Chapter 1

Question 1

Why do scientists find it difficult to define life?

Answer 1

Life is not simply a thing. Life involves complex systems of connected processes.

Question 2

What are the 6 characteristics of living things?

Answer 2

1) Organized
2) Gather matter and energy
3) Grow, develop, and reproduce
4) Pass on generic information
5) Respond to stimuli
6) Adapt to their environment

Question 3

What is science?

Answer 3

Science is the process of using experiment, observation, and reasoning to develop mental models of the natural world. The mental models scientists develop are called theories.

Question 4

Cycle of scientific enterprise

Answer 4

The continuous, cyclic process of scientific research that moves from collections of scientific facts, to theory, to hypothesis, to experiment, to analysis, and possibly review, finally resulting in new scientific facts.

Question 5

Experiment

Answer 5

A scientific test of hypothesis.

The step in the Cycle of Scientific Enterprise where hypothesis are tested through well-designed experiments or observations.

Question 6

General Revelation

Answer 6

The revelation of truth in creation, discernible to all who observe it.

Question 7

Hypothesis

Answer 7

A testable, informed prediction, based on theory, of what will happen in certain conditions.

Question 8

Mental model

Answer 8

A representation or explanation

Question 9

Scientific fact

Answer 9

A statement, supported by a lot of scientific evidence, that is correct so far as we know,

Question 10

Special Revelation

Answer 10

The revelation of truth in the Bible, God’s Word.

Question 11

Theory

Answer 11

A mental model, representation, or explanation that seeks to account for the related facts and provide means for producing new hypothesis; a representation of how part of the natural world works.

Theories should account for known facts (so far as possible), and scientific theories must enable scientists to formulate new hypothesis.

Question 12

Truth

Answer 12

The way things really are.

Question 13

Why do scientists develop theories?

Answer 13

Just as a physical model can aid understanding, a mental model or theory provides a way to think about some aspect of the natural world.

Question 14

What is the difference between a theory and a hypothesis?

Answer 14

A theory is a mental model used to explain how some part of the natural world works. A hypothesis is a specific testable prediction, based on a particular theory, of what will happen in certain circumstances.

Question 15

What are two major characteristics of a successful scientific theory?

Answer 15

1) A successful theory must account for, explain, and tie together the related scientific facts.

2) Successful theories must also provide the means for developing new hypotheses that can be tested through observation or experiment.

Question 16

Describe the observations that led to the first statement of the cell theory.

Answer 16

The first was Anton van Leeuwenhoek’s observations in the 1600s of single-celled animals (“animalcules”) using his
microscope. Around the same time, Robert Hooke was using a microscope to observe many different microscopic samples.
Hooke’s observation of a piece of cork led him to use the word “cell” to describe the structure, since the structure reminded
him of the individual monks’ cells in a monastery. In the 1900s, Matthias Jakob Schleiden used a microscope to study plant
samples. He came to realize that all plants and parts of plants were made of cells. Around the same time, Theodor Schwann
reached the same conclusion regarding animal tissues—that they are all made of individual cells. Schwann published the first
statement of cell theory in 1839—“all living things are made of cells.”

Question 17

What is the purpose of an experiment?

Answer 17

The purpose of an experiment is to put a hypothesis to the test.

Question 18

What is the purpose of an experiment?

Answer 18

The purpose of an experiment is to put a hypothesis to the test.

Question 19

If an experimental result fails to support the hypothesis, how do scientists respond? Describe the steps in the review
process and the order in which they are taken.

Answer 19

The steps leading to the result were theory—hypothesis—experimental procedure. If the results do not support the hypothesis,
scientists analyze the situation by first reviewing everything about the experiment, including the measurement techniques. If
this does not explain the negative results, then the hypothesis is reviewed to see if it accurately reflects the consequences of
the theory. A third step would be to review the theory itself, and that is a big deal. Theories take years or decades of validation
to achieve acceptance; calling a theory into question would also require time and sources of evidence. If such evidence
accumulates, the scientists would work on modifying or even replacing the theory.

Question 20

How does the scientific method relate to doing experimental research?

Answer 20

Experiments are one of the major components in the Cycle of Scientific Enterprise. The scientific method provides an
objective, standardized approach to conducting valid experiments.

Question 21

What other methods are there for doing science besides experimental research?

Answer 21

Other possibilities include working with mathematics, making observations, collecting evidence, and using reasoning to make
deductions.

Question 22

What is the relationship between a scientist’s hypothesis and the scientific method?

Answer 22

?
The hypothesis is the specific prediction that will be put to the test by an experiment. The purpose of the scientific method
is to ensure that the experiment is valid, and thus to ensure that the experimental results are also valid. If the experimental results are valid, then valid conclusions can be drawn about the hypothesis.

Question 23

What is meant by the phrase “repeat the work” in the scientific method?

Answer 23

This phrase applies in two senses. First, a particular scientist performs multiple trials in all experiments to confirm and validate the results. Second, other scientific teams must also replicate the results for the results to be considered valid by the larger scientific community.

Question 24

Why is it difficult to analyze experimental results?

Answer 24

This is due to the fact that contemporary scientific experiments are complex and difficult to perform. There are so many
factors, components, measurement instruments, and procedures that analyzing results is a complex process.

Question 25

Describe the scale of life.

Answer 25

Organisms themselves range from about 140 nm in size for the smallest known organism, up to 3.8 km across for the largest.
But life science also involves the study of the organic molecules all cells are made of, the entire biosphere of Earth, and all the
living things in between.

Question 26

List four goals of life science.

Answer 26

1) Find new ways to raise crops and process food.

2) Understand how energy transformations work in biological systems so that we can develop more effective biology-related products.

3) Develop better medical treatments and therapies.

4) Understand how to be better stewards of the creation God has given us to dwell in.

Question 27

Describe the key ideas in the cell theory.

Answer 27

All living things are made of one or more cells. All living things arise from pre-existing cells by division. Th e cell is the
fundamental unit of structure and function in all living organisms. Th e activity of an organism depends on the total activity of
independent cells.