The Mummy

Have you ever wondered how a body is mummified? View the following video to find out how it is done.



Natron was used to remove moisture from the body. This salt-like substance would dry out and preserve more flesh than bone. Once dried, mummies were ceremoniously rubbed with oils and perfumes. The hollowed out body was then covered in natron to speed the process of drying and preventing decay. Finger and toe protectors were placed over the mummy's fingers and toes to prevent them from breaking. Mummies were wrapped with strips of white linen to protect the body from being damaged. After that, they were wrapped in a sheet of canvas to further protect them. Many sacred charms and amulets were placed in and around the mummy and the wrappings. This was intended to protect the mummy from harm and to give good luck to the soul of the mummy. Once preserved, they were laid to rest in a coffin inside a tomb.

Test Your Science

1. Give two reasons why natron was used in mummification.

Read about the Missing Mummy in the Young Scientists Issue 112 Level 1.

The Jaguar

Let's take a closer look at the jaguar's unique skill in hunting. The jaguar uses the deep-throat bite-and-suffocation technique typical among the Panthera genus. It has an unusually powerful bite compared to the other big cats. This allows it to pierce the shells of armoured reptiles such as tortoises and crocodiles. It bites directly through the skull of its prey between the ears and pierces the brain with its canine teeth.

Its short and stocky limb structure makes it skilful in climbing, crawling and swimming. The jaguar has a sturdy head and an extremely powerful jaw giving it the strongest bite of all cats. It can bite with a force of 8,900 N. This is twice the strength of a lion and the second strongest of all mammals.

Test Your Science

1. What other animals do you think belong to the Panthera genus?

Look up the Unique Skills of other animals in the Young Scientists Issue 112 Level 2.

Tea Picking

Do you drink tea? Do you know how tea leaves are picked? Tea leaves and flushes are plucked from tea bushes twice a year, during early spring and early summer. In Malaysia, they are picked every three weeks.

A bud with two leaves is called a tea flush. When a higher quality tea is needed or where labour costs are not too expensive, hand-picking is done by pulling the flush with a snap of the wrist. Twisting or pinching the flush reduces the quality of the leaves. Tea flushes and leaves can also be picked by machine but there will be more broken leaves and partial flushes. It is also more difficult to harvest by machine on mountain slopes where tea is often grown.

Test Your Science

1. How is the quality of tea leaves being maintained during picking?

Discover the Uses of Tea Leaves in the Young Scientists Issue 112 Level 3.