What is life? A Guide to Biology: Chapter 1

Randomized

Describes a manner of choosing subjects and assigning them to a group on the basis of chance, that is, randomly.

Treatment

Any condition applied to the subject of a research study that is not applied to subjects in a control group.

What are the steps of the Scientific Method?

#1 - Make observation/state a problem #2 - Form a hypothesis - educated guess #3 - Prediction- if -then format #4 - Experiment. #5 - State a conclusions and make revisions. * If your hypothesis was incorrect, is the experiment a failure?

Science

A body of knowledge based on observation, description, experimentation, and explanation of natural phenomena.

Placebo effect

A frequently observed and poorly understood, phenomenon in which there is a positive response to treatment with an inactive substance.

Scientific literacy

A general, fact-based understanding of basics of biology and other sciences, the scientific method, and the social, political and legal implications of scientific information.

Null Hypothesis

A hypothesis that states a lack of relationship between two factors.

Scientific Method

A process of examination and discovery of natural phenomena involving making observations, constructing hypotheses, testing prediction, experimenting, and drawing conclusions and revising them as necessary.

Hypothesis

A proposed explanation for an observed phenomenon.

Positive correlation

A relationship between variables, in which they increase (or decrease) together

Statistics

A set of analytical and mathematical tools designed to further understanding of numerical data.

Theory

A theory explanatory hypothesis for natural phenomenon that is exceptionally well supported by empirical data.

Empirical

Describes a knowledge that is based on experience and observations that are rational, testable and repeatable.

Critical experiment

An experiment that makes it possible to determine decisively between alternative hypotheses.

Double blind experimental design

An experimental design in which neither the subjects nor the experimenters know what treatment (if any) individual subjects are receiving.

Blind experimental design

An experimental design in which the subjects do not know what treatment (if any) they are receiving.

Placebo

An inactive substance used in a controlled experiments to test the effectiveness of another substance; the treatment group receives the substance being tested, the control group receives the placebo.

Pseudoscience

Hypotheses and theories not supported by trustworthy and methodical scientific studies (but presented as if they were).

Experimental group

In an experiment, the group of subjects exposed to a particular treatment, also known as the treatment group.

Control group

In an experiment, the group of subjects not exposed to the treatment being studied but otherwise treated identically to the experimental group.

Anecdotal observations

Observation of one or only a few instances.

Biological Literacy

The ability to use scientific inquiry to think creatively about problems with a biological component; to communicate these thoughts to others; and to integrate these ideas into one's decision making.

Variables

The characteristics of an experimental system subject to change, for example time (the duration of treatment) or specific elements of the treatment such as the substance or procedure administered or the temperature at which it take place.

Superstition

The irrational belief that actions not related by logic to a course of events can influence an outcome.

Biology

The study of living things.