Mastering Biology - Chapter 1

1. The root ____ means the study of or branch of knowledge about. 2. The root ____ means life. 3. The root ____ means under, below, or basis. 4. The root ___ means to reason out, working from facts. 5. The root ____ means to rely on reason to derive principles (and also to cause to happen)

1. -ology 2. bio- 3. hypo- 4. deduc- 5. induc-

1. ____ reasoning makes specific predictions based on general principles. 2. ____ reasoning discerns a general principle from a set of specific observations. 3. A ____ is a proposed explanation for one or more observations, often discerned through inductive reasoning. 4. ____ is the study of living organisms.

1. Deductive 2. Inductive 3. Hypothesis 4. Biology

Assign a numerical score for each category. Then add up the total score. (The highest possible score is 6; the lowest is 0.) In what range does this source fall?

5 to 6

On a scale from 0 to 6, where 6 is the most trustworthy, how would you rate this site? (Note that all responses will be marked as "correct: at this point.)

5-6 (very trustworthy)

Which of the following sources is likely to provide medical information with the most credibility?

A health website maintained by a regional hospital.

Susan observed that the vegetarians in her dorm experienced fewer colds than meat eaters. She hypothesizes that vegetarians are less likely to get colds than meat eaters. Which of the following four statements would be the best prediction for a test of this hypothesis?

A person who is vegetarian will have fewer colds than a meat eater.

Listen to the podcast again. Who is being interviewed?

A researcher from the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which of the following studies is likely to be statistically significant but not practically significant?

A study in which a small positive effect on blood pressure is found for a large experimental group taking a daily multivitamin versus a large control group who did not take the vitamin.

Why are hypotheses never accepted as proven by scientists?

Alternative hypotheses might provide a better answer to the research question.

In which of the following examples could bias potentially influence the results of an experiment?

Amanda knows that she is participating a weight-loss study and guesses that she in the control group.

Which of the following would be considered a primary scientific source?

An article in a peer-reviews scientific journal.

Which of the following hypotheses is NOT testable?

Ancient Romans were smarter than ancient Greeks.

A group of nurses has volunteered to participate in a study to test the hypothesis that high doses of vitamin D promote bone health. How could the researcher conducting the study reduce the likelihood that an alternative hypothesis could explain the experimental result?

Assign individuals to the control or experimental group using a random number generator.

Carrie is testing the effects of nitrogen concentrations on the growth of algal cells. Her experimental treatment consists of algal cells in beakers, each containing a different concentration of nitrogen dissolved in water. What would be the best control to use in her experiment?

Beakers containing algal cells and water.

How do many of these predatory journals find articles to publish and people to serve on their editorial boards?

By sending out email requests.

Which of the following situations could bias the results of an experiment?

Candy is asked to try a new acne medication and report in a diary every morning.

Pasteur's experiment with the swam-necked flask rejected the spontaneous generation hypothesis by demonstrating that:

Cells can grow only in broth that was exposed to a source of pre-existing microorganisms.

Pasteur's experiment with the straight-necked flask:

Could be constructed to support the spontaneous generation hypothesis and the hypothesis that cells arise only from pre-existing cells.

A large sample size decreases the likelihood that an experimental result will be significant.

False.

True or False: In an experiment to test the hypothesis that Ginkgo biloba pills improve memory skills, the control group would take no pills, while the experimental group would take Ginkgo biloba pills.

False.

True or false: Statistics allow researchers to prove or disprove hypotheses.

False.

Research described in the chapter indicates that people with higher stress levels have more colds that people with lower stress levels. What is the most we can say about these results?

High stress levels correlated with an increased risk of colds.

Shantel observes that her friends who practice yoga seem to have more energy than her friends who do not practice yoga. Which of the following statements would be the best predication for a test of this hypothesis?

If a person practices yoga, then the person will experience an increase in energy levels.

Which feature is necessary for specific hypothesis?

It is falsifiable.

Which of the following hypotheses is testable?

Mahogany is a stronger wood than maple.

What kind of evidence is cited on the traumatic brain injury information page? Select all that apply.

Medical research, hospital statistics.

Which of the following statements could be rejected using scientific observations?

Mother birds provide more care to nestlings than father birds do.

You are a graduate student in plant physiology and wish to learn how to discern reputable scientific publications from those not reputable. Which of the following journals recently created a checklist to help get you started?

Nature.

You are a toxicologist and wish to publish your recent research concerning the effects of endocrine disruptors on thyroid function. How do you find a reputable journal to publish your findings?

Personally contact the journals you are interested in.

Which of the following would likely be the best for limiting the increasing amount of questionable journals publishing studies of unknown scientific value?

Place restrictions on open access.

What was the general reaction to open access when it began about 10 years ago?

Positive.

Deductive reasoning is used to make ____ based on hypothesis.

Predictions

Which of the following is one of the steps in the scientific method?

Rejecting the hypothesis.

All of the following ideas about how to prevent the common cold are scientific except one. Which idea cannot be tested scientifically?

Rely on God to prevent the common cold.

Which of the following people is using anecdotal evidence?

Seth's mother tells him that one type of pain reliever is better than another, because it worked much better for her.

Suppose that both the researchers and participants involved in this experiment knew who was being given the Echinacea tea versus the placebo tea. Which two statements indicate how this might affect the results of the experiment?

Some researchers might make unconscious, small, but systematic errors in recording results in order to confirm their hypothesis. Some participants might overstate the Echinacea tea's effectiveness because they would expect to feel better.

Which of the following statements explains why statistics are an important tool in scientific research?

Statistics help scientists distinguish results that are not consistent with their hypothesis from those that deviate just by chance.

What does the following graph show? **Chapter 1 Post-Lecture Quiz Question 26 graph**

Susceptibility to colds is positively correlated with stress level.

What does the height of the bar labeled "Control group" (on the left side of the graph) show?

The average effectiveness rating of the placebo tea.

Which group would be the most effective control subjects in a test of an experimental treatment?

The control group should have characteristics very similar to the experimental subjects.

A biotech company publishes results that show a difference in recovery time among cancer patients who take its new drug. The studies were conducted on a small group of cancer patients. Assuming the hypothesis is true, which of the following is the most appropriate conclusion someone should draw from their report?

The results are only just barely statistically significant.

Which of the following is true about cold viruses?

There are hundreds of different cold viruses.

Which statement is true regarding the effect of Vitamin C on the common cold?

There is little evidence that vitamin C prevents the common cold.

In a study of random volunteers who answered a newspaper ad for a cold remedy study, there was a correlation between the use of the remedy and a reduction in the duration of the cold. Why would this result alone NOT be enough to demonstrate that the cold remedy is effective?

There might be differences among the volunteers who provide alternative hypotheses explaining the duration of their colds.

Why is the scientific method used?

To answer specific questions about the natural world.

What seems to be the purpose of the interview?

To inform the public about brain injuries.

What is the purpose of double-blind experiments?

To minimize the effects of human bias on the results.

True or false: An experiment that tests a hypothesis that is true is likely to have a statistically significant result if the sample size is small and the difference between the control and experimental groups is large.

True

True or False: The first step in the scientific method is to make observations about a natural phenomenon.

True.

True or false: Statistical tests allow scientists to determine whether uncontrolled variables may have influenced their experimental results.

True.

What is the best known behavior for preventing colds?

Wash your hands often.

Is the information provided by these sites consistent with what you found on the CDC website?

Yes, the information on causes and symptoms of brain injuries is consistent.

Which of the following is an example of a primary scientific source?

Yvone publishes part of her master's thesis research on the website of a major scientific journal after two months of peer review and revision.