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Chapter 1. The Science of Biology. What is Science?. An organized way of using evidence to learn about the natural world . (a way of investigating) A body of knowledge built up over the years using this process. (information). Deals with the natural world.
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Chapter 1 The Science of Biology What is Science?
An organized way of using evidence to learn about the natural world. (a way of investigating) • A body of knowledge built up over the years using this process. (information)
Deals with the natural world. • Collects and organizes information – looking for patterns. • Proposes explanations that can be tested.
Uses data to make inferences. • Inference is a logical interpretation based on prior knowledge or experience.
Science is an ongoing process. • Scientific understanding is always changing. (technology advances) • New information revises our knowledge and advances our understanding. • The best knowledge we have at this point.
How does science work? • Goal of science is to investigate, understand, explain and make useful predictions.
Scientific Method(organized way of thinking) • Identify a Problem / ask a question • Form a Hypothesis • Perform a controlled Experiment • Record and Analyze Results • Draw a Conclusion • Publish Results / repeat
Hypothesis • Hypothesis – a prediction of what will happen, written in the If..Then form, leads to an experiment • If..state the independent variable, (what you can manipulate ) • Then…state the dependent variable, (what will happen because the independent variable) If I do all my work, then I will pass biology
Experimenting • Used to test the hypothesis • One variable is changed, all others are kept the same. • This type of experiment is a controlled experiment.
Two Types of Variables: • Manipulated Variable (Independent Variable) –What is deliberately changed in an experiment. (What “I” change or control as the experimentor) • 2. Responding Variable (Dependent Variable) - changes in response to the manipulated variable. What you Record, the Results
Record and analyze results • Quantitative Data – includes numbers, and is counted or measured. • Qualitative Data – is descriptive and cannot be counted.
Results and Conclusions • The data is used to draw a conclusion. • When results are repeated they are published in scientific journals and used to support a “theory” • Theory – well tested explanation
Redi, Needham, Spallanzani and Pasteur Biogenesis vs. Spontaneous Generation (examples of the scientific method)