1: Introduction to Science Flashcards
Module 1, Lesson 1
The study and practice of science is…
Research
Those who engage in research are called ____ or ____.
Researchers; scientists
Science aims to understand the natural world using…
Observation and reasoning
True or false:
Science is in a constant state of change.
True
Science is always changing as new experiments are performed, new observations are made, and new evidence is discovered.
What are the two types of reasoning used in science?
Deductive and inductive
____ reasoning uses general observations to make specific conclusions.
Deductive
____ reasoning uses specific observations to make general predictions.
Inductive
What are the two main forms of science?
Descriptive and hypothesis-driven
____ science is simply making observations and describing the natural world.
Descriptive
____ science is a systematic approach to understanding the world.
Hypothesis-driven
Hypothesis-driven science is also called the…
Scientific method
List the five main steps of the scientific method.
- Observation
- Question
- Hypothesis
- Prediction
- Conclusion
Genomic sequencing and classifying animals in a habitat are examples of which kind of science?
Descriptive
What was the observation in Louis Pasteur’s swan-necked flask experiment?
Microbial life appears in a flask of nutrient broth over time
What was the question in Louis Pasteur’s swan-necked flask experiment?
What is the source of the microbial life?
In Louis Pasteur’s experiment,
The germ hypothesis predicted that…
Life would only appear in the flask that was exposed to air
In Louis Pasteur’s experiment,
The spontaneous generation hypothesis predicted that…
Life will appear in both the sealed and unsealed flasks.
The variable being tested in an experiment is the…
Independent variable
In the ____ group, the independent variable is changed.
Test / experimental
In the ____ group, the independent variable is not altered.
Control
A properly designed experiment will test ____ variable(s) at a time.
One
How did Louis Pasteur set up his experiment?
He put nutrient broth in two flasks; sterilized them; and then sealed one, leaving the other exposed to air.
What was the result of Pasteur’s experiment?
Life only appeared in the unsealed flask. Therefore, the germ hypothesis is supported and the spontaneous generation hypothesis is rejected.
A hypothesis…
(four items)
- Is a possible explanation for an observation
- Must make a testable claim
- Is retained until disproved
- Can be supported, revised, or disproved
Claims, beliefs, and practices that claim to be science yet cannot be tested are called…
Pseudoscience
Two characteristics of pseudoscience
- Its claims often cannot be tested
- It does not use accepted scientific methods.
Astrology and intelligent design are examples of…
Pseudoscience
Breaking a complex process down into its component parts is called…
Reductionism
____ focuses on how the components of a process work together.
Systems biology
Systems biology relies heavily on…
Computer modeling
Systems biology allows us to predict…
Emergent properties
Ideally, science is…
Objective
List two methods science uses to be self-correcting.
Peer review, reproducibility
List the two main types of scientific research.
Basic and applied
In biology, basic research…
Studies how life functions
In biology, applied research…
Uses information to achieve a practical benefit or purpose
A scientific theory is used to express…
Ideas of which scientists are most certain.
