Section 1 Intro To Biology: Intro To Science, Biology And Themes In Biology Flashcards
What is biology
Biology is a science, knowledge, inquiry and reasoning
What are the two types of reasoning
Inductive and deductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning
Logic based on several observations
High chance that the reasoning might be the right one (have to prove that the reasoning is right or wrong)
Deductive reasoning
Logic based on making hypothesis and test for prediction
What is science
It is a process to learn, an approach to understand the world - sees evidence based process
Steps of scientific appraoch
Observation
question
hypothesize
predict
test
Scientific approach involves
Observations, hypothesis, predictions, test of hypothesis via experiments or additional observations and
analysis of data - lots of data needs to be collected; this use data helps us make our hypothesis - to make sure the data is analyzed correctly so that our results are reliable
How can a hypothesis be tested?
Using controlled experiments
What are in controlled experiments
Variables = factors that vary in an experiment
(Dependant and independant)
Dependant variables
Involved in controlled experiments
This factor is manipulated by researcher
Independant variable
A part of controlled experiments
Measurement of the outcome of the experiment
What are the steps of the scientific method
Observation
Question “ask!”
Hypothesize (cannot be proven true but can be proven false)
Predict (what you can do to test the hypothesis
Test (prediction and experiment)
Observational data example
The red panda origin
Red pandas are grouped with giant pandas due to their genetic information (through testing DNA)
Red pandas may have been grouped with raccoons for a short period of time (DNA evidence not related) based off of observational data b/c red pandas looks similar to the raccoons
Hypothesis can be tested using…?
Observational data and also controlled experiments
What is scientific theory
An in-depth explanation of how a phenomenon works based on testing different hypothesis and based on that different hypothesis can be developed and tested
- (multiple hypothesis about one thing, different scientists testing one thing, can be used for next hypothesis or next testing)
Biological theories
Has to be conditional and evolve as life evolves as new evidence comes up to support another hypothesis, then the theory will chance (because life evolves)
Law
Description of a phenomenon, often without any explanation (as to why something happens)
Life
The imperfect replicating system that evolves by natural selection
Key aspects of life?
Order
Reproduction
Growth and development
Response to the enviornment
Regulation
Evolutionary adaptation
Order
A key aspect of life
Have a certain development; structural
Number it followed
- in humans there’s a specific order for skeletal structure
- in animals it depends on types