Learning About Life

Question 1

biology

Answer 1

The scientific study of life.

Question 2

science

Answer 2

An approach to understanding the natural world that is based on inquiry—a search for information, evidence, explanations, and answers to specific questions.

Question 3

data

Answer 3

The evidence on which scientific inquiry is based.

Question 4

hypothesis

Answer 4

A proposed explanation for a set of observations.

Question 5

experiments

Answer 5

Scientific tests.

Question 6

scientific exploration

Answer 6

• making observations
• asking questions
• seeking information

Question 7

scientific communication

Answer 7

• sharing data
• obtaining feedback
• publishing papers
• replicating findings
• building consensus

Question 8

peer review

Answer 8

Evaluating researches by qualified, impartial, often anonymous experts who were not involved in the study, intended to provide quality control.

Question 9

scientific outcomes

Answer 9

• building knowledge
• solving problems
• developing new technologies
• benefiting society

Question 10

theory

Answer 10

A comprehensive and well-substantiated explanation. Theories only become widely accepted by scientists if they are supported by a large, varied, and growing body of evidence.

Question 11

fact

Answer 11

A piece of information considered to be objectively true based on all current evidence.

Question 12

variables

Answer 12

Factors that change in an experiment.

Question 13

controlled experiment

Answer 13

Compares two or more groups that differ only in one variable that the experiment is designed to test.

Question 14

control group

Answer 14

Lacks or does not receive the specific factor being tested.

Question 15

experimental group

Answer 15

Has or receives the specific factor being tested.

Question 16

independent variable

Answer 16

Being manipulated by the researchers as a potential cause.

Question 17

dependent variable

Answer 17

The response, output, or effect under investigation that is used to judge the outcome of the experiment.

Question 18

single-blind experiment

Answer 18

Test subjects does not know which group is which. Information is withheld to eliminate bias.

Question 19

placebo

Answer 19

A medically ineffective treatment that allows the placebo group to serve as a control group; typically they won’t know that it’s a placebo.

Question 20

double-blind experiment

Answer 20

Both test subjects and the researchers does not know which group is which. Information is withheld to eliminate bias.

Question 21

pseudosciences

Answer 21

Any field of study that is falsely presented as having a scientific basis.

Question 22

anecdotal evidence

Answer 22

An assertion based on a single or a few examples that do not support a generalized conclusion.

Question 23

genes

Answer 23

The units of hereditary information consisting specific sequences of DNA passes on from the previous generation.

Question 24

biosphere

Answer 24

Consists of all the environments on Earth that support life— including soil; oceans, lakes, and other bodies of water; and the lower atmosphere.

Question 25

evolution

Answer 25

The process of change that has transformed life on Earth from its earliest forms to the vast array of organisms living today.

Question 26

natural selection

Answer 26

In the struggle for existence, those individuals with traits best suited to the local environment are more likely to survive and leave the greatest number of healthy offspring.