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Conceptual Science Illustration World Bee Day, 2021

May 19, 2021 by Nicolle Fuller Leave a Comment

Happy World Bee Day!

We admit, this conceptual science illustration isn’t the most obvious choice to celebrate bees with. But as amazing as watching a bee pollinating a flower is, we’d like to take this opportunity to consider their broader importance. In the words of the UN, who formally declared World Bee Day:

Nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend…on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land. To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day.

We all depend on each other in this complex world. You’ve heard the alarms over bee health and potential crop collapse. It’s a frightening possibility, and it’s hard not to think about what bees do for us. The crops they pollinate, and the fruit we eat. What’s harder to fathom, is how our seemingly unrelated actions could be causing their collapse.

Illustrating Bee Communities to study Genetics, Community, and Ecosystems

In this #SayoStudio illustration for the National Science Foundation’s biology directorate, we used honeybees as a model organization to demonstrate how inter-related we all are.

As we’ve learned in high school biology, genetics are the instructions in our DNA. It’s DNA that dictates how we will look, and even how we behave. However, what biologists have continued to uncover is that our DNA is only part of the story.

“Nature vs Nurture” is so much more interesting and complex than we ever could have imagined. Genes can be turned on and off, and this happens from community interactions, ecological interactions, and even large-scale global systems like weather.

Illustrating Large Scale Systems, Connectivities, and Bees

Seemingly wide-scale global systems trickle down to modify gene expression in a multi-directional feedback loop. This illustration takes us from DNA, to cells and cell communication, to organs like neurons and intestines, to the whole organism (a bee). From there, we travel to the community, or hive, then to their larger orchard ecosystem. It’s at this point where the connections are less obvious, but larger communities (of humans) rely on bees for crops, while contributing to pollution and habitat reduction.

Finally, we cycle to the ocean. What does that have to do with bees? The crazy thing is that we REALLY are all connected. The pollution that trickles into our oceans, whether it be plastics or mercury, gets pulled up by our weather systems and deposited back on land.

The more that scientists from different fields work together, from computer scientists, to population geneticists, the more we can understand these connections and course correct. That’s one of the amazing things about NSF—its dedication to supporting and encouraging these cross-disciplinary connections.

And on another positive note, we can all do our part to help save the bee. To start, reduce pesticide use (both in your own garden and by buying organic food), plant native plants in your garden, and build awareness in your community!

Bee Photos from our Bee Hive

And because we really do love watching bees… please enjoy a few photos from Bellevue College’s Bee Keeping Club. You may just find some models that were used in the above illustration!

All photos copyright Nicolle R. Fuller, SayoStudio

 


If you feel inspired and would like to join the science art conversation, please sign up for my newsletters!

 

Related posts:

  1. 2013 AOI Science Illustration Awards
  2. Ornithology Art Inspiration
  3. Illustration Licensing and Copyright Intro for Clients
  4. Women in STEM Science Illustration Spotlight

ecology,  Inspiration,  Science,  Science Illustration bees,  biochemistry,  biology,  central dogma,  complex systems,  conceptual illustration,  dna,  ecology,  editorial illustration,  gene expression,  genetics,  national bee day,  national science foundation,  nsf,  science illustration

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sayostudioscience

#sciart—microbes 🔬to galaxies 🔭—Nicolle Fuller leads SayoStudio creating art & animation of science wonders. #scienceillustration

SayoStudio
Did you know you can make a free, DIY water filter Did you know you can make a free, DIY water filter out of wood?! 

Trees naturally have xylem -- a straw like tubing -- to transport water and nutrients into the tree. The pores inside these xylem tubes are very complex on a nanoscale. Water molecules can flow freely through the tubing, but larger bacterial cells get trapped inside the xylem structures.
Because this filtration system removes rotavirus and E. coli, these filters meet the standards set by @WHO for clean, drinkable water. 

Learn more about nanoscientist Krithika Ramchander and Dr. Rohit Karnik's (@mit_engineering) research and see an animation of the xylem catching bacteria on our blog: https://sayostudio.com/science-diy-water-filter-animation

Art and animation created by Nicolle R. Fuller, SayoStudio
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#waterfilter #diywaterfilter #xylemwaterfilter #treefilter #tree #xylem #mit #engineeringweek #engineering #mitengineering #nanoscience #scicomm #sciart #scienceillustration #scientificillustration #sayostudio #animation
Is #ScienceFriday a thing on social media..? It is Is #ScienceFriday a thing on social media..? It is? Then allow us to introduce you to the basics of #StringTheory! â €
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String theory is a Theory of Everything (Grand Unification Theory) that seeks to unite the gravitational force with the other fundamental forces (electromagnetism and nuclear forces) that are already described by quantum mechanics at the atomic level. â €
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Gaining a foothold in the theoretical physics community during the 1970's, string theory states that fundamental particles such as quarks + electrons are not points of energy or matter, but result instead from the vibrations of one-dimensional ‘string-like’ entities on a far smaller scale. ⠀
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Although string theory is highly debated and very complex, it poses very interesting solutions to why our observed universe acts the way it does. â €
What's your take on string theory? â €
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Artwork by Nicolle R Fuller, SayoStudio â €
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#stringtheory #granreunificationtheory #theoryofeverything #physics #quantummechanics #nuclear #multidimensions #dimensions #sciart #scienceillustration #scicomm #electromagnetism #energy #matter â €
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Could neurodegenerative diseases really be caused Could neurodegenerative diseases really be caused by ancient viral infections? â €
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The recent discovery of viral proteins in the brains of MS/ALS patients created a mysterious link between human genes and neurodegenerative disease. â €
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Researchers are just now beginning to understand how ancient human endogenous retroviruses (or HERVs) affect our immune responses today. HERV proteins cause disruptions of nuclei in cells; triggering the cells to mount an immune response in the central nervous system. This disruption spreads from cell to cell progressively; and is shown to cause significant motor neuron deterioration. â €
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You can read more about this research here: https://loom.ly/_uTOBvc â €
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Artwork by Nicolle R. Fuller, SayoStudio for @the_scientist_magazine. â €
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#msawarenessweek #multiplesclerosis #neurodegenerative #neurodisease #als #ms #medicalillustration #cell #sciart #scicomm #scienceillustration #medart #stem #sayostudio â €
Having your heart flutter on Valentine's Day might Having your heart flutter on Valentine's Day might seem normal...but for some, it's a common symptom of atrial fibrillation. 💓

Afib is a heart arrhythmia characterized by irregular or fast beating. Electrical signals in the heart dictate how often your heart pumps-- and for some this can get out of whack, causing palpitations and dizziness. 

Luckily  treatment exists to manage Afib. To learn more, visit the American Heart Association or click the link below: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/atrial-fibrillation

Artwork by Nicolle R. Fuller, SayoStudio for @popularmechanics
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#AmericanHeartMonth #NationalHeartMonth #Scienceillustration #sciart #hearthealth #americanheartassociation #afib #atrialfibrillation #arrhythmia #valentinesheart #heartart #medicalart #medicalillustration
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