Observations & Inferences
What is a quantitative observation?
A quantitative observation is a measurement that involves numbers, such as height, weight, temperature, or quantity.
What are the characteristics of living things? (7)
Organization, growth and development, energy use, response to stimuli, reproduction, and adaptation.
What is an adaptation?
A trait that enhances an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.
List the steps of the scientific method.
Observation, Question, Hypothesis, Experiment, Analysis, Conclusion.
What is spontaneous generation?
The belief that living organisms can arise from non-living matter.
Why is it important to distinguish between observations and inferences in scientific research?
Distinguishing between observations and inferences helps ensure that conclusions are based on empirical evidence rather than assumptions, leading to more accurate and reliable scientific findings.
Describe the levels of organization in biology.
Cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, biosphere.
Give an example of a short-term adaptation in plants.
Closing of stomata in response to drought.
What is a hypothesis?
A testable prediction based on observations.
Who conducted the famous experiment that disproved spontaneous generation?
Francesco Redi.
Provide an example of a qualitative observation about a plant.
The plant has bright green leaves and grows upright.
Explain the concept of energy flow in ecosystems. (Where does energy start and end?)
Energy flows from producers (like plants) to consumers (herbivores, carnivores) and eventually to decomposers, creating a food web.
How do long-term adaptations benefit a species?
They enhance survival and reproductive success in specific environments, leading to evolutionary changes over generations.
What is the difference between a dependent and an independent variable?
The independent variable is manipulated by the researcher, while the dependent variable is measured and observed for changes.
Describe the concept of biogenesis.
The idea that living organisms arise only from other living organisms.
In a scientific study, what role do qualitative observations play?
Qualitative observations provide context and depth to quantitative data, helping to describe behaviors, appearances, and conditions that numbers alone cannot convey.
What role do producers play in an ecosystem?
Producers convert solar energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food chain.
Describe how an organism’s environment influences its adaptations.
Organisms develop traits that help them survive in specific environmental conditions (e.g., camouflage in prey animals).
Why is it important to have a control group in an experiment?
The control group provides a baseline for comparison, ensuring that the results are due to the independent variable.
Give an example of an observation that supports biogenesis.
Observing that maggots only appear on decaying meat when flies are present.
Why is it essential for scientists to communicate both observations and inferences?
Communicating both allows for a clearer understanding of the findings, helps others evaluate the reasoning behind conclusions, and encourages collaborative discussion and critical thinking in the scientific community.
How do organisms respond to stimuli in their environment?
Organisms exhibit behaviors or physiological changes in response to environmental stimuli, such as moving towards light or away from danger.
Discuss the role of genetic variation in adaptation.
Genetic variation provides the raw material for natural selection, allowing populations to adapt to changing environments.
Provide an example of a scientific inquiry that used the scientific method.
Pasteur’s experiment to disprove spontaneous generation using boiled broth in flasks.
How did the views on spontaneous generation change over time?
Through experiments (like Redi’s and Pasteur’s), evidence accumulated that living things originate from other living things, leading to the acceptance of biogenesis.