Concepts to Know, Biology

What are some characterestics of living things?

Living things are made up of cells, are based on a universal genetic code (DNA), obtain and use energy, grow and develop, reproduce, respond to their environment, maintain a stable internal environment, and change over time.

How is theory different that a hypothesis?

A hypothesis is a scientific explanation for a set of observations that can be tested in ways that support or reject it. A theory is a well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations about new situations.

Why is it important for a hypothesis to be testable?

A hypothosis needs to be testable because it needs to show if the observations support or reject it.

Understand how to set up a controlled experiment to answer a scientific question. What is a variable?

A variable is something changed in an experiment.

What is the realationship between science and society?

As a society, we decide what issues should be important to scientists. There are all sorts of questions that might be interesting to a scientist, but society decides what research gets funded and is "important". We are concerned about our health. We care about the environment, particularly as it affects our own future. As a society we care about energy because we don't like paying $4 a gallon for gasoline and also we worry about the changing climate and the future of the planet. So, society says that science should find alternative fuels.

Explain the 5 steps and the use of the "scientific method"

Initial observation; Hypothesis; experiment; observation and analysis of data; interpretation; final supported.

How do light and electron microscpose work?

Light and electron microscopes use multiple lenses and refraction to enlarge an image by bouncing light/electrons off of the object.

Explain what "science is a process, not a thing" means.

Science is a way of knowing about the world, observing, and a way of thinking.

What is science? What is the goal of science? What can science tell us? What can't science tell us? (What are some of the limitations of science?

Science is an organized way of gathering and analyzing evidence about the natural world. One goal of science is to provide natural explanation for events in the natural world. Science also aims to use those explanations to understand patterns and to make useful predictions about natural events. Science can not explain anything supernatural, or it can not explain personal beliefs.

How do scienctists determin what is true(regarding the natural world)? We talked about some of the ways people determine what is true. What are some of the problems with flowing what everyone believes, with using logic, with repeated observations? How can these methods lead you astray?

Scientist determine what is true by what repeaded observations, that which is logical, and truths God has revealed to us.

Why does out textbook say, "Good scientists are skeptics". What is skepticism a good thing in science? Understand how the historical experiments dealing with spontaneous generation are examples of controlled experiments and using the scientific method.

Scientists questions existing ideas and hypothesis and they refuse to accept explanations without evidence.

Why do scientists use the metrics system?

So they have common terms with other scientists around the world.

What are the central themes of biology?

The cellular basis of life; information and heredity; matter and energy; growth, development, and reproduction; homeostasis; evolution; structure and function; unity and diversity; interdependence in nature; and science as a way of knowing

What scientific attitudes help scientists in exploration?

These are habits or attitudes that would help a scientist to explore and discover. a. Curiosity. A person who is curious is always asking questions and digging for answers. They have a hunger to know why things work the way that they do. b. Skepticism - A skeptic refuses to accept answers without evidence. They question the accepted answers and they ask hard questions. c. Open-mindedness - A good scientist is willing to consider alternative viewpoints. They are open to new ideas and "thinking outside the box". d. Creativity - A good scientist thinks in new and creative ways. This particularly deals with designing experiments. "How can we solve this problem?" The scientist uses their creative imagination to think of a way to approach the issue.

Why is it important for scientists to publish their results and work together with other scientists (collaborate)? Why is peer review important?

This is important because it allows experts to examine and evaluate the research looking for flaws, oversights, bias and fuzzy logic. This process of evaluation assures that scientific research will be done very carefully because it is going to be scrutinized.

Why is it important that control groups and experimental groups be large?

To factor out any outliers.