Observations and Inferences
This type of observation describes qualities, not quantities.
What is a qualitative observation?
You water one plant with tap water and another with salt water to see which grows taller. The type of water is this kind of variable.
What is the independent variable?
You get goosebumps when you’re cold. Which characteristic of life is this?
An organism made up of only one cell is called what?
An organism made of many cells is called what?
What is unicellular?
What is multicellular?
This is the smallest unit of life.
Give an example
What is a cell?
You describe a frog as “green, moist, and bumpy.” What type of observation did you make?
What is a qualitative observation?
You measure how many centimeters each plant grows after two weeks. The height of the plant is this variable.
What is the dependent variable?
All living things have the ability to make more of their own kind.
What is reproduction?
All living things are made up of one or more of these.
What are cells?
A group of similar cells working together to perform the same function is called what?
Give an example
What is a tissue?
Data that can be graphed or averaged typically come from this kind of observation.
What is a quantitative observation?
You make sure both plants get the same amount of sunlight, soil, and temperature. These are what kind of variables?
What are control variables?
Living things respond to changes in their environment, which are called what?
What are stimuli (or a stimulus)?
The cell is the smallest unit of what?
What is life?
Different tissues working together form this level of organization.
Give an example
What is an organ?
You see that the candle wax has melted. You infer that the candle was recently burning. Identify which is the observation.
What is “The candle wax has melted”?
A student tests how the amount of sleep affects reaction time. The number of hours of sleep is which variable?
What is the independent variable?
Bacteria multiply quickly inside your body. Which characteristic of life does this show?
What is reproduction (or growth)?
According to cell theory, all cells come from what?
What are preexisting cells?
Groups of organs that work together to perform a major function form this level.
Give an example
What is an organ system?
You notice a student rubbing their eyes and infer that they are sleepy. Which part is the inference?
What is “The student is sleepy”?
In an experiment to see how temperature affects the speed of sugar dissolving, the time it takes for the sugar to dissolve is which variable?
What is the dependent variable?
All living things have this molecule that carries genetic information.
What is DNA?
Together, the three parts of the cell theory tell us that cells are the building blocks of what?
What is living organisms (or life)?
The highest and most complex level of organization, a complete living thing.
Give an example
What is an organism?