Biology Puns So Funny They Cell Themselves  

Science jokes aren’t just about eliciting laughter (or groans); they’re also about igniting sparks of engagement and giving students a leg up on the path of learning. Humor possesses a unique ability to shift the dynamics of the classroom. In addition to lightening the mood and injecting an element of fun, humor has also been shown to increase attention and create a deeper connection with a subject. In fact, because our brains are wired to remember things when we are having a good time, adding an element humor to the class can significantly enhance retention.

You probably don’t need a study to tell you all this. But this is a science blog, so we’re still providing some evidence. A study conducted by social scientists surveying over 1000 colleges students and published here in PLOS One found that a staggering 99% of students said they preferred science lectures with jokes. Students said these jokes made the science classroom a more enjoyable, relaxed, and stress-free environment. Moreover, a significant portion also reported increased confidence to pose questions in classes where jokes were frequently told.

So, with no more ado, here’s our collection of science puns. We’ve even sorted them into topics for easy reference! Feel free to liberally sprinkle them into your prelabs, presentations, homework assignments, exams, and – for the especially daring among you – lectures. For those who thrive on some friendly competition, see who can integrate the most puns into their semester. After all, with science at the heart of it all, why not experiment with the art of humor and observe where it takes your class!

DNA and Genetics

• Which biochemicals wash up on beaches? Nucleotides.
• What does DNA stand for? National Dyslexic Association.
• I made a DNA joke in my biology class but no one laughed….Guess my thymine was off.
• How can you better understand genetics in cold weather? Put your codon!
• Why do biologists look forward to causal Fridays? They’re allowed to wear genes to work.
• What was the geneticist favorite pick-up line? “I wish I was adenine…Then I could get paired with U.”

Proteins and Enzymes

• What do you can an organic compound with an attitude? A-mean-oh Acid.
• What was the pirates favorite amino acid? Arrrrr-ginine.
• That’s DJ Enzyme. He always breaks it down!
• Why are tertiary structures selfish? Because the amino acids are all wrapped up in themselves.

Biomedical Science and Immunology

• Why do ants never get sick? Because they have little anty bodies.
• No matter how popular they get, antibiotics will never be viral.
• What’s the tiniest virus in the world? Smallpox.
• What did the nurse say when you gave blood? B positive
• Where did the viruses go? They flu away.

Human Anatomy

• What did the femur say to the patella. I kneed you.
• I found this bone humerus.
• You can hear the blood in your veins if you listen varicosity.
• Today in biology class were sere discussing the human eye. I kept thinking of jokes, but they were getting cornea and cornea.
• Two blood cells met and fell in love. Sadly, it was all in vein.
• You must be a red blood cell. Because you take the oxygen away from my lungs and straight to my heart.
• Why was the student worried about biology class? He/She/They had a nervous system.  

Microbiology

• Why did the bacteria cross the microscope? To get to the other slide.
• You cannot B. cereus (Bacillus ceresus is a bacteria that causes food poisoning.)
• Microorganisms are so hipster. They were evolving on earth before it was cool.

Neurobiology

• Do you know what gets on my nerves? Myelin.
• Where are criminal neurons sent? A chain ganglion.
• What can you use to get plaque off of your brain? Neural Crest.

Cell Science

• A cell stepped on her sister’s toe. The sister said “Ouch, mitosis.”
• What do biologist post on Instagram? Cell-fies.
• Biology is the only science where multiplication is the same thing as division.
• Why couldn’t the plants escape prison? Because there were walls outside their cells!

Plant Biology

• What do other plants do when another plant is sad? They photosympathize.
• One flower looked at the other and says, “You hungry?” The second flower responded, “I could use a light snack.”
• What did the male stamen say to the female pistil? I like your style.
• What kind of notebooks do dendrochronologists use? Tree ring binders.
• (Be careful of mycologists. They have questionable morels.)
• (Why did the mushroom go to the party? Because he was a fun-gi.)

Marine Biology

• Why was the marine biologist so happy? Because he found his porpoise.
• A dog and a marine biologists are pretty similar- One wages a tail and the other tags a whale.
• How many tickles does it take to make a squid laugh? Ten tickles!

Misc./General

• Good news! There are well over 1000 labs in America working on biotechnology solutions! Just wait till they get the German shepherds involved.
• A couple of biologists had twins…They named one Sarah and the other Control.
• Why should you worry if you get a B for your biology lab practical? Because its much easier to dissect a worm.
• Biologists can also be great philosophers. They give fantastic life lessons.

Were any of these a hit in your classroom? Did you witness a few eye rolls or hearty laughs all around? Or perhaps you have your own tried-and-true, laugh-out-loud biology jokes that you’re willing to share? We’re curious to hear about your experiences! And if you managed to weave all of these puns into your class, consider us thoroughly impressed. In fact, we’re so delighted by the thought of it that we might even have a surprise prize waiting for you – because in the world of education and laughter, your ability to merge science and humor is truly something worth celebrating!