Chapter 1.1 Flashcards
Define biology
the science of life and how it works
Define Biologist
A scientist who studies life
Define observation
The act of viewing the world around us
Define experimentation
A disciplined and controlled way of learning about the world and testing hypotheses in an unbiased matter
Define hypotheses
A tentative explanation for one or more observations that makes predictions that can be tested by experiments or additional observations
Can a single observation prove a hypothesis?
No. A single observation can only support or disprove a hypothesis
Define variable
The feature of an experiment that is changed by the experimenter from one treatment to the next
Define test group
The experimental group that is exposed to the variable in an experiment
Define control group
the group that is not exposed to the variable in an experiment
What is the most powerful type of experiment?
a controlled experiment
What is a controlled experiment?
An experiment in which there is a test group, who is exposed to a single variable, and a control group, who do not undergo the variable.
Define scientific method
A deliberate, careful, and unbiased way of learning about the natural world.
Define theory
A general explanation of a natural phenomenon supported by a large body of experiments and observations
