1+Nature+of+Science

media type="custom" key="1181917" =__**Chapter 1**__=


 * //What is Science?//** **Science** - is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding of how the physical world works.


 * //How is observation different from imagination?//** **Observation** is a conclusion derived from the results of study or the five senses, and experiments, whereas **Imagination** is an estimation, or a mental image, usually concluded before any actual work is done; what you believe will happen.


 * //Describe the steps of the scientific method.//** Steps - **1)** Start with a Question **2)** Do background research on the topic **3)** Construct your hypothesis **4)** Method //a:// Materials //b:// Procedure **5)** Data (usually in graph or chart form) **6)** Data analysis (writing describing why your results took place). **7)** Conclusion (i.e. was my hypothesis correct or inaccurate) **8**) Error analysis (any errors that could have been present in your experiment).


 * //What is the role of hypotheses, theories, and predictions in the scientific method?//**
 * Hypothesis -** "consists either of a suggested explanation for a phenomenon (an event that is observable),or of a reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between multiple phenomena."
 * Theories -** "a theory is a testable model of the manner of interaction of a set of natural phenomena, capable of predicting future occurrences or observations of the same kind, and capable of being tested through experiment."-or more simply- the best explanation of the evidence to date
 * Predictions -** "is a statement or claim that a particular event (thing) will occur in the future"

//**What is the difference between an observation and an experiment?**// An **experiment** is a "hands-on" testing of a hypothesis or question, while an **observation** usually occurs by accident, and is mainly just trying to learn by viewing (guess-work).

//**What is the difference between independent and dependent variables, and between constants and controls?**// Dependent variables and independent variables refer to values that change in relationship to each other. The **dependent** variables are those that are observed to change in response to the **independent** variables. The **independent** variables are those that are deliberately manipulated to invoke a change in the dependent variables. In short, "if //x// is given, then //y// occurs", where //x// represents the independent variables and //y// represents the dependent variables.
 * Constant**- A **constant** is something that does not change, over time or otherwise: a fixed value. In most fields of discourse the term is an antonym of "variable."
 * Control -** The control is the standard of comparison, it is one level of the IV that is considered the 'normal' situation. Often the best control is the absence of something. For example, if we are testing the effects of light wavelength on plant mass, we might have as the IV different wavelengths (color) of light blue, red, green, and full spectrum white. The best control would probably be full spectrum white light. (~jb)

//**Why might the term "scientific cycle" be more appropriate than scientific method?**//Because a scientist can really start at different "spots" in the method and doesn't necessarily have to follow the exact method "track" that we think of normally. Also, the result could lead to another question, thus starting all over again.

//**What is the difference between a law and a theory?**// __**Scientific Law-**__ is a statement that describes the behavior of some particular thing or set of things within the natural world, with an adequately thorough history of successful scientific replication to be taken by the scientific community as dependable enough to be referred to as a "law". __**A Scientific Theory-**__ Is a logically self-consistent model or framework for describing the behavior of a related set of natural or social phenomena. It originates from or is supported by rigorous observations in the natural world, or by experimental evidence.


 * //Why is there no absolute truth in a scientific theory?//** A theory is the best explanation of the evidence to date...if the evidence changes the theory may have to be modified.


 * //What criteria might you use to decide if a question might be answered by the scientific method?//** Observation or experimentation??? As long as it is not based on faith or opinion.


 * //How is Science organized? How is the study of Biology organized?//** Science is organized into Fields and sub-fields......biology is organized by hierarchy.

//**What is the relationship between structure and function?**// The relation between structure and function is direct relationship, if the structure is altered, than the function will be altered in some way (whether large or not)


 * //How is life on Earth organized by Biologists?//** In six kingdoms......[|Animalia], [|Plantae], [|Fungi], [|Protista], [|Archaea], and [|Eubacteria]


 * //What does it mean that at each higher level of organization, new properties emerge?//** In an Ecosystem or habitat, as you increase the scale of life, new factors have to be included at each level....i.e. predation, environment...etc....

//**What are the common characteristics of all life on Earth?**// Cells, Organization, Reproduction, Energy Use, Homeostasis and Growth....


 * //What is the theory of natural selection?//** "is the process by which favorable [|heritable] [|traits] become more common in successive [|generations] of a [|population] of [|reproducing] [|organisms], and unfavorable heritable traits become less common, due to differential reproduction of [|genotypes]."

//**What is meant by the following statement by Dobzhansky? "Nothing in Biology makes sense except in light of evolution."**//

Scientists studying medicinal plants in the rain forest of Costa Rica interview a local shaman and are told that an extract from a particular species of bromeliad is able to cure bacterial infections. The scientists decide to carry out a controlled experiment to test this claim. They prepare the extract according to the shaman’s directions and swab it onto a culture dish on which E.coli bacteria is being grown. A second culture dish of genetically identical E.coli bacteria is swabbed with a sterile applicator containing no bromeliad extract. The dishes are covered and placed in the same incubator at 37°C and 50% humidity for 48hrs. After the incubation period, the two culture dishes are removed from the incubator and examined for evidence that the extract has inhibited the growth of the bacteria. The scientists discover no difference between the E.coli bacterial cultures.
 * Practice Problem:**
 * 1) //**What is the independent variable in this experiment?**// The bromeliad extract
 * 2) **//What is the dependent variable in this experiment? growth of bacteria//**
 * 3) **//State a possible hypothesis using the format given in class (If / then). If the bromeliad extract is used on the e. coli bacteria, then the growth of bacteria will stop(?)//**
 * 4) **//What is the control in this experiment?//** sterile applicator with NO bromeliad extract (~jb)
 * 5) **//List 3 constants in the experiment.//** **//temp, humidity, time//**
 * 6) **//Is your hypothesis supported or refuted? refuted.//**