For questions relating to the study of life and life-related processes
If the concerned question is about a more specific area of Biology (such as genetics, zoology etc.), this tag should be used along with the tag of that specific area of Biology.
Questions tagged [biology]
90 questions
5
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How old is the idea of effector islands in fungi?
When was the word mesosynteny first used to describe the unique features of fungal genomes? How old is the discovery?
rosysnake
- 153
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4
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1 answer
When were mental disorders first recognized as diseases?
I want to know if, any old civilizations have considered mental disorders as real disease which could be cured? If not, then where it got this status in modern science?
Devashish Das
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4
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1 answer
History of species identification before 1930
I am trying to research how new species have been recorded over time, but specifically in the period before the 1930s. Where would an academic who had discovered a new species get their discovery ratified and recorded for posterity over that…
Darius West
4
votes
1 answer
Was Carl Linnaeus the first one to group humans and other apes together?
As the title says I was wondering if the first time humans and other apes were thought of as a group was in Linnaeus' work as this is the first explicit reference I am aware of. I know of course that humans were already grouped as animals in many…
MM8
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What was the basis for Crick's proposal of the central dogma of molecular biology?
In 1957 Crick propounded the central dogma of molecular biology:
The Central Dogma. This states that once "information" has passed into protein it cannot get out again. In more detail, the transfer of information from nucleic acid to nucleic acid,…
Deschele Schilder
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3
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When was the first electron microscope image of a roundish or geometrical (e.g. icospiked virus particle produced?
The first TEM image of a human coronavirus was in 1967 but both images of virus particles and Transmission Electron Microscopy were around long before that.
What molecule's models might Linus Pauling be holding up in this photo? Perhaps something…
uhoh
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2 answers
What did scientists think was the function of breathing before the discovery of atmospheric gases?
Before we knew about gases in the atmosphere, what did scientists think was the function of breathing?
Ronald Lavine
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2
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1 answer
Who used "Tabellenstatistik" as a derogatory term in the history of biogeography?
I recently read the book "The secular ark" by Janet Browne on the history of plant geographical studies.
In the chapter "A Science of Patterns", a subsection entitled "Tabellenstatistik" is included, that tries to answer, why people were so enamored…
openmedi
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Why was brood parasitism known about in the middle ages?
The Wikipedia article on Cuckold indicates that the biological phenomenon of brood parasitism was known in the middle ages. (I suspect it may have been known in other cultures as well, but I can't say for sure)
Although observing such behaviour…
Andrew Grimm
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What were the original techniques used to study CAM (Crassulacean acid metabolism) plants? Who first employed these methods?
In biology and botany, there is extensive research concerning the nature of different plant types and their methods of respiration and nutrient intake.
How were CAM (Crassulacean Acid Metabolism) plants first studied? Who first developed the methods…
Nachiket Kulkarni
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How important were reprints of scientific articles in scientific practice and communications before the copier, the computer and the internet?
Reprints of articles from scientific journals seem to have been an important part of scientific practice before the copying machine and the internet. Authors of articles were given a number of those reprints to share with their peers in times when…
openmedi
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Coverage of a topic by scientific research through time
I'm interesting of how scientific research covers a specific topic in a time. Scientific field: biology, cellulosic ethanol production
Like:
topic A
1940 - 2 publications (maybe with details like: 1 patent, one publication with title "X" in magazin…
Evgeniy
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