BIOL 1101 Chapter 1 Study Guide

A newspaper has recently received several complaints regarding the accuracy of its reports on scientific studies. As a result, the newspaper's editors have posted an ad seeking a new science journalist. What steps are NOT important for the newspaper to take to ensure that the new science journalist can produce accurate articles? A. Ensure that the new science journalist has an advanced degree in a scientific discipline and regularly acts as a peer reviewer for scientific journals. B. Hire someone with a scientific background, who has experience reviewing research papers. C. Ensure that the new science journalist has an adequate amount of time to thoroughly review research papers before writing an article. D. Ensure that the new science journalist understands the difference between causation and correlation, and can emphasize this difference to newspaper readers. E. Ensure that the size they allot for the new science journalist's column is large enough to explain all parts of a scientific study.

A. Ensure that the new science journalist has an advanced degree in a scientific discipline and regularly acts as a peer reviewer for scientific journals.

Radiation that falls at the high energy end of the electromagnetic spectrum has: A. a lower frequency. B. been shown to cause cancer. C. been shown to have no effect on the incidence of cancer. D. a longer wavelength.

B. been shown to cause cancer.

Two types of very low frequency radiation are: A. microwaves and infrared radiation. B. radiowaves and microwaves C. radiowaves and UV radiation. D. infrared and x-ray radiation.

B. radiowaves and microwaves

The nightly news anchor reports that a scientific paper from a high-impact journal claims that a drug used for the treatment of diabetes increases the likelihood of death from COVID-19. What would someone ask the news anchor about the rigor of the study if only one question was allowed to be asked? A.Was the study conducted in the summer when SARS-Cov2 is believed to die? B.In what country was the study conducted and in what institution? C.Was the study conducted on human subjects, and was is a randomized clinical trial? D.Should diabetics stop taking their medication?

C. Was the study conducted on human subjects, and was is a randomized clinical trial?

A study showed a correlation between low dietary fat intake and reduced breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women. A 22-year-old woman can conclude that she will reduce her breast cancer risk by eating a low-fat diet. True or False

False

Which experiment would BEST test the hypothesis that exposure to cell phone radiation increases the incidence of brain cancer? A. a small sample size experiment consisting of two groups of mice: one group treated with cell phone radiation and an untreated group B. a small sample size experiment consisting of two groups of mice: one group treated with cell phone radiation and the other with UV radiation C. a large sample size experiment consisting of two groups of mice: one group treated with cell phone radiation and an untreated group D. a large sample size experiment with mice treated with cell phone radiation

C. a large sample size experiment consisting of two groups of mice: one group treated with cell phone radiation and an untreated group

If cell phones cause brain cancer, one would expect: A. no change in the incidence of brain cancer. B. the incidence of brain cancer to vary by type of cell phone. C. an increase in the incidence of brain cancer in the population over time. D. a decrease in the incidence of brain cancer in the population over time.

C. an increase in the incidence of brain cancer in the population over time.

A researcher wants to develop a randomized clinical trial that will determine the relationship between an aspirin regimen and heart health. To this end, he decides he will have two groups of patients―one that receives a baby aspirin daily, and one that receives a placebo daily. In this scenario, the group of individuals that receives the placebo is the _____ group, and the group that receives the baby aspirin is the _____ group. A. correlation; causation B. experimental; experimental C. control; experimental D. experimental; control E. causation; correlation

C. control; experimental

Which of these may be used as a placebo in an experiment designed to test whether caffeinated coffee improves memory? A. any hot beverage B. any caffeinated beverage C. decaffeinated coffee D. caffeinated coffee

C. decaffeinated coffee

A researcher is setting up a randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effect of acetaminophen on liver function, and designates a control group of subjects and an experimental group of subjects. What could interfere with the results or completion of this study? A. members of the control group being given a placebo (a mistake on the part of the researcher) B. members of both groups engaging in strenuous exercise 3−5 days a week C. members of the experimental group failing to take acetaminophen according to the experimental regimen D. members of the experimental group being given acetaminophen

C. members of the experimental group failing to take acetaminophen according to the experimental regimen

A group of friends are watching a televised debate on evolution. One of the participants repeatedly states that evolution is a "scientific theory," and as such is unsupported by any evidence. What is wrong with this statement? A. The statement is incorrect because for any given scientific theory, an equal number of scientific studies exist that disprove and support this hypothesis. B. The statement is incorrect because scientific theories are supported by a handful of studies or disproved by hundreds (if not thousands) of research studies. C. Nothing. This statement is correct. Just like any "theory," scientific theories are unsupported and not backed by any scientific research. D. Nothing. This statement is correct. Scientific theories are rigorously supported by numerous studies, and are hypotheses that (to date) have never been disproved.

D. Nothing. This statement is correct. Scientific theories are rigorously supported by numerous studies, and are hypotheses that (to date) have never been disproved.