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Alicecooks
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alicecooks The Venus Flytrap
One touch is fine but I'll let it slide, Two quick taps and you're trapped inside!
alicecooks The DmMSL10 gene at the sensory hair base acts as a mechanosensor, converting physical pressure into an electrical
Fun Fact
Soggy plant logic: Venus flytraps can survive fully submerged underwater for up to several weeks without drowning or losing their traps.
alicecooks An educational graphic card shows a Venus flytrap counting to five for digestion.
Glossary
action potential (noun)
A temporary change in electrical potential associated with the passage of an impulse along a cell membrane. In 2016, researcher Rainer Hedrich discovered that Venus flytraps count these electrical impulses to identify live prey.
A temporary change in electrical potential associated with the passage of an impulse along a cell membrane. In 2016, researcher Rainer Hedrich discovered that Venus flytraps count these electrical impulses to identify live prey.
Quiz
Which chemical element acts as the Venus flytrap's internal short-term memory clock?
Gossip
If you were a fly, which trap style is scariest?
Quiz
How many times must a Venus flytrap's trigger hairs be touched within 30 seconds to close?
Quiz
How fast does a Venus flytrap leaf snap shut when fully triggered?
Quiz
How many total hair stimulations must occur for a Venus flytrap to begin digestion?
Quiz
What is the name of the mechanosensor gene that generates the electrical charge in Venus flytraps?
Quiz
What happens inside a Venus flytrap if a trigger hair touch is too light?
Quiz
Which hormone increases in a Venus flytrap to signal digestion as counting continues?
Quiz
What physical change allows the Venus flytrap leaf to close so rapidly?
alicecooks The Pomegranate Berry
Not an apple / it’s a berry / called balausta!
alicecooks Mangosteen Fruit Anatomy
Count the wooden petals on the bottom of her skin, To see how many sweet segments hide deep within.
alicecooks The Madagascar Aye-Aye
Tap-tap on the bark with a skeletal bone! (Tap that bone!) / Reaching for a grub in the dark all alone! (All alone!)
alicecooks The aye-aye's independently moving ears pinpoint the exact vibrations of wood-boring beetle larvae hidden under centimeters of bark.
Fun Fact
Tapping finger heat: The aye-aye's specialized tapping finger actually cools down when not in use to save energy.
alicecooks An aye-aye primate displays massive orange beaver teeth under dramatic studio lighting.
Glossary
nocturnal (adjective)
Active or occurring during the night rather than the day. This Madagascar lemur is the world's largest nocturnal primate, tapping tree trunks with a skeletal middle finger.
Active or occurring during the night rather than the day. This Madagascar lemur is the world's largest nocturnal primate, tapping tree trunks with a skeletal middle finger.
Quiz
What temperature change happens to the aye-aye's tapping finger when it is not actively foraging?
Gossip
Which aye-aye feature is the coolest?
Quiz
How many degrees can the aye-aye's specialized tapping finger rotate at its joint?
Quiz
What physical feature of the aye-aye is larger relative to its body than almost any other primate?
Quiz
Which other mammal shares the aye-aye's rare feeding technique of percussive foraging?
Quiz
Why do the front teeth of an aye-aye grow continuously throughout its life?
Quiz
How fast can an aye-aye tap on tree bark to search for hidden insects?
Quiz
How does the aye-aye protect its long, thin third finger while walking?
Quiz
Which island nation is the only wild home of the unique aye-aye primate?
alicecooks While most fruits drop their flower parts, the pomegranate keeps these sepals intact to form its signature crown
Fun Fact
Pomegranate lifespans: A healthy pomegranate tree can live and produce fruit for over 200 years.
alicecooks Animated characters introduce the juicy red arils of a sliced pomegranate.
Glossary
berry (noun)
A small, fleshy, round fruit without a stone, typically containing seeds. Native to ancient Persia, the pomegranate is botanically a berry since its seeds grow inside one ovary.
A small, fleshy, round fruit without a stone, typically containing seeds. Native to ancient Persia, the pomegranate is botanically a berry since its seeds grow inside one ovary.
Quiz
What botanical classification does the pomegranate actually fall under?
Gossip
Which part of the pomegranate is the most satisfying to eat?
Quiz
What chemical compound makes the white membrane of a pomegranate taste so bitter?
Gossip
Would you grow a pomegranate tree in your backyard?
Quiz
How long can a pomegranate tree live and continue bearing fruit?
Quiz
What is the crown-like structure on top of a pomegranate called?
Quiz
What is the typical range of seeds found in a single pomegranate?
Quiz
What is the official term for the juicy, red seed pods inside a pomegranate?
Quiz
What does the Latin species name of the pomegranate, 'granatum', mean?
Quiz
Which part of the pomegranate tree was historically boiled to make red dye?
alicecooks Seeds developing without fertilization produce perfect genetic replicas of the wild ancestor, leaving the entire purple mangosteen population
Fun Fact
Mangosteen math: The petal-like woody lobes on the bottom of a mangosteen always match the exact number of white fruit segments inside.
alicecooks An oil painting shows the tough, purple rind of a sliced mangosteen fruit
Glossary
stigma (noun)
The part of a pistil that receives the pollen during pollination. On the mangosteen, these woody bottom lobes reveal the exact number of edible segments hidden inside.
The part of a pistil that receives the pollen during pollination. On the mangosteen, these woody bottom lobes reveal the exact number of edible segments hidden inside.
Quiz
What color is the thick outer rind of a ripe mangosteen?
Quiz
How do purple mangosteen trees reproduce if they do not produce viable pollen?
Quiz
What is the biological term for seed production without fertilization, as seen in mangosteens?
Quiz
Which compound in the mangosteen rind makes it extremely bitter and astringent?
Quiz
What part of the mangosteen is used to ward off pests with its bitter taste?
Quiz
What is the scientific name of the purple mangosteen?
Quiz
What does the flower-like mark on the bottom of a mangosteen tell you?