Bio 1113: Lecture 1 (scientific method) Flashcards
Characteristics of life
Five shared traits defining all living organisms.
Energy from the sun
Primary energy source for most life forms.
Biological organization
Different levels of complexity in living systems.
Evolution
Process explaining unity and diversity of life.
Scientific knowledge
Always evolving based on new evidence.
Humoral theory
Historical medical theory based on bodily fluids.
Hypothesis
Tentative explanation allowing falsifiable predictions.
Theory
Broadly supported explanation of phenomena, testable.
Laws
Distillation of repeated observations, often mathematical.
Cell Theory
All living things are composed of cells.
Theory of Evolution
Explains the diversity of life through natural selection.
Chromosome Theory of Inheritance
Genetic information is carried on chromosomes.
Laws of Thermodynamics
Principles governing energy and heat transfer.
Law of Gravity
Describes the attraction between masses.
Scientific Method
Systematic approach to studying natural phenomena.
Observation
Initial step of noticing and recording phenomena.
Question
Formulating inquiries based on observations.
Hypothesize
Creating a testable statement based on questions.
Predict
Forecasting outcomes based on hypotheses.
Testing
Conducting experiments to validate or refute hypotheses.
Conclusions
Final analysis based on experimental results.
Cyclical process
Iterative nature of scientific investigation and discovery.
Observation
Noticing phenomena from various sources.
Hypothesis
Tentative explanation that is testable and falsifiable.
Prediction
Statement of expected outcome if hypothesis is true.
Independent Variable
Factor manipulated to observe effects on dependent variable.
Dependent Variable
Factor measured to assess changes from independent variable.
Testing
Time-consuming step involving experimental procedures.
Peer Review
Process ensuring study validity by independent scientists.
Conclusions
Results derived from testing a specific hypothesis.
Scientific Method
Cycle of observation, hypothesis, prediction, testing, conclusions.
Correlation
Statistical relationship between two variables.
Causation
One event directly affecting another.
Experimental Design
Plan for conducting an experiment systematically.
Repeatability
Ability to replicate results under same conditions.
Literature Review
Survey of existing research on a topic.
Testable Hypothesis
Hypothesis that can be proven true or false.
Falsifiable Hypothesis
Hypothesis that can be disproven through evidence.
Reaction Time
Duration taken to respond to a stimulus.
Accuracy
Degree of closeness to a true value.
Study Groups
Participants divided for comparative analysis in experiments.
Vocabulary Recall
Ability to remember and retrieve learned words.
Physical Activity
Movement that enhances physical fitness and health.
Experimental Groups
Groups subjected to different conditions in an experiment.
Control Group
Group not exposed to experimental treatment for comparison.
Control group
Group not receiving treatment for comparison.
Placebo
Substance resembling treatment, no effect expected.
Blind experiment
Subjects unaware of treatment assignment.
Double blind experiment
Neither subjects nor experimenters know treatment.
Confounding variables
Uncontrolled factors affecting dependent variable.
Independent variable
Variable manipulated by the researcher.
Dependent variable
Variable measured to assess effects.
Experimental study
Research applying treatments to measure effects.
Observational study
Research comparing groups without treatment application.
Sample size
Number of participants in a study.
Statistical significance
Confidence that results are not due to chance.
Random assignment
Participants randomly placed in control or experimental groups.
Epidemiological study
Observational study examining health-related states.
Natural study
Observational study without manipulation of variables.
Strength of evidence
Reliability of results from experimental studies.
Psychological effects
Influences on subjects based on expectations.
Manipulative study
Experimental study where variables are actively changed.
Confidence in results
Degree of certainty about study findings.
Study design considerations
Factors influencing the quality of a study.
Random chance
Possibility of results occurring by luck.
Biological statistics
Use of statistics in biological research.
Study strength evaluation
Assessment of study design and execution quality.