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In this video Paul Andersen explains the basic anatomy of a neuron; including the dendrites, cell body, axon hillock, axon, and axon terminal. He also describes how neurons are classified both structurally and functionally.

New research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reveals that some unlikely subjects -- bacteria -- can have social structures similar to plants and animals.

The structure of DNA, discovered by James Watson and Francis Crick, suggests a mechanism of replication. The double helix unwinds, and each strand acts as a template for the construction of the new DNA molecule.

In this classroom activity, there are chemical formulas and 3-D structural diagrams of some interesting natural and artificial molecules that students can build with a kit. To build some models, students will have to team up with one or more colleagues.

The 1000 Genomes Project is an international collaboration to produce an extensive public catalog of human genetic variation, including SNPs and structural variants, and their haplotype contexts. This resource will support genome-wide association studies and other medical research studies. The genomes of about 2500 unidentified people from about 25 populations around the world will be sequenced using next-generation sequencing technologies. The results of the study will be freely and publicly accessible to researchers worldwide. Further information about the project is available in the About tab. Information about downloading, browsing or using the 1000 Genomes data is available in the Data tab.

Genetic studies of human disease are more challenging to perform in sub-Saharan Africa because genetic diversity is greater than in other populations. This pilot will increase our understanding of African genome variation and enable the design of large-scale genetic association studies in the region. Studies into the genetic basis of disease in European populations have made major advances in the past few years, yet similar studies in sub-Saharan Africa have been slower to develop. The high level of genetic diversity that exists in populations from sub-Saharan Africa makes genetic associations with disease more difficult to identify. The African Genome Variation Project aims to collect essential information about the structure of African genomes to provide a basic framework for genetic disease studies in Africa.

This case study introduces students to the structure and function of cellular organelles and seeks to show their importance by discussing diseases and disorders that can result when an organelle does not function as it should. The storyline follows a family whose joy at bringing home a new baby is soon altered by their child's sudden illness, which is eventually diagnosed as Leigh Disease. This disease occurs when defective mitochondria fail to produce energy needed by the cell, particularly affecting cells with high-energy needs like those in the brain, muscle, and gastrointestinal tract. The narrative also discusses some of the ways in which Leigh disease is inherited, treatment options, and the typical prognosis. The case was designed for an introductory non-majors biology course, but could also be used in other science or health related courses. Instructors also have the option of running the case in a "flipped classroom" in which students watch three recommended videos outside of class as a way of preparing for working on the case in class.

How are the stages of mitosis related to the creation of identical daughter cells? The primary function of the stages of mitosis is to make certain that each daughter cell is genetically identical to the mother cell. The mother cell's DNA is copied during interphase. During mitosis the chromosomes condense from long strands to highly coiled structures. The two copies of each DNA strand, called sister chromatids, are physically attached to one another. The chromosomes are moved to the center of the cell and split apart in a highly coordinated fashion. The condensation of the chromosomes, the physical connection of the sister chromatids, and the precise movement of the chromosomes are all important in making sure that each daughter cell has one copy of each chromosome and is genetically identical to the mother cell.

In their May 2015 Scientific American article "Cellular Small Talk," Dale W. Laird, Paul D. Lampe and Ross G. Johnson report on recent discoveries showing that the disruption of cellular structures called gap junctions can cause various diseases.

What happens when you introduce an architect who builds "Transformer"-like self-assembling structures to an urban agriculturalist who makes futuristic farms and an engineer who designs nuclear reactors that eat radioactive waste? Watch National Geographic Emerging Explorers Skylar Tibbets, Caleb Harper, and Leslie Dewan share stories of how they're inventing tomorrow's realities in the fields of architecture, agriculture, and nuclear engineering.

Genetic differences among ethnically diverse individuals are largely due to structural elements called copy number variants (CNVs), according to a study published today (August 6) in Science. Compared with other genomic features, such as single nucleotide variants (SNVs), CNVs have not previously been studied in as much detail because they are more difficult to sequence. Covering 125 distinct human populations around the world, geneticist Evan Eichler at the University of Washington in Seattle and an international team of colleagues studied the genomes of 236 people-analyzing both SNVs and CNVs. "The take-home message is that we continue to find a lot more genetic variation between humans than we appreciated previously," Eichler told The Scientist.

Engaging list of 10 human genetic disorders (minimal information of structural mutations)

1:38 Animated description of the digestive process and the structures of the digestive system involved at each stage.

A 3min  music video that explains the structure of a controlled experiment.

Life sciences focus on all things living, exploring the patterns, processes and relationships of organisms. The goal of life sciences is to demonstrate how unifying principles can help us to make sense of the natural world and solve problems in the world we live in. High school life sciences extend student knowledge of topics such as organisms, ecosystems, heredity and evolution, integrating a long history of scientific research from multiple fields. In high school, students will build on their conceptual understanding of life sciences by investigating and witnessing the relationships among structure and function, matter and energy, ecosystems and natural selection. Students should be able to effectively communicate facts and findings, as supported in the science literacy skills covered in the Common Core State Standards.

Venom - information on protein structure and function, following scenario of a scorpion bite.  Interactive game and activities included on site.

Computed tomography (CT) is an excellent noninvasive technique to investigate bones and soft tissue structures in a patient. Unfortunately, sometimes imaging can be difficult, as any movement from the patient can result in images that are unclear and need to be redone. This is especially difficult when dealing with patients who are young children, mentally impaired, suffering from motor disease, or are in pain. To ensure these images are clear, these challenging patients may require sedation, which is not desirable. General Electronics sought to facilitate treatment of these patients and improve the imaging process in general with the development of the Revolution CT.

NSDL is the nation's online portal for education and research on learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The National Science Digital Library has a wealth of high quality digital resources to teach almost any topic in K-12 math and science. NSDL has constructed the following collections of "resource packs" for teaching to particular K12 subject areas, drawing resources from NSDL Pathways and other NSDL projects, and gathering these topical resource sets into a single location. (Author: Laura Moin) Atomic Structures Energy Evolution Mathematics Water Quality

Concept maps are tools for organizing and representing knowledge. They include concepts, usually enclosed in circles or boxes of some type, and relationships between concepts or propositions, (indicated by a connecting line and linking word) between two concepts. Linking words on the line specify the relationship between the two concepts. Joe Novak defines "concept" as a perceived regularity in events or objects, or records of events or objects, designated by a label. Think of the concept "Dog" in your mind, what do you see? You might see a prototype shape (head, four legs etc) and typical examples (terrier, collie, sheepdog) and even be able to explain it (give a definition) in words. The label for most concepts is a word, although sometimes we use symbols such as + or %. Propositions are statements about some object or event in the universe, either naturally occurring or constructed. Propositions contain two or more concepts connected with other words to form a meaningful statement. Sometimes these are called semantic units,or units of meaning. Figure 1 shows an example of a concept map that describes the structure of concept maps and illustrates the above characteristics.

Now, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., have pinpointed a gene linked to these disorders that seems to be crucial for normal brain structure in prenatal development. The findings, which appear in an open-access article in the Jan. 14 issue of Cell Reports, shed new light on the mechanistic workings of a gene called MDGA1, previously implicated in autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.