Water movements, as a biological process, refer to the directed transport and flux of water across biological structures, cells, tissues, or organisms driven by osmotic, hydrostatic, and matric potential gradients. In plants, water movement encompasses uptake by roots, radial transport to the xylem, long-distance ascent under tension, and redistribution among tissues, regulated by aquaporins, cell wall properties, and stomatal conductance. In animals and microbes, water movements occur across membranes via osmotic gradients and channel-mediated pathways, influencing cell volume regulation, solute transport, and homeostasis. This process is fundamental to turgor maintenance, nutrient distribution, waste removal, and overall organismal physiology.
A study is reframing a fundamental question in plant evolution: What made trees possible? Researchers from Cal Poly Humboldt, Yale University, the University of Hohenheim in Germany and the Czech Academy of Sciences set out ...
Evolution
Jul 1, 2026
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Tropical coral reefs support the highest levels of biodiversity in the ocean. This vital ecosystem depends on reef-building corals, which form colonies of thousands of tiny coral animals that secrete calcium carbonate skeletons, ...
Plants & Animals
May 20, 2026
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From sea turtles to birds and the gentle dugong, the Persian Gulf's diverse but fragile marine life is threatened by the bombs and oil of the war in the Middle East.
Ecology
Mar 17, 2026
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A research team led by Professor Jonghun Kam from POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) has revealed that typhoons are a critical factor in mitigating global droughts by simulating a scenario where typhoon-induced ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 11, 2026
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In the same week that New South Wales experienced four shark attacks, Victorian beachgoers were warned about stinging jellyfish.
Plants & Animals
Jan 24, 2026
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68
About 71% of Earth's surface is covered by the vast oceans. When winds blow over the sea surface, they transfer energy to the water, creating waves. Some of these waves, under the force of strong winds, break and produce ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 28, 2025
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142
Plants transport water and nutrients from their environment through specialized pores. Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have shed light on a little-known but essential mechanism for proper plant function: the ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 12, 2025
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21
Between 2010 and 2017, there were approximately 50 drowning fatalities each year associated with rough surf and strong currents in the Great Lakes.
Environment
Jul 9, 2025
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33
Volcanic islands, such as the islands of Hawaii and the Caribbean, are surrounded by coral reefs that encircle an island in a labyrinthine, living ring. A coral reef is punctured at points by reef passes—wide channels that ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 20, 2025
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99
Water makes up around 60% of the human body. More than half of this water sloshes around inside the cells that make up organs and tissues. Much of the remaining water flows in the nooks and crannies between cells, much like ...
Soft Matter
Jun 20, 2025
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