Shannan Muskopf
@shannan.bsky.social
🔬 Biology and 💀Anatomy teacher. Website: Biologycorner.com.
The science of tree ring analysis is called dendrochronology. This tree was recently cut in the park near me. How old do you think it is?
November 10, 2025 at 11:03 PM
The science of tree ring analysis is called dendrochronology. This tree was recently cut in the park near me. How old do you think it is?
Hellbenders are sometimes called “snot otters,” “devil dogs,” or “lasagna lizards” because of their wrinkly, folded skin.
Those skin folds aren’t just for looks, they increase surface area for breathing, since hellbenders absorb oxygen through their skin.
Those skin folds aren’t just for looks, they increase surface area for breathing, since hellbenders absorb oxygen through their skin.
Day 312: Drawing another animal without seeing it first, featuring the Hellbender
November 8, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Hellbenders are sometimes called “snot otters,” “devil dogs,” or “lasagna lizards” because of their wrinkly, folded skin.
Those skin folds aren’t just for looks, they increase surface area for breathing, since hellbenders absorb oxygen through their skin.
Those skin folds aren’t just for looks, they increase surface area for breathing, since hellbenders absorb oxygen through their skin.
Long ago, Survivor tribes could decide their own tribe name. This caused a scandal. I think of that when loading #Kahoot and deciding whether to let students choose their own names.
October 23, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Long ago, Survivor tribes could decide their own tribe name. This caused a scandal. I think of that when loading #Kahoot and deciding whether to let students choose their own names.
Coco, Destroyer of Worlds, recuperates from surgery. Nylabone is for chewing, not eating!
October 16, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Coco, Destroyer of Worlds, recuperates from surgery. Nylabone is for chewing, not eating!
Reposted by Shannan Muskopf
The Ig Nobel is incredible , one year an Indian guy won it for calculating the average surface area of an elephant and during his acceptance they had an elephant hold up a sign with the surface area of the scientist on it, they do showbiz better than the Oscars
Video: a Japanese scientist was attacked by flies while giving the acceptance speech for his Ig Nobel Prize-winning research paper that proved painting Zebra-like stripes on cows led to a decrease in biting fly attacks.
October 4, 2025 at 2:11 PM
The Ig Nobel is incredible , one year an Indian guy won it for calculating the average surface area of an elephant and during his acceptance they had an elephant hold up a sign with the surface area of the scientist on it, they do showbiz better than the Oscars
Took me a minute to figure out why my students were fighting over this book.
September 23, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Took me a minute to figure out why my students were fighting over this book.
Reposted by Shannan Muskopf
Do you love bad puns and axolotls? news.mongabay.com/custom-story...
September 18, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Do you love bad puns and axolotls? news.mongabay.com/custom-story...
I resurrected a vintage Furby. Should I be concerned that it is now talking to Alexa?
September 17, 2025 at 12:56 AM
I resurrected a vintage Furby. Should I be concerned that it is now talking to Alexa?
As I'm watching Alien Earth, I feel like these employees need more alien pathogen training.
September 14, 2025 at 5:45 PM
As I'm watching Alien Earth, I feel like these employees need more alien pathogen training.
What's bubbly and fun in the science lab? Hydrogen peroxide and liver! Here's my newly revised enzyme lab for freshmen. www.biologycorner.com/2025/09/07/l...
Lab: How Do Enzymes Work
A simple lab for biology students to learn about the properties of enzymes. Discover that enzymes are reusable and reaction rates change with temperature.
www.biologycorner.com
September 7, 2025 at 4:23 PM
What's bubbly and fun in the science lab? Hydrogen peroxide and liver! Here's my newly revised enzyme lab for freshmen. www.biologycorner.com/2025/09/07/l...
Getting close to Spooky Season, so I love watching the old horror movies and imagining mash-ups. Today, I present "Prom-zies." This is where Prom Night meets Night of the Living Dead.
September 2, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Getting close to Spooky Season, so I love watching the old horror movies and imagining mash-ups. Today, I present "Prom-zies." This is where Prom Night meets Night of the Living Dead.
Reposted by Shannan Muskopf
There's a lot of things that can happen in a classroom that you are not prepared for. Today, a loud BOOM occurred. The students looked around, listened silently, then went back to work. Turns out, a house exploded 20 miles away!
'Felt like an earthquake': Major explosion injures 4 people, damages 5 homes in north St. Louis County
Firefighters respond to a reported home explosion in north St. Louis County, leaving one person severely injured and three others with minor injuries.
www.ksdk.com
August 25, 2025 at 11:03 PM
There's a lot of things that can happen in a classroom that you are not prepared for. Today, a loud BOOM occurred. The students looked around, listened silently, then went back to work. Turns out, a house exploded 20 miles away!
Reposted by Shannan Muskopf
August 19, 2025 at 10:52 PM
I think I saw this horror movie.
I get it, rabbits with tentacles on their face are freaky! But this isn't a "And so it begins" moment. Actually, this is where the HPV vaccine came from. Here's an excerpt from my book "A Planet of Viruses" that explains it. www.wfsb.com/2025/08/09/r... & gizmodo.com/rabbits-with...
Rabbits spotted with tentacle-like growths on their faces
When some neighbors noticed the rabbits, “cute” wasn’t exactly the word that came to mind.
www.wfsb.com
August 13, 2025 at 10:36 PM
I think I saw this horror movie.
Reposted by Shannan Muskopf
My latest cartoon for @newscientist.com
August 11, 2025 at 9:42 AM
My latest cartoon for @newscientist.com
Did you know that transplanted stem cells could be a potential cure for type 1 diabetes? The sample size is small, but it is hopeful!
Stem Cell Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes
Explore a real-world Type 1 diabetes case study on stem cell therapy, with student questions, essay prompts, and a free downloadable worksheet.
www.biologycorner.com
August 9, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Did you know that transplanted stem cells could be a potential cure for type 1 diabetes? The sample size is small, but it is hopeful!
My class schedule is out, almost a week before school starts! I have a freshman bio class this year, so time to revamp my resources! www.biologycorner.com/bio1/index.h...
Biology 1 and 1A - Bee Book
Contains slides, reading guides, and activities for a freshman biology class. Includes presentation slides, worksheets, and practice quizzes.
www.biologycorner.com
August 6, 2025 at 2:11 PM
My class schedule is out, almost a week before school starts! I have a freshman bio class this year, so time to revamp my resources! www.biologycorner.com/bio1/index.h...
New fear unlocked.
New York police said the 61-year-old man was wearing a large metal chain that caused him to be "drawn into the machine." The FDA warns that MRI scan create a "strong, static magnetic field."
Police are investigating a man's death after he was pulled into MRI machine
New York police said the 61-year-old man was wearing a large metal chain that caused him to be "drawn into the machine." The FDA warns that MRI scan create a "strong, static magnetic field."
n.pr
July 19, 2025 at 10:56 PM
New fear unlocked.
Most people don't know what the Department of Education does. Many of those people are about to find out when their schools lose funding, and their children lose services.
July 14, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Most people don't know what the Department of Education does. Many of those people are about to find out when their schools lose funding, and their children lose services.
New case study, thanks to the idea from @pookleblinky.bsky.social . Explore how a viral gene became part of human DNA, and is essential for building the placenta. This same gene may play a role in multiple sclerosis.
Case Study – The Placenta, MS, and a Viral Past
Explore a case study on Syncytin-1, a viral gene essential for pregnancy—and its surprising link to multiple sclerosis and Epstein-Barr virus.
www.biologycorner.com
July 12, 2025 at 7:57 PM
New case study, thanks to the idea from @pookleblinky.bsky.social . Explore how a viral gene became part of human DNA, and is essential for building the placenta. This same gene may play a role in multiple sclerosis.
I think I just found my next case study topic!
Fun fact: humans and other primates have a protein, Syncytin-1, essential to embryonic development. You can't give birth without it.
Humans can make Syncytin-1 because primates learned it from a retrovirus they got 25 million years ago, which left the gene for it in them.
Humans can make Syncytin-1 because primates learned it from a retrovirus they got 25 million years ago, which left the gene for it in them.
July 6, 2025 at 6:18 PM
I think I just found my next case study topic!
I will only accept food from orcas that are wearing salmon hats.
Wild orcas have been trying to feed people, new research shows
On more than 30 occasions and across four oceans, orcas have attempted to share their prey with people, potentially to develop relationships with humans, researchers have found.
www.adn.com
July 2, 2025 at 3:43 PM
I will only accept food from orcas that are wearing salmon hats.
Reposted by Shannan Muskopf
Stop scrolling, weary traveler, and rest for a moment
June 30, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Stop scrolling, weary traveler, and rest for a moment