Why do parrotfish change their colour? Try our kids’ quiz

1. Roop, 8, asks: why do parrotfish change colour?

   1. For camouflage

   2. Because they are changing gender

   3. They change their colour just for fun

   4. They do it when they are angry

2. Kenzie, 9, asks: why do we get goose bumps?

   1. No one knows! It’s a complete mystery

   2. Goose bumps are the body’s way of letting us know when we’re hungry or thirsty

   3. Tiny muscles at the bottom of each of our hairs contract when we’re cold or alarmed

   4. Goose bumps are a type of rash we get if we become suddenly allergic to cats

3. Rhydian, 6, asks: what is the biggest poo in the world?

   1. Rhino poo

   2. Giraffe poo

   3. Blue whale poo

   4. Elephant poo

4. Martha, 7, asks: how many bones are there in the human body?

   1. 206

   2. 2,066

   3. 62

   4. 26 – we don’t need many bones!

5. Agnes, 9, asks: why do bruises change colour?

   1. They reflect the colour of the sky, just like water does

   2. The red blood cells from the original injury lose their oxygen and get broken down by the body, changing colour as the process takes place

   3. It’s for camouflage, so you can easily blend in with your surroundings

   4. Bruises turn different colours depending on what you’ve eaten that day

Solutions

1:B - Most parrotfish start out as females, and turn into males as they mature. Males are brightly coloured, so their bodies go from duller tones to vibrant colours., 2:C - Goose bumps are a leftover from prehistoric days when we were far hairier. Muscles at the bottom of each hair follicle contract when we’re cold or frightened, causing our hair to stand upright. Our thick hair meant this kept us warm and possibly made us a little scarier to predators., 3:C - Blue whales win gold for the world’s biggest poo. According to the West Australian Centre for Whale Research, the creatures can release up to 200 litres of poop in one go!, 4:A - There are 206 bones in the adult human skeleton. Babies have about 270 bones when they are born, but some of these fuse together as they grow., 5:B - The initial bump bursts blood vessels, so blood leaks out and is trapped under the skin. The bruise changes colour as it heals because of the breakdown of haemoglobin in the blood. As the body breaks this down in different stages, different colours appear.

Scores

1. 5 and above.

2. 4 and above.

3. 3 and above.

4. 2 and above.

5. 0 and above.

6. 1 and above.

Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a weekly podcast answering children’s questions, out now as a book.

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