You’re sweating, flushed, nauseous, and fumbling for words...is the flu coming on? No, it’s just time to talk about the “P” word: puberty. Are you worrying about how to bring up the topic with your pre-teen? It can be an awkward subject for both parents and kids, but understanding the science of what’s happening can help to put everyone at ease.

Hello, Adventurers! Today I’m answering your questions about the endocrine system—the system in your body that regulates all kinds of important functions inside of you. Your brain and other organs do this by sending out signals in the form of  hormones, which instruct parts of your body to grow, adjust temperature, process nutrients, and almost everything else that keeps you up and running. At any given time, your hormones might be telling you that you need to eat, take a nap, or put on a sweatshirt…mine are telling me to move on to your questions.

Our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are all deeply connected. So connected, in fact, it’s sometimes hard to tell them apart. For instance, “I feel like I’m not good at math,” and “I feel like she doesn’t like me” are both thoughts, even though they use the word “feel.” Kind of confusing, right? Let’s take a closer look.

There’s no denying that humans are emotional beings. Everything we see, hear, or experience incites an emotional reaction, even if that reaction is sheer boredom. Sometimes this can feel exhausting, but it’s not without good reason -- emotions inform decision-making, and help us assess risk and prioritize needs. Emotions also help us communicate with and care for others, allowing us to create friendships and build communities.

You have over 600 muscles in your body. So many, in fact, that muscle makes up about half your weight. It may seem muscles take up more than their fair share, but they have good reason to make such a heavy claim to your frame: muscles are your body’s primary source of power. Whenever something inside you needs to move, chances are your muscles make it happen.

A muscle sprain or strain may sideline you to the couch. But while you’re resting up, do you ever wonder...what are my muscles doing right now? Your body has some clever gadgets to help you heal. While you’re catching up with your favorite show or re-reading a book, your muscles are calling on their own in-house repair team, which is always waiting in reserve to help you out in a pinch (or sprain).

Hello, Adventurers! Dr. B here again, ready to answer all of your burning questions. Speaking of feeling the burn, today we’re talking about sore muscles. We’re told, “No pain, no gain,” but do you ever wonder what causes the tenderness in your triceps, the fatigue in your forearms, or the cramp in your calves after a day of hard exercise? Fortunately, I have a  tendon-cy  to know these things! Read on to learn why some of your most helpful body parts can make you feel so miserable

Hello to all you adventure boos and ghouls! It’s your skeleton friend, Dr. Bonyfide, ready to answer all your eerie inquiries. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, autumn is upon us, and this round of questioning falls on Halloween! In the spirit of the season, you sent in a bunch of creepy  questions -- I never knew you s-cared so much! -- but I could only answer three, and it was tough to decide...witch.

When it comes to anatomy, you’re nearly an expert on knowing yourself by now. But can you apply what you’ve learned to something a little less…human? Think like a mad scientist and help us collect as many field notes and observations about zombies compared to us humans!

Think about your children. They have grown so much in just a few years and they are asking more questions than ever before. They want to experiment and learn about the world and about themselves. They are at that age when everything is new and fascinating. They feel...

Can eating an apple every day really help your immune system? Or, is the saying simply an old wives’ tale?  The answer might not be as simple as you think.  Apples contain vitamin C, which research shows can reduce your overall likelihood of getting sick, and can also make your symptoms less severe if you do come down with something. 

Your immune system protects your most important resource: you! And its defenses are formidable: harmful invaders like bacteria, viruses, or parasites have to get through several complex layers of protection to do their damage. Not only do they have to breach physical and chemical barriers, they’ve got to dodge front-line cells and evade tools specially trained to seek and destroy them. The three lines of defense are barrier defenses, the innate immune system, and the adaptive immune system.