ESO 3. Biology and Geology
The chemistry of life: the human body.
You are what you eat. But do you remember munching some molybdenum or snacking on selenium? Some 60 chemical elements are found in the body, but what all of them are doing there is still unknown.
The biomolecules and their roles in an easy-to-understand language.
Excellent and easy to follow visual activity to learn the basics on animal, plant and bacterial cells.
Take an interactive look inside an animal and a plant cell.
Awesome zoomable visualization to help you get an idea of the actual sizes of cells and their components.
To learn everything you need about the parts and the organelles of a cell in an easy-to-understand language.
Lots of info and images on the cells and their organelles.
List of distinct cell types in the adult human body.
Article at Wikipedia containing a list of links to the corresponding articles of a great number of types of human cells.
Debunking the idea that our bodies are renewed every seven years: learn what is the real life span of several types of human cells.
Particularly interesting is that it includes a good overall view on the main human tissues, with text and images.
Lots of info and images on the animal tissues.
On Zygote Body you can view the underlying anatomical layers one by one using a slider, switch on labels to identify each body part, use the search box as a search engine for any body part (muscles, organs, bones etc), and what's more, you can also share the exact scene you are viewing by copying and pasting the URL. As of writing this, the website will only work in Firefox and Chrome browsers.
The BBC's webpage is a resource rich place to discover and play interactive games while learning all about the human body. The games include Senses challenge, Organs Game, Skeleton Game, Muscle Game and Nervous System Game. The games are superbly designed and mostly involve dropping a body part onto a human figure.
This one is not a fully fledged anatomical course, but a cool and short 10 question quiz on different body parts. It is a Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History resource. With a mouse rollover you have to match the thumbnail with its location on the skeletal structure named 'Jerome'. You can also turn Jerome around for another view.
Online examination of human anatomy and physiology.
Visually learn about the human body using interactive flash animations.
Not that much, but a set of ten not-so-easy questions to test your knowledge on the human body.
View the inner structure of a hair, progressively magnified.
View the inner structure of a tooth, progressively magnified.
The Bartleby.com edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body features 1,247 vibrant engravings—many in color—from the classic 1918 publication, as well as a subject index with 13,000 entries.
The digestive system at Web-books.com.
A good overview, with text and images, on all the organs of the digestive system and their work. The left menu contains a link to a wide series of digestive diseases.
The digestive system at Faqs.org.
Another wide overview, with text and images, on all the organs of the digestive system and their work, the digestive diseases, a glossary and additional readings.
To dig deeper, visit this website with lots of info and images on the digestive system.
Do you know how long takes an apple to be digested?
About a 90% of your cells are not yours: they are bacteria, most of which live in your intestines. Learn why. You can also listen to the embedded audio version of the article.
Whether you call it grumbling, rumbling, gurgling or growling, from time to time everybody's belly chimes in. Learn why.
Cooking and cognition: how humans got so smart.
Learn how cooking improved our digestive efficiency and spurted our brain development.
Simple activity where you can drag the diaphragn up and down to watch the respiratory movements.
Simple animation showing how and why air enters and leaves the lungs.
Simple animation showing the gas exchange in the alveoli.
The respiratory system at Web-books.com.
A good overview, with text and images, on all the organs of the respiratory system and their work. The left menu contains a link to a wide series of respiratory diseases.
The respiratory system at Faqs.org.
Another wide overview, with text and images, on all the organs of the respiratory system and their functions, the respiratory disorders, a glossary and additional readings.
To dig deeper, visit this website with lots of info and images on the respiratory system.
The cardiovascular system at Web-books.com.
A good overview, with text and images, on all the organs of the circulatory system and their work. The left menu contains a link to a wide series of cardiovascular diseases.
A good overview on the blood, its cells and their work. The left menu contains a link to a wide series of blood diseases.
The cardiovascular system at Faqs.org.
Another wide overview, with text and images, on all the organs of the circulatory system and their work, the blood, the cardiovascular disorders, a glossary and additional readings.
Detailed description of the composition and the function of the human blood. It contains two animations that start on page load… you might want to stop and restart them after reading the texts.
To dig deeper, visit this website with lots of info and images on the circulatory system.
3D medical animation that shows the heart by the outside and the inside.
A set of eight photos related to the heart and its working.
Drag and drop labelling activity of the main parts of the heart.
The urinary system at Web-books.com.
A good overview, with text and images, on all the organs of the urinary system and their work. The left menu contains a link to a wide series of urinary diseases.
The urinary system at Faqs.org.
Another wide overview, with text and images, on all the organs of the urinary system and their functions, the urinary diseases, a glossary and additional readings.
To dig deeper, visit this website with lots of info and images on the excretory system.
Simple animation showing the location of a nephron in the kidney and its function.
A wide overview, with text and images, on food groups, nutrients, dietary habits, diets, eating disorders, a glossary and additional readings.
A lot of interesting and detailed info about the main human nutrients. It contains some images and one animation that starts on page load… you might want to stop and restart it after reading the texts.
How to calculate how many calories you need to eat to lose weight?
The key to fat loss is first figuring out how many calories you should be taking in each day. Learn how.
Freezing, canning, salting… Detailed info on these and other commonly used food preservation techniques.
Sort food facts from fiction, separate the good information from the bad, to make eating healthy just a little bit easier.
Simple interactive activity to check what is the main type of nutrient obtained from each food group.
Excellent chart showing how much scientific evidence there is for popular health supplements.
What happens to your body if you drink a coke right now?
Drinking a coke… not as healthy as you probably thought.
A website meant to empower consumers with information about the healing power of foods.
The nervous system at Web-books.com.
Very good overall view, with images and text, on the nervous system: cells, organs and organization. The left menu contains a link to a wide series of neurological diseases.
The nervous system at Faqs.org.
Another wide overall view, with text and images, on the neurons, the organs of the nervous system and their functions, the nervous disorders, a glossary and additional readings.
Absolutely comprehensive site to learn everything about the neurones, the nervous system, the brain habilities, drugs, diseases… With an extensive table of contents at the top.
Lots of info and images on the nervous system.
Amazing resource that covers all sorts of topics related to the human brain: organisation, memory, emotions, senses, body movement... All of them in three different levels of deepness.
100 fascinating facts you never knew about the human brain.
How it works, how it develops, what it controls, how it affects sleep, dreams and memory, and more.
Lots of images of both the whole brain and of cross-sections of it. Through the left menu you can access images of brains of many other mammals.
A set of 9 pictures that tell different stories about the way your nervous system works.
In his own words: "In September 2009 my doctor recommended an MRI to rule-out a couple of potential conditions. The scan came back completely normal, which was a great relief! I decided to do something with the images, and spent a fun weekend writing this MRI explorer".
5 ways your brain is messing with your head.
It turns out that the ways in which your head is being truly messed up are not coming from advertisers, politicians or magicians: they are coming from inside.
How scratching can stop an itch.
A scientific study has discovered why scratching helps relieve the irritation of an itch.
The special senses at Faqs.org.
Good and wide overview, with text and images, on the eye, the ear, the sense of smell, the sense of taste, and the way they all work. Also with a description af the main sensorial pathologies, a glossary and additional readings.
Drag and drop labelling activity of the main parts of the eye.
Highly informative interactive animation to learn the parts of the eye and their functions.
Which comes to prove that your brain is tricking you. Learn the difference between reality and the image your brain composes of it through this interesting article on colours.
Drag and drop labelling activity of the main parts of the ear.
Very good overall view, with images and text, on the ear, its sections and its functions. The left menu contains a link to a wide series of ear diseases.
Very good overall view, with images and text, on the skin and all its layers. The left menu contains a link to a wide series of skin diseases.
Travel inside the body and see how cell signaling brings about physiological changes during the fight or flight response.
The endocrine system at Web-books.com.
Very good overall view, with images and text, on the endocrine glands and their hormones. The left menu contains a link to a wide series of endocrine diseases.
The endocrine system at Faqs.org.
Another wide overall view, with text and images, on all the endocrine glands and the way they work, the hormones and their effects, the endocrine disorders, a glossary and additional readings.
To dig deeper, visit this website with lots of info and images on the endocrine system.
Sorry, you're just not my (testosterone's) type.
Learn how hormones condition the type of person to which you are attracted.
eSkeletons isn't only about understanding human anatomy. It is an interactive comparative tool that enables a student to view the bones of both human and non-human primates and to learn more about them. Selecting the human skeleton on the homepage starts the anatomical study. A mouseover on the skeleton selects a specific bone for a closer look.
The muscular system at Web-books.com.
A first overview on the types of muscular tissues. The left menu contains a link to a wide series of muscle diseases.
The muscular system at Faqs.org.
A wide and good overall view, with text and images, on the muscular system, the muscular cells, the main muscles, and the way they all work. Also with a description of the main muscular disorders, a glossary and additional readings.
The skeletal system at Web-books.com.
A first overview on the types of bone tissues and types of bones. The left menu contains a link to a wide series of bone diseases.
The skeletal system at Faqs.org.
A wide and good overall view, with text and images, on the skeletal system, the main bones, the joints, and the way they all work. Also with a description of the main skeletal disorders, a glossary and additional readings.
The muscular and skeletal systems.
To dig deeper, visit this website with lots of info and images on the muscular and skeletal systems.
Simple dragging activity to watch the antagonistic behaviour of the brachial biceps and triceps.
Move the femur in the hip joint forwards and backwards as well as from side to side by moving the trackball.
Interactive activity to check your knoledge on the human skeleton.
Male reproductive system at Web-books.com.
Very good overall view, with images and text, on the male reproductive system, with its organs and their functions. The left menu contains a link to a wide series of reproductive diseases.
Female reproductive system at Web-books.com.
Very good overall view, with images and text, on the female reproductive system, with its organs and their functions. The left menu contains a link to a wide series of reproductive diseases.
The reproductive system at Faqs.org.
Another wide overall view, with text and images, on all the organs of the male and female reproductive systems and the way they work, sexual hormones, birth control methods, embrionary development, the reproductive system disorders, a glossary and additional readings.
To dig deeper, visit this website with lots of info and images on the reproductive system.
Simple animation showing the stages from fertilisation to implantation.
Slideshow of fetal develpment month by month.
A wide overall view, with text and images, on everything you ever wanted to know about sexuality, stages of sexual development, menstruation, sex, birth control, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases. With a glossary.
Top 10 weirdest prescription drug side effects.
Most of us take prescription drugs: if all goes well, the drug works for you as it's supposed to. But there's no drug that works the same for everyone without any risks or side effects. Learn about some of the scariest ones.
Flu attack! How a virus invades your body.
Wondeful animation that shows you how viruses trick healthy cells to join the dark side.
10 of the world's deadliest diseases and why they might wipe us out yet.
Take a look at 10 of the worst epidemics to ever plague Mankind and how each disease works.
Tuberculosis, the unromantic killer.
Learn about this so-often neglected infectious disease and how it is a real threat for many people.
Cholera's prevention preferable to its cure.
Learn how cholera kills by dehydration.
Killer cholera begins where other diseases end.
Learn how cholera can be treated succesfully.
The latest news on microbiology.
How the world was rid of smallpox.
It's the only disease that humankind has successfully wiped out - and the eradication of smallpox was brought about by Edward Jenner.
Learn all the efforts required to make a new vaccine against a virus and why it takes six months from start to finish.
Learn how the immune system's phagocytes can destroy invader microorganisms.
Gases, constipation, diarrhea, acid digestion...
How much do you know about the dangers that threaten the heart, and what can you do to keep it healthy? Take this quiz to find out.
Learn how caffeine picks you up and which are its most remarkable effects on the nervous system.
This is your brain on caffeine.
Learn about the effects of caffeine withdrawal.
Visualize how crystals grow at Exploring Earth online book.
Mineral picture gallery at About.com. With photos and basic data.
Alphabetical listing of mineral species.
Everything you ever wanted to know about minerals. With images and lots of data of each species.
The mineral and gemstone kingdom.
Another vast resource on minerals: data sheets for many species, photo gallery, gemstones, properties, collecting and more.
40 common minerals and their uses.
It is actually a collection of links to fact sheets on minerals, chemical elements and even some rock, and a great place to go when looking for information on those most commonly in use.
Observe common objects made of minerals.
Visualize common minerals and objects made of them at Exploring Earth online book.
Excellent lesson on rocks with interactive activities and good coverage of the following topics: types of rocks, how rocks change and rock cycle.
A great set of investigations and visualizations at Exploring Earth online book.
Rock picture gallery at About.com. With photos and basic data.
50 stunning masterpieces of geological photography.
Amazing and awe-inspiring geological photographs that will stir your imagination.
Learn how to differentiate the main types of rocks at About.com.
About.com - Sedimentary rocks.
Learn the essentials of the origin, features and types of sedimentary rocks at About.com.
Learn the essentials of the origin, features and occurrence of igneous rocks at About.com.
About.com - Metamorphic rocks.
Learn the essentials of the origin, features and types of metamorphic rocks at About.com.