Author Archives: Meenakshi Gopakumar

Let us discuss the link between biodiversity, the loss of forests, and the rise of zoonotic viruses. A zoonotic virus is a virus that has been transmitted from a non-human animal to human beings. Examples include Ebola and the Covid-19 virus. Forest habitats are disappearing very quickly as time goes on thanks to human activities.Continue reading “Loss of Biodiversity and the Link to Zoonotic Viruses”

Here are some multiple choice questions about the Covid-19 pandemic that test your scientific literacy: Upto how long can it take for symptoms of covid-19 to develop? 1 day 2 days 10 days 14 days 20 days                2. What are some symptoms of covid-19?                              a)   fever                              b)   cough                              c)  None of the aboveContinue reading “Basic Multiple Choice Questions for Covid-19”

Charles Darwin (1809-1882) is a man whose name is familiar even to those who have no background in the life sciences or any science at all. He is a man who is synonymous with biology in pop culture- the face of it all, if you will. But who really was he? Darwin was a man,Continue reading “Charles Darwin- the man, the myth, the legend”

The Lorax was one of three films that I watched in preparation for the film nominations, and I have to say it is my personal favourite (although I didn’t end up nominating the film because I felt Don’t Look Up was more related to the course). All three films that I viewed had similar themes-Continue reading “The Lorax- How it is relevant to Plant Ecology”

Are viruses alive? Are they simply non-living? Is their status simply neither alive nor dead? This question has haunted microbiologists for years, and possibly ever since they were discovered. Viruses contain genetic code (DNA or RNA) much like living things inside a capsid, they can reproduce, and they can insert genetic material into a hostContinue reading “THE LIFE OR DEATH OF VIRUSES”