Intro Flashcards
What is biology?
Biology is the scientific study of life
What is science?
An approach to understanding the natural world that is based on inquiry (so search for information, evidence, answers to specific questions)
What is data?
Recorded observations
What is a hypothesis?
A proposed explanation for a set of observations
What is an experiment?
A scientific test often carried out under controlled conditions, that involves changing one factor (the variable) at the time
What is peer reviewed?
When a study is evaluated by impartial, often anonymous experts in the same field
What is a theory?
A widely accepted idea (broader than hypothesis) and is supported by large body of evidence
What is a fact?
A piece of information considered to be objectively true based on all current evidence
What are variables?
Factors that change in an experiment
What is a controlled experiment?
When a scientist carries out two parallel tests (experimental test and control test). The experimental test differs from the control test by one factor (the variable)
Does the control group receive the specific factor being tested?
No. Only the experimental group
What does the use of a controlled experiment allow the scientists to do?
Allows scientists to draw conclusions about the effect of the one variable that did change
What is an independent variable?
A factor whose value is manipulated or changed during an experiment to reveal possible effects on another factor
What is a dependent variable?
A factor whose value is manipulated or changed during an experiment to reveal possible effects on another factor
What is a single-blind experiment?
A scientific experiment in which some information is withheld from the test subject.
