woke up this morning to find my yard covered in hundreds of spider webs. Each of those little white puffs is a spider web. Inside of each web is one little red spider. The spiders are pretty small. Less than…
Ghostship
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Mystery Plant ID

I found this odd rooty thing growing in one of the pots on my patio - any idea what it might be? I'm in Cape Town, South Africa, and it's the tail end of winter here.
Viergacht
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Can cancer grow forever if supplied with unlimited resources?

If somehow a human could give a tumor unlimited resources, would the cancer grow forever? It seems like it would until it gets so large that it physically affects vital organs. Is what would likely happen?
Kirby
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Computer Virus that infects DNA?

I have watched a talk by Mikko Hypponen (CEO of the security company F-Secure) called Silicon Plague. There, roughly at minute 51 of the talk, he mentions a computer code that is supposed to be able to infect DNA. I was googling and found the…
ACGT
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How do we know that our genetic similarities to other species is actually due to common ancestry?

I know all about how the fossil record shows more human-like species coming about over time, and how modern testing proves we have genetic similarities with other animals. All that says is we have similar genetic blueprints to animals in the past…
moonman239
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How do neurons find each other?

Neurons form complicated networks in brains, but their connections can't be random (at least not entirely). Brains function similarly among all members of individual species, and that functionality is largely dependent on neuron organization.…
CircleSquared
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Which biological kingdom comprises the greatest biomass on Earth?

Which of the five biological kingdoms - animalia, protista, plantera, monera, or fungi - has the largest biomass? To clarify, if the biomass of every species in each of these kingdoms was added up, which kingdom would have the greatest sum?
Jeremy
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Is it possible to feel pain in some part of a body, but the pain "feeling" is introduced somewhere else?

Is it possible to feel pain in some part of a body, but that the cause of the pain is situated elsewhere in the body? For example, somebody feels pain in his toe, but it turns out that this pain is not signaled by nerves in his toe, but caused by a…
scdmb
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Why is Fast Fourier Transform applied to raw EEG data?

I am trying to understand why Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is used in the analysis of raw EEG channel data. My understanding (at the 30,000 ft view) is that FFT decomposes linear differential equations with non-sinusoidal source terms (which are…
smeeb
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Skull mystery on beach

The skull was found on a beach on the Sechelt inlet on Canada's pacific coast. A marine environment. What species is this skull from?
Rusty biologist
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How does the body switch between aerobic and anaerobic respiration?

Lets take the case of a person doing heavy exercise. Aerobic respiration is taking place, but oxygen is about to be finished up. Glycolysis occurs, Krebs cycle finishes. Now NADH and FADH2 enter electron transport system (ETS) to form ATP, but at…
another 'Homo sapien'
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