Misconceptions about biology that many people still believe in.

1. Humans evolved from apes and chimpanzees

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The idea that humans evolved from apes comes from a very common misconception about evolution. In fact, the creator of Darwin's theory of evolution never claimed that we humans evolved from modern apes. Instead, he argues that due to the great similarities we have with monkeys and apes, all must have had a common ancestor millions of years ago .

2. People at the top of the food chain

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A team of French researchers sought to calculate and arrange exactly where humans were ranked in the prototype food web. Based on human eating behavior, we actually do not rank higher than anchovies or pigs. And the food chain is not a pyramid. Humans, a species that eats a mixture of both plants and meat, certainly cannot stand first.

3. Cats and dogs are color blind

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There is a persistent legend that says cats and dogs can only see black and white. It actually came after an experiment in 1915, when researchers failed to teach cats to distinguish between colored paper and gray paper. Subsequent experiments showed that the cat could see color but did not see red or see it less clearly than humans. Dogs are similar, only partially blind and unable to distinguish between red and orange, but it does not have problems with other colors.

4. People only have 5 senses

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The principle of the five basic senses is derived from Aristotle. However, despite its noble origins, this is only a mistake. If senses are a way the brain is aware to gain information about the outside world, then more than 5 categories can be named. Hunger, thirst and pain are the senses that give us information about body state. In addition, we also possess receptors for mechanical pressure and temperature sensitivity. This list can be extended depending on the definition or meaning we are using.

5. Map of perceived taste of the tongue

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A common scheme divides the tongue into 4 areas: sweet, sour, salty and bitter with an assumption that the taste buds located in these areas identify specific tastes? You should forget it because in fact, the basic taste can be determined by each region of the tongue. The idea of ​​a tongue taste map goes back to 1901 and has been proven wrong many times since.

6. Sugar or sweeteners can cause hyperactivity in children

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Many parents believe there is a connection between their children's hyperactivity and their diet, but in fact, most studies have found no link between sugar consumption and their behavior. young. Moreover, some studies show that when parents do not see whether a child is provided with sweets, all the perceived effects of sugar on behavior disappear.

7. Lemming Mouse likes to commit suicide in series

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One of the most common rumors about these lanky creatures is that they like to commit mass suicide by jumping off cliffs. In fact, this rumor was evolved from Disney's 1958 film White Wilderness , where they staged scenes of Lemming mice pushing each other down the cliff. In fact, the whole group of rats jumping out of high places or swimming long distances is just a normal migration behavior to find a new place to live.

8. Ostrichs hide by plugging their heads into the sand

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In fact, when ostriches feel danger, they will try to run away from it. If they could not run away, they would fall to the ground or stand still. They just head to the sand when trying to swallow gravel and sand, a way to aid digestion, or when they need to dig a hole in the nesting process, or need to turn an egg.

9. Goldfish cannot remember anything longer than 3 seconds

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Someone with poor memory is often compared to a goldfish, which is said to only store information for 3 seconds. But is this really true? Some experiments show that goldfish trained to respond to certain sounds can remember this reaction months later.

10. Humans cannot develop new brain cells

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This is a common misconception, given that when brain cells die, no new brain cells will appear. Many studies have shown that our brain continues to create new cells over time. This process is known as Neurogenesis.

11. Redox is green

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A misconception about deoxygenated blood will be green, like the illustrations in the biological book. In fact, human blood is always red due to the possession of a large number of red blood cells. It is true that our veins look blue, but it only happens due to the way light wavelengths are reflected from the skin: red light is absorbed and blue light is reflected.

12. Camels store water in their hump

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It is true that camels can survive a few days without water, but not because of the water reserves they have in the hump, as people often think. Camel hump is used to store fat tissue, not water. This tissue provides camels with a living energy for a few days, because food is scarce in the desert. And the camel's body of water is its kidneys and intestines.