Who knew biologists can be comedians too?
This list of 16 biology jokes and puns are definitely corny and may be over your head, but don't worry: Underneath each image we've got the simple explanations for you, and won't tell anyone you giggled at them.
1. Did you hear about the famous microbiologist who visited 30 different countries and spoke 6 languages? He was a man of many cultures.
Explanation: In microbiology, a "culture" is a colony of microorganisms grown in a lab. Source.
2. Biology is the only science in which multiplication is the same thing as division.
Explanation: In biology, cells multiply in number when one cell divides into two. Source.
3. A couple of biologists had twins. They named one Jessica and the other Control.
Explanation: Scientists must always use a control group or condition — which they don't experiment on and just leave "as-is"— when conducting an experiment. Source.
4. Q: How did the English major define microtome on his biology exam? A: An itsy bitsy book.
Explanation: Tome means book, so a micro-tome would be a small book, but to a biologist, a microtome is an instrument used to cut tissue into thin slices. Source.
5. What did the male stamen say to the female pistil? A: I like your "style."
Explanation: The stamen and pistil are the male and female parts of a flower. The style is the name of one of the structures of the pistil. Source.
6. I wish I was adenine, then I could get paired with U.
Explanation: In RNA, adenine (A) forms a "base pair" with uracil (U). Source.
7. Did you just mutate for a stop codon? Because you're talking nonsense!
Explanation:A stop codon is a nucleotide in messenger RNA that signals the stop of a translation — the process that cells use to make proteins. Source.
8. Girl, you’re so hot you denature my proteins.
Explanation: Proteins denature — lose their shape and structure — when things get hot. Source.
9. Q: What did Gregor Mendel say when he founded genetics? A: Woopea!
Explanation: Gregor Mendel’s genetics experiments were done with pea plants. Source.
10. Q: What is the fastest way to determine the sex of a chromosome? A: Pull down its genes!
Explanation: Chromosomes in a cell carry genes — including those that determine an individual’s sex, specifically held on the visually distinct X and Y chromosomes. Two Xs and you are female, one Y and you are male. Source.
11. Q: What do you call the leader of a biology gang? A: The nucleus
Explanation: The nucleus is essentially the control center of a cell, which dictates what the rest of the cell does. Source.
12. Did you hear the one about the recycling triplets? Their names are Polly, Ethel, and Ian.
Explanation: Polyethylene is the most common type of plastic. Source.
13. Q: What did the conservative biologist say? A: The only cleavage I want to see is at the cellular level.
Explanation: Cleavage is the name of the indentation in a cell’s surface created when it is about to divide. Source.
14. Baby, I wish I were DNA helicase so I could unzip your genes.
Explanation: DNA helicase is n enzyme that unzips a strand of DNA down the middle. Source.
15. Q: Y'all want to hear a Potassium joke? A: K
Explanation: The symbol for Potassium on the periodic table is "K."Source.
16. A fellow accidentally ingested some alpha-L-glucose and discovered that he had no ill effect. Apparently he was ambidextrose.
Explanation: Alpha-L-glucose is a low-calorie sweetener substitute for regular D-glucose. Dextrose is another word for glucose. So instead of being ambidextrous, the fellow is ambidextrose — meaning he can tolerate either kind of sugar. Source.