The Nature of Science
Define "biology".
the scientific study of the living world
Explain what it means for a hypothesis to be testable.
must be able to observe data and determine if the hypothesis is true or false
Define "biotic factors" and "abiotic factors".
- derive from living things
- do not derive from living things
Define "ecosystem".
a system formed by the interaction of a community of living organisms with their nonliving physical environment
True or False: photosynthesis and cellular respiration are the same process
false
Describe the 3 main things involved in the scientific process.
observation, experimentation, and peer review
Define "observation" and explain how we collect it.
- a collection or noticing of information about something
- use our 5 senses (touch, taste, smell, hear, see)
true
Give an example of how the Global Positioning System (GPS) can be used to study the environment.
- track animals
- pinpoint natural disasters
- study climate change
Name the 4 components that photosynthesis and cellular respiration have in common.
O2, CO2, H2O, sugar
Name the 2 types of questions that cannot be answered by science.
philosophical and ethical
Explain the difference between the experimental group and the control group.
experimental group experiences changed variable, control group stays the same
Name the two fields of science involved in physical science.
physics and chemistry
Give 3 examples of why invasive species are harmful to their environment.
- reproduce quickly
- few natural predators
- outcompete native species
Explain the difference between qualitative and quantitative data.
qualitative is data that cannot be recorded by numbers, quantitative is numbers
Explain why scientists are continuously adding to scientific knowledge.
everyone has different ideas and beliefs from their own cultures and backgrounds, which leads to different questions and different experiments
Define "peer review" and explain why it's important.
- the process of criticizing a scientific study, especially by the scientific community
- make sure that results are unbias and reliable
Name the 3 fields of science that help us learn about how humans affect Earth.
anthropology, sociology, and geography
Name the process that amplifies DNA.
Sunlight provides the _______ needed to break the bonds in water during photosynthesis.
energy
Describe the job of a scientist.
careful study and accurately report results, not tell people what they should do with the information
List the 5 steps of the scientific method.
- state question or problem
- form a hypothesis
- conduct experiment
- collect data
- analyze data and form conclusion
Name the 5 fields of study related to Earth science.
Explain the need for a negative control and a positive control in gel electrophoresis.
negative shows no DNA, positive shows target DNA
Create an "if-then" hypothesis about how blue light affects plant growth.
if a plant is exposed to blue light, then it will grow faster.