Human Biology

Question 1

What is human biological science?

Answer 1

The scientific study of humans and their interaction with the environment.

Question 2

What is an observation?

Answer 2

The use of the senses, sometimes with instruments that enhance the senses, to gather information.

Question 3

What is a classifcation?

Answer 3

The grouping of organisms based on the similarity of their characteristics; the placement of organisms into groups.

Question 4

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 4

A possible explanation to account for observations; plural hypotheses.

Question 5

What is a variable?

Answer 5

Any factor that may change during an experiment.

Question 6

What is a control?

Answer 6

A procedure carried out to give a comparison in an experiment.

Question 7

What are controlled variables?

Answer 7

Variables that are controlled in an experiment.

Question 8

What is objectivity?

Answer 8

Not allowing your thoughts or feelings to influence how you record or interpret observations.

Question 9

What is validity?

Answer 9

The extent to which an experiment tests what it is supposed to test.

Question 10

What are uncontrolled variables?

Answer 10

Factors in an experiment that are not kept the same between the control and the set-up.

Question 11

What is reliability?

Answer 11

The extent to which an experiment gives the same result each time it is performed.

Question 12

What is repetition?

Answer 12

Performing the same experiment many times.

Question 13

What is verification?

Answer 13

Repeating and checking an investigation to ensure there are no errors or bias.

Question 14

What is data?

Answer 14

Observations and measurements; the result of an experiment.

Question 15

What is a table?

Answer 15

An organised and concise means of presenting data.

Question 16

What is a graph?

Answer 16

A visual way of representing data so it is easy to see trends and make predictions.

Question 17

What is an average?

Answer 17

The total measurements in a group divided by the total number of measurements.

Question 18

What is an arithmetic mean?

Answer 18

An alternative name for ‘mean’.

Question 19

What are outliers?

Answer 19

Measurements well beyond the range of the rest of the measurements in a set.

Question 20

What is a ratio?

Answer 20

A numerical statement of how one variable relates to another.

Question 21

What is a rate?

Answer 21

A ratio that shows how long it takes to do something.

Question 22

What is a per cent?

Answer 22

Per hundred.

Question 23

What is frequency?

Answer 23

The number of times an event occurs.

Question 24

What is frequency distribution?

Answer 24

A table summarising data by showing how often a variable occurs; also known as a frequency table.

Question 25

What is the scientific method?

Answer 25

The systematic collection and classification of data, and the making and testing of hypothesis based on the data.

Question 26

What is a theory?

Answer 26

a hypothesis becomes a theory when there is overhwhelming evidence to support it.

Question 27

What is experimental human error?

Answer 27

Errors that may occur in the execution of a statistical experiment design.

Question 28

What are random errors?

Answer 28

An error in an experiment due to limits to the precision of the measurements.

Question 29

What are systematic errors?

Answer 29

An error that occurs in an experiment because of the way the experiment was designed.

Question 30

What are ethics?

Answer 30

Moral principles or values.

Question 31

What is ethical behaviour?

Answer 31

Ethical behaviour that conforms to a set of moral principles or values.

Question 32

What is placebo?

Answer 32

An inactive substance that looks like real medication, used in medical experiments.

Question 33

What is the placebo effect?

Answer 33

A change or improvement in patients who are given a placebo or ‘dummy treatment’.

Question 34

What is a scientific model?

Answer 34

A simplified representation of a complex idea or process.