Academia Addict

     You may think that your mouth has too much bad bacteria to justify sucking on a cut, but it turns out that it can actually help to make the cut heal quicker. By using saliva from people who had just woken up, scientists were able to test saliva on wounded skin cells and found that little "nets" were found all over the cut.      " When you suck on a cut finger, white blood cells in your spit release an arsenal of weapons to defeat bacterial invaders. First, white blood cells can simply engulf the bacteria and die as martyrs. Or they can shoot bacteria with deadly substances that cause the bacteria to disintegrate. But white blood cells can also do something even cooler: create sticky, viscous “nets” and throw them out like lassos to capture and wrestle bacteria to their deaths." (R.E. Gross) Discussion Question: Why do you think that the spit used in the experiment had to be collected from people who had just woken up? For more information on the subje...

    While most animals in the sea utilize blubber to keep themselves warm, sea otters do not! They rely on their dense fur and high metabolism to live and stay comfortable. Their two-layered fur is about 1.5 inches thick, and the number of hairs they have can range from 500,000 to 1,000,000 per square inch !   Humans have around 100,000 total. Sadly, their furs were sought after to use for coats and clothes for a long time, and their species was at risk of extinction. Through wildlife protection efforts starting in 1913, they were able to prevent this!     Discussion Question: What other advantages do otters gain from their fur?     To find out some advantages, or if you find a special interest in otters, feel free to peruse this short article with additional fun facts!      Sea Otters Fur Facts - Catalina Island Marine Institute

      Hello, and welcome!      This is an educational blog that will delve into many subjects. Our goal is to simply provide fun and educational content that our readers will find interesting!     My name is Valerie Wright, and I have an affinity for fun facts. I enjoy learning how/why something works especially, but I also like to know little tidbits about animals, history, or pretty much anything!     I want my readers to take away a quick fact that they can remember and utilize in their everyday life while also being able to elaborate on the subject. I like the idea that teachers can share these posts with their classes at the beginning or end of their class for a little bit of fun!