Biology Flashcards
How is life recognized?
-Ordered structures
-reproduction
-growth and development encoded by DNA
-response to environmental stimuli
-energy processing
-regulatory mechanisms
-evolutionary adaptations
(3R, 2E, OG)
What does Homo sapiens mean?
What are the parts of this name?
Homo sapiens means “wise man”
“homo” is the genius “sapiens” is the species
Taxonomy is the branch of biology that…
Names and classifies species
Group names of organisms, going from broader to smaller:
kingdom
phylum
class
order
family
genius
species
“ king Philip came over for good soup”
There are also “domains”which are the largest groups of organisms. There are three domains:
3 domains that include all living organisms:
Bacteria: single celled
Archaea: single celled
Eukarya: multi celled
Life’s hierarchy of organization
Biosphere
ecosystem
community
population
organism
organ
tissue
cell
organelle
molecule
(Becpootcom)
What are recorded observations called? What types of recorded observations exist?
recorded observations are called “data” and data can be qualitative which is descriptive, or quantitative, which is generally numerical measurements.
What is a hypothesis?
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a set of observations, and it leads to predictions that can be tested by performing experiments.
In science, can we ever prove that a hypothesis is true?
No. There could be multiple explanations for any scenario but multiple rounds of hypothesis testing may lead to a scientific consensus, which is the shared conclusion of many scientists that a particular hypothesis explains the known data.
What is a theory?
The theory is much broader in scope and is supported by a large and growing body of evidence. The scope and the quantity of evidence differentiates this from a hypothesis.
What is the main requirement for a scientific hypothesis?
It must generate predictions that can be tested by experiments or gathering further observations.
What is a controlled experiment?
In an experimental test of a hypothesis, a researcher manipulates one component in the system and observes the effects of this change.
What is the factor that is being manipulated by the researchers?
The factor that is being manipulated is called the independent variable
What is the measure used to judge the outcome of the experiment?
the measure used to judge the outcome of the experiment is called the dependent variable. This variable depends on, or is affected by, the manipulated variable.
What is a controlled experiment?
A controlled experiment is one in which an experimental group is compared with a control group.
What is a clinical trial or a clinical study?
A Clinical trial or clinical study is a controlled experiment involving humans, such as tests of new medications.
In the medical trial, what are the control group participants given?
The control group participants are often given a placebo, which is a treatment such as a sugar pill that doesn’t contain the substance being studied.
What is a double blind study?
In a double blind trial, neither the researchers nor subjects know who is in which group. (Control group or experimental group.)
In some studies, researchers try to match the sex, age, and general health of subjects in the control and experimental groups. What is this experimental design trying to do?
Ensure that the two groups differ only in the one variable the experiment is designed to test.
How do you classify animals into different families?
In the red panda example, sometimes scientists hypothesize the red panda is more closely related to raccoons based on PHYSICAL APPEARANCE. Other scientists observed that the DIET AND HABITAT of the red panda was more similar to giant pandas placing the two animals together in a bear family. Lastly, scientists increasingly use DNA sequencing to test evolutionary relationships.
Should red pandas be grouped with raccoons or giant pandas? What does the DNA sequencing suggest?
DNA sequencing suggest that the red panda is not in the same family as raccoons or giant pandas and they are in their own family.
Explain why comparisons of DNA sequences are considered observational and not experimental data
Scientists are not manipulating DNA sequences in any type of experiment, but are simply recording and comparing the differences and sequences that they observe.
How would you describe the process of science?
The process of science is repetitive, nonlinear and collaborative.
How do scientist share information with their community?
Information is shared through seminars meetings, personal communication and scientific publications.