Unit A - Studying People Scientifically Flashcards
1: Solving Problems: Save Fred 2: The Pellagra Story 3: Testing Medicines: A Clinical Trial 4: Testing Medicines Scientifcally 5: Can You Feel the Difference 6: Finding the Nerve 7: Studying People Qualitatively and Quantitatively 8: Data Toss 9: Sick Day 10: Evaluating Clinical Trials
What problems do we solve everyday?
What to wear/eat, etc.
What can you do to solve a problem?
- develop a plan
- find a pattern
- draw a picture or a diagram
- act out the problem
- make a list
- guess and test
- work backward
- write an equation
- construct a table or graph
- simplify the problem
- use objects to model the problem
Do scientists in the same field frequently use the same methods?
YES!!
How many out of the 11 prisoners experimented on developed Pellagra from being fed poorly?
7/11
What is a clinical trial?
Products such as medicines are tested by volunteers before they are made available to the public. These tests are known as clinical trials
Why is a placebo group included in the trial?
To see if the medicine actually works.
Do side effects occur from medicine?
YES!
What does FDA stand for?
Food and Drug Administration
What does the FDA do?
Approves medicine proven to be safe and effective
What must medicines do to be approved by the FDA?
Must undergo and pass many scientific tests
New medicine is usually first tested on–
Animals
What must the result of a clinical trial show for a medicine to be approved?
It is both safe and effective for the public
How are volunteers chosen for clinical trials?
Carefully; must not be allergic, cannot be taking any other medications
What do the volunteers sign?
An Informed Consent form
What does the Informed Consent form do?
That they have acknowledged the effects and possible outcomes and agree to test it
The volunteers are divided into how many groups?
Two
One group receives the ______________ while the other receives a __________w___
actual medicine; placebo
What does the placebo medicine contain?
An inactive ingredient like sugar
What does the placebo do?
Proves that the medicine is actually working
What is one explanation for why the placebo effect works?
People who continuously get clinical treatment are more likely to report feeling better, even if nothing is done because they will likely watch their diet and exercise more
Does the placebo always do its job? Provide an example.
No, some scientists argue vitamin c helps, others say it is all a placebo
Useful science experiments are often designed to test how many variables?
One
What does the nervous system include?
The brain, spinal cord, and nerves
What are nerves made out of?
Nerve cells/neurons
Nerves that sense sensory information are called:
Sensory neurons
Sense receptors are located where?
At the end of sensory neurons
Where do you have sense receptors? Why? (taste)
In the mouth and tongue to sense chemical input and allow you to taste and smell
Where do you have sense receptors? Why? (qualities)
In your hands to allow you to feel the qualities
Nerves in the spinal cord and brain are called–
Interneurons
What do interneurons do?
Analyze all the information from sensory neurons
What do motor neurons do?
Send signals to your muscles that allow you to move
What do motor neurons control?
Reflexes
What does “inter” mean?
(in) between
Is breathing, blinking, and swallowing food completely involuntary?
Yes, you don’t even think about it.
How much does your brain weigh?
About three pounds
What does your brain do?
• processes information from the world around you through your senses
• controls and coordinates all of your movements
• controls basic life processes such as body temperature, blood pressure,
heart rate and breathing
• stores sensory inputs for a long time as memories
• allows you to think, reason, dream, and experience emotions
The largest wrinkled part of the brain is called the–
Cerebrum
What are the two smaller parts of the brain?
Cerebellum and Brain Stem
What does the cerebellum do?
Controls movement, posture, and balance
What is braille?
A language for blind people that is just raised dots
What is a hypothesis?
An explanation based on observed facts or on an idea
of how things work
To make sure they don’t influence results, scientists studying ______ often do not predict the possible results of their experiments.
people
Is a hypothesis the same as a guess?
No
Scientists account for individual differences by having a large ______ ____
sample size
What are some examples of qualitative data?
Is it comfortable? What color is it? Texture?
What are some examples of quantitative data?
Weight? Height? Length?
How do you establish a range?
Data is collected from many trials and the range is made
Is herbal tea/medicine evaluated by the FDA?
NO!
Is it better to take medicine (Advil/Tylenol) or herbal tea/medicine?
It depends on the sitution
What US institute provides money for clinical trials/studies?
The NIH (National Institutes of Health)
