The Young Scientists Library Set - The Human Body

The Young Scientists Library Set - The Human Body

This series of books on 'The Human Body' are written to enhance the pupils' knowledge of Biology (Human Sciences).

They are specially designed to provide clarity of vision and concepts employing colourful illustrations and pictures instead of lengthy and wordy descriptions.

Scientific facts, information and technical data are explained in simple structured sentences that are easy to read and understand.  

The Young Scientists Library Set - The World of Plants

This series of books on the unique and distinctive characteristics of plants are written to enhance the pupils' knowledge of botany.


They are specially designed to provide clarity of vision and concepts employing colourful illustrations and pictures instead of reading lengthy and wordy descriptions.


Scientific facts, information and technical data are explained in simple structured sentences that are easy to read and understand.

Feeding Habit of the Mosquito

Let's find out why mosquitoes feed on blood. Both male and female mosquitoes usually feed on nectar and plant juices but in many species the mouthparts of the females are adapted for piercing the skin of animal hosts and sucking their blood. The female needs to obtain nutrients from a blood meal before she can produce eggs. After a blood meal, she can produce more eggs.

Both plant materials and blood are useful sources of energy in the form of sugars. Blood supplies more concentrated nutrients such as lipids but the most important function of blood meals is to supply proteins as materials for egg production.

The female puts her life at risk when she is feeding on the host but she is good at dodging direct attacks. She tends to ignore side-to-side movements, so a resting female permits a finger to approach slowly if the finger moves several centimetres from side to side about once a second. With practice one can use this strategy to squash resting mosquitoes with high frequency.

You can treat a mosquito bite in the following ways:



Test Your Science
1. How does blood help the female mosquito in producing more eggs?

Read about the Crazy Mosquito in the Young Scientists Issue 115 Level 1.

Carnivorous Plants

Have you heard of meat-eating plants? Well, the Venus Flytrap is a carnivorous plant that catches and digests insects and arachnids. Its trapping structure is formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves and is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces. When an insect or spider crawling along the leaves comes in contact with a hair, the trap closes.

View the following BBC video on the Venus Flytrap.



Another plant that is capable of such rapid movement is the waterwheel plant. This plant feeds on small aquatic invertebrates using traps very similar to those of the Venus Flytrap. The traps are arranged in whorls around a central, free-floating stem. The actual traps consist of two lobes which fold together to form a snap-trap similar to that of the Venus Flytrap, except that they are smaller and underwater. These traps, which are twisted so that the trap openings point outward, are lined on the inside by a fine coating of trigger hairs. They snap shut in response to contact with aquatic invertebrates and trap them.



Test Your Science
1. State the difference(s) between the Venus Flytrap and the waterwheel plant.

Get to know the carnivorous pitcher plant in the Young Scientists Issue 115 Level 2.

Balancing an Egg

Do you know that another name for the equinox is the Vernal Equinox? It is also known as The Day When You Can Balance an Egg on End.

The equinox occurs when the Earth's position on its axis, as it moves around the Sun, places the sun directly over the Earth's equator. Day and night are of approximately equal length at 12 hours each. The theory most commonly used to explain the egg-equinox connection is that the Earth and Sun have aligned "gravitationally". And somehow the Sun's and Earth's gravitational pulls are in a delicate balance that makes eggs more stable. Apparently this derives from the notion that due to the Sun's equidistant position between the poles of the Earth at the time of the equinox, special gravitational forces apply.

Yet there is no scientific reason to suppose that such alignment exerts any special effect on solid objects here on Earth. View the following video to find out how to balance an egg at home.



Test Your Science
1. When is the right time to make an egg stand on its end?

Refer to the Young Scientists Issue 115 Level 3 on the Unbreakable Egg.

Removing Bad Smells

Don't be surprised that most of the things that can remove bad smells can easily be found in your kitchen. Before you can get rid of the bad smell, it is important to clean the affected smelly surfaces with a clean cloth, some water and detergent or soap first. Then you can perhaps follow any of the following tips which work wonders and can effectively help you to get rid of the smell.

1. You can put a medium-sized chunk of charcoal inside your smelly refrigerator and leave it there for a couple of days. You will notice that the bad smell will soon be gone.

2. Put a generous amount of baking soda in an uncovered container and leave it for several days. Remove the baking soda and replace it with new one until it has cleared the bad smell.

3. Just put some lemon or lime peels into an uncovered container and leave them inside the confined area for a couple of days. The citrus smell will naturally replace the bad smell.

4. Take a few strips of pandan leaves or screwpine and tie them into knots. Place the leaves inside the confined space and leave them until the leaves withered or dried up. Replace the leaves regularly until the smell goes away.

5. Pour several drops of vanilla essence or mint extract on some cotton wool. Toss it inside your wardrobe and leave it for several days. You will notice that the area smells nice.

6. Just place 2-3 teabags inside the confined space for several days. The tea leaves in the bags will not only absorb the bad smell but also release the natural aroma of tea.

View the following video on how to remove bad breath.



Test Your Science
1. How do the agents remove the bad smells?

Read about things that kill unpleasant smells in the Young Scientists Issue 114 Level 1.

Reflex Actions

If you accidentally touch a very hot object, you will jerk away without thinking about what action to take. This is a reflex action. It is an automatic or involuntary movement brought about by a sensory stimulus. Reflex actions are of two types - unconditioned and conditioned reflexes.

Unconditioned reflexes are part of the basic bodily functions which are not dependent on one's past experiences with a particular type of stimulus. For example, the pupils of our eyes automatically expand in the dark and contract in the light.

Conditioned reflexes are reflexes which one learns from previous experiences with a similar stimulus. These reflexes work by one learning to associate the stimulus with something else. For example, a dog may begin to salivate with smell of food because the dog has learnt to associate the smell with the food.

Let's look at some unconditioned reflexes in babies.



Test Your Science
1. Name 3 types of reflex actions mentioned in the video clip.

Find out more about reflex actions in a game of football in the Young Scientists Issue 114 Level 2.

The Young Scientists L1 114

Making Citrus Fragrance

If you like fragrance, you could try using citrus fruit peels to make it at home. Here is how you do it.

Ingredients needed:-

Distilled or spring water
Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, etc. as you prefer). Just be aware that some have nicer scents than others; so do smell tests before you decide to use the fruit. The time of the season can also affect the fragrance.
Few drops of pure alcohol as preservative (optional)

Step 1 - 3
Step 4 - 6

1. Pour the water into a jar. Set it aside.
2. Remove as much of the peel from the citrus fruit as you can. Use either a vegetable peeler or knife and focus on getting down to the pith when peeling. Do not cut into the pith.
3. Drop the citrus fruit peels into the jar of water.
4. Fasten the lid tightly. Set the jar aside in a cool, dry place.
5. Shake the jar and sniff it every day. Allow it to stand overnight before testing. Once the citrus solution has taken on a fragrance you like, strain it through a muslin cloth or coffee filter.
6. Once you have the desired smell, spray a little on yourself, in the air or on sachets for a quick citrus fragrance to make you feel better when you are tired or depressed.

Test Your Science
1. Which part of the citrus fruit can be used to make fragrance?

Refer to the Young Scientists Issue 114 Level 3 for the Practical Uses of the Lemon Fruit.

The Young Scientists L2 114

The Young Scientists L3 114