GENERAL BIOLOGY KNOWLEDGE eg models etc

Question 1

what are examples of models used in biology?

Answer 1

• fluid mosaic model

- modelling evolution by picking up different coloured toothpicks in a coloured environment

Question 2

what are the benefits of using models in biology?

Answer 2

• they allow biological process to be observed much more easily. eg, the fluid mosaic model provides a visual representation of a part of a cell which can only be viewd partially by an Electron micrograph technology, which is rarely available in school circumstance
• they allow complex biological process to be more easily understood

Question 3

what are the drawbacks of models in biology?

Answer 3

• although simplifying a process may be helpful, oversimplifying can lead individuals away from the truth and can cause misconceptions
• in terms of the relative sizes of things and time factors present within these processes, models often fail to acknowledge such factors eg. evolution occurs over many generations