Movies About Biology
Movies about biology are an entertaining way to learn about this fascinating field. They can help make complex scientific concepts more relatable and encourage viewers to pursue careers in science.
Biological terrorism, genetic engineering, and alien life are just a few of the many topics explored in these biology movies.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Thankfully, there are some movies that do a better job of representing biology than the stereotypical lab coats shouting about gene editing (we’re looking at you Rampage). These films are great for showing kids how science can be both fun and meaningful.
The story of Henrietta Lacks, whose cells were harvested without her knowledge in 1951 and used to create the first immortal cell line, is both fascinating and poignant. It is a true story of science and ethics, and of a daughter consumed by questions about her mother.
This beautiful film is perfect for showing kids how science can be both fun, and meaningful. It follows scientists around the world as they try to piece together clues from clay, rock and fossils to understand the causes of two mass extinctions that wiped out nearly 90% of Earth’s species. It’s a great example of how science can be used to help us understand our planet and our place within it.
The Andromeda Strain
The Pittsburgh Press called it “Relentlessly suspenseful – and hair-raising.” The movie is an adaptation of the Michael Crichton novel and it illustrates the importance of microbiology. It follows a team of scientists who investigate a deadly extraterrestrial organism.
Embryology is the branch of biology that deals with the development of embryos and fetuses in the womb. The 1995 movie Outbreak follows army doctors who must try to save the citizens of a small town in California from an outbreak of a virus.
Ornithology is the study of birds. The feature-length movie The Big Year explores the competition between birders as they attempt to identify the most species in a single calendar year.
Genetic engineering is an important field that involves the manipulation of genes to alter phenotype. The Splice movie is an example of a genetic engineering film and it illustrates the dangers of tampering with nature. The movie also demonstrates the importance of obtaining informed consent.
The Mountain Gorilla
The last 1,063 mountain gorillas in the world live in two isolated regions of east-central Africa. They reside in the Virunga Volcanoes—a region that spans three national parks in Rwanda, Uganda, and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)—and in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Sarambwe Nature Reserve in DRC. Despite their remote home, these great apes face many threats. They are regularly poached for their meat and harmed by people who enter their habitat for charcoal production or to harvest medicinal plants. They can also become sick from human illnesses that they have not developed immunities against.
These omnivores inhabit high-altitude montane and bamboo forests and live in groups or troops that are led by an alpha male gorilla, known as a silverback. Although they can climb trees, they spend much of their time on the ground and feast on leaves, stems, and fruit. Their thick black hair helps them stay warm in the mountains. While they may charge and chest-pound in their displays of dominance, these behaviors are generally meant to scare off rivals or warn others of a perceived threat.
The Conjoined Twins
When twins are joined together, the results can be quite dramatic. This rare condition has been portrayed in popular culture for decades, and has often given rise to interesting moral questions. For example, if one member of a conjoined twin duo commits a crime, how can the other twin be punished?
For many people, the most notable case of conjoined twins is Abby and Brittany Hensel. The two have appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show and were the subject of their own reality series on TLC. They currently work as teachers and have revealed that they split their paycheck in half.
Several sets of conjoined twins lived during the nineteenth century, but few made their mark like Chang and Eng, pygopagus twins who starred in the Broadway musical Side Show. The Hensels are dicephalic parapagus twins, meaning that they share two heads on one body. They were born in March 1990 and are considered to be one person, although they each control their own body.
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