Myxozoans are so weird. They're jellyfish the size of single-celled organisms. Some of them even live on land. New weirdest animal just dropped.<b<br/>r/>

Hosted by: Savannah Geary (they/them)

Sometimes, one animal ends up in an evolutionary arms race with another for millions of years. Here are four fascinating examples, including our own showdown with snakes. <b<br/>r/>

Hosted by: Jaida Elcock (she/her)

From the flu to COVID-19, viruses are a major threat in our everyday lives. In today’s episode of Crash Course Biology, we’ll learn why viruses are like genes in a box, and how they invade and spread between cells. We’ll also discover...

The Secret Social Life of Plants

There is one - and only one - group of mammals that doesn’t have alpha-gal: the catarrhine primates, which are the monkeys of Africa and Asia, the apes, and us.

Around 10,000 years ago, somewhere in Africa, a microscopic parasite made a huge leap. With a little help from a mosquito, it left its animal host - probably a gorilla - and found its way to a new host: us.

This fungus was actually manipulating ants’ movements, forcing them to do something they’d never ordinarily do, something strange, yet specific…

We tend to think that evolution only goes in one direction— toward getting bigger and more advanced. But that’s not always the case. This tiny, simple animal, the Myxozoans, (yes, animal!) evolved from something bigger and more complex.

Viruses keep jumping out of nature and into humans and getting us very sick in the process. So why do zoonotic spillovers like SARS-CoV-2 happen, and why are they becoming more frequent? We asked an expert.

Parasites give most of us the heebie-jeebies. But new research shows they're pretty dang important for ecosystems, and climate change is putting them in danger. So here's some of the reasons you should care about those guys!

Why do so many parasites, especially helminths aka flatworms, jump around as many as THREE hosts to complete their life cycle? Why isn't one host good enough for them? We'll find out why parasites evolve complex life cycles that don't...

Of all the food options in the world, you'd think that feces would be low on anyone's preference list. But for these animals, eating poop can be anything from a delicacy to a health food - and yes, humans are on the list too.

There is a group of animals with more species than any other group, but Earth has such an astonishing variety of life that figuring out which group dominates is tricky.

Some experts feared we were in for a "twindemic" during the 2020-2021 flu season. That didn't happen, which might mean that there will be more people susceptible to getting sick this year.

Plants may not seem like they live the most exciting lives, but two new papers published this week point to different types of plants that are actually very cunning and manipulative. One, the parasitic dodder, steals both nutrients and...

Mistletoe's ability to stay green through harsh, cold weather has made it a symbol of holiday romance for centuries. But it relies on some very strange (and occasionally disgusting) adaptations to stay vibrant and healthy all winter long.

Hank introduces us to some freaky parasites that use mind control to hijack the brains of their hosts.

Your body usually does a great job defending you from all kinds of viruses, fungi, and bacteria. However, there are some pathogens out there that can hide from your immune system and stay dormant in your body, waiting for their...

Contracting a virus is generally a bad thing, but among certain parasitic wasps, passing a virus to their offspring is actually key to their survival.

Potato spindle tuber disease wasn't a life-or-death situation, but it led to the discovery of viroids: infectious, replicating bits of RNA

What if you could just drop your kids off at someone else’s place and let them have the responsibility? Well, there are some animals that do just that. They’re called brood parasites, and they lay their eggs in other animals’ nests and...

While viruses can be deadly and completely wreak havoc on humanity, they can also sometimes change our world for the better. Join Hank Green for a new episode of SciShow and learn the truth about the viruses that have shaped humanity...

When you think "parasite," you might think of leeches or some nasty tape worm, but there are some that can live inside your very own cells.

Unlike with many other viruses, once you get a herpesvirus you’re stuck with it for life. But just how do these master trespassers accomplish this feat?