The Bone Wars
In my upcoming book, A WHISPER OF BONE, mention of real historical individuals and locations will surface. Charlotte works for none other than O.C. Marsh, founder of the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale. Also mentioned is Edward Drinker Cope, of the Academy...
Five Phylums of Salad?
The other day, I was struck by something I read online. A poster commented that the menu categories “salad and plant-based salad” had given him pause. I too paused as my mind also immediately envisioned the “green leaf” kind of salad, but then my brain began...
How to Build a Snake Skeleton
When I was diving deep into research for VENOMOUS SECRETS, I studied a lot of lamia images on the internet. Most were women from the waist up, snakes from the waist down. And because my books delve into biology, both real and not-quite-so-real, you know I started...
Antibodies and Antivenom
Anne Renwick discusses the immune system and how it reacts to snake venom, the inspiration behind the creation of Cait’s character and how she becomes the heroine of VENOMOUS SECRETS.
That Sexy Groove
It’s in so many romance novels. Mine included. But what is that sexy groove that runs from the hips across the pelvis, disappearing beneath the waistband and directing so many eyes to the groin?
Curried Pteryform Salad
Pteryform. A gastronomic delicacy sold on the black market. So what does a pteryform meat taste like?
Cranial Nerves 101
The curiosities of Cranial Nerves explained in a light and fun manner.
Sock Mitosis
Sock Mitosis. This year, my teenager is taking AP Biology. Though he took Biology in 9th grade, he’s forgotten a lot of the details. Including the differences between mitosis and meiosis. Yes, I quizzed him. I’m evil that way.
Sock Meiosis
On to MEIOSIS. This is where things start to get messy. Like a teenage boy showed up and threw a week’s worth of socks all over his room… but I digress.
How To Stick a Man To the Wall
When we examine the pelvis (comprised of two ilia, the sacrum and the coccyx), questions about differences between men and women always arise. Can you tell the difference simply by looking at the bone structure?
Alcohol Dehydrogenase or Don’t Bet on the Woman
Women, compared to men, produce significantly less gastric alcohol dehydrogenase. In other words, we women have less of the enzyme that breaks down alcohol in our stomachs.
Birth Control Pills Can Do What?
Birth Control Pills Can Do What? They can alter a woman’s sense of smell, potentially causing her to screw up when choosing Mr. Right.
A Grammar Gripe: Affect vs. Effect
The topic: grammar, spelling and nerves. Not only did I expect my students to be on top of their anatomy and physiology when they handed in written reports, I even went so far as to correct their spelling. Particularly after we’d finished studying nerves.
Don’t Poke Your Eye Out
In this article we’re going to conduct a laboratory experiment. All you need is your finger and your eye. And when we’re done, you’ll have yet another fun anatomy and physiology fact filed away.