Individual biological variation refers to the naturally occurring differences in measurable biological characteristics among individuals of the same species, arising from the interplay of genetic, epigenetic, developmental, and environmental factors. It encompasses intra-individual (within-person, over time) and inter-individual (between-person) variability in parameters such as gene expression, metabolic activity, immune responses, and physiological biomarkers. This process underlies differential susceptibility to disease, heterogeneity in drug response, and variation in phenotypic traits. In research and clinical laboratory science, individual biological variation is quantitatively characterized to distinguish physiological fluctuation from pathological change and to establish reference change values and personalized reference intervals.
A major transition in evolution is the shift from asexual to sexual reproduction in early organisms. But why would a yeast cell, which usually reproduces asexually, choose to mate with a very different partner in times of ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 6, 2026
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10
A new study of wild bats reveals that an animal's immune system is shaped by more than its need to fight infections. Researchers from the University of Maryland have found that sex, age and competition for mates influence ...
Evolution
Jul 1, 2026
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9
A new analysis supports the previously overlooked "brain lag" hypothesis—the idea that, in some primate lineages, the evolution of larger body size preceded the evolution of larger brain size—while also building on that hypothesis ...
Evolution
Jul 1, 2026
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38
For decades, scientists have been studying the cognition of great apes to understand how our own complex cognitive abilities evolved. Much of the research is based on the idea that if a particular ability—like using gestures ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 17, 2026
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69
The same biological signals that help predict lifespan in humans also appear in dogs, according to new research from the Dog Aging Project—a finding that could help scientists better understand aging in both species.
Molecular & Computational biology
Jun 13, 2026
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410
A review article now published in Nature Reviews Genetics brings together evolutionary theory, comparative genomics and large-scale human genetics to explain why we age and why aging rates differ among individuals and species. ...
Evolution
Jun 11, 2026
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129
Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. Long before refrigerators existed, people relied on microorganisms to keep food—including meat—safe to eat. Ph.D. research by VUB researcher Ana Sosa Fajardo (VUB ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 27, 2026
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16
From the ability to detect the smell of wet soil to the scent of ripe fruit, the human olfactory system has evolved over thousands of years in response to how people live and what they eat, according to a new genetic study ...
Evolution
Apr 16, 2026
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20
In a new study, appearing in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, scientists selectively bred Japanese quails into two groups: laying either relatively large or small eggs. As the quails don't do much ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 14, 2026
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204
It has long been known that environmental conditions can shape how traits are inherited, a phenomenon known as transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. However, the molecular signals responsible for encoding this biological ...
Evolution
Apr 13, 2026
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