Biology: A Molecular Approach, Laboratory

Lab 3

Today’s Plan• Business• Mosquito Trapping• Scientific Writeups• Lab Math

Business

• Attendance• Handouts

Mosquito Trapping

• Results from Last Week’s Traps• Biodiversity!• Tough to tell a skeeter from other

insects!• Take a peek at the petri dishes

sometime today when you get a chance

• Self-serve Trapping

Scientific Writeups

• Purpose• Communicate

Scientific Writeups

• A Student Handbook for Writing in Biology

Scientific Writeups

• One of my published articles

Scientific Writeups

• Parts• Abstract• Introduction• Materials and Methods• Results• Discussion/Conclusion• References

Scientific Writeups• General Tips• Use of Present Tense• When referring to published

findings• Skeeter et al., 2012, found that

heartworm is infected with bacteria….

• When making generally accepted statements• Mosquitoes are insects….

• When referring to figures or tables in the writeup you are writing• Figure 1 is a graph of the PCR

results for heartworm….

Scientific Writeups• General Tips• Use of Past Tense• Reporting your own previously

published work• You don’t have any of this yet!

• When referring to published authors work• Skeeter et al., 2012, found that

heartworm is infected with bacteria….

Scientific Writeups• General Tips• Use of Active vs Passive Voice• Active• We performed the PCR

analyses….• Passive• The PCR analyses were

performed….• Use active when you want the

emphasis on who did the action• Use passive when you want the

emphasis on the action itself

Scientific Writeups• References• Bibliography• You must provide a source for

almost all information you put into a scientific writeup

• The source is documented in two places• In the body of the writeup directly

after where you place the referenced information• In a Reference list at the end of

the paper• See p 77 – 89 of the Student

Handbook for Writing in Biology

Scientific Writeups

• Plagiarism• Intentional• Verbatim copying and claiming it

is your own writing• Stealing ideas

• Unintentional• Not recognizing the need to

reference a piece of information• Not paraphrasing and making the

writing your own

Scientific Writeups• Introduction• Background information• What is already known• Literature search

• What isn’t known• What is inconsistent• What is anomalous

• Based on background information, state your Hypothesis

• Based on your Hypothesis, list the specific research objectives

Scientific Writeups• Introduction• Draft Introduction on your Scientific

Writeup• Do this work individually• Due October 3 beginning of lab• I will grade and give you feedback• You will revise for final version

based on my feedback

Scientific Writeups• Introduction• Draft Introduction on your Scientific

Writeup• What should be in it• Scientific Writeup Rubric

Lab Math• Moving Moles

• In your group, do pages 1 – 5 today

• Individually, complete pages 6 and 7 and turn-in at the beginning of lab next week

Lab Math• Moving Moles – Metric Conversions

• In your group, do pages 1 – 2 today

• Individually, complete page 3 and turn-in at the beginning of lab next week

• General

– Files and Printouts

– This PP

– My NaKATPase paper

– Scientific Writeup Rubric

– Moving Moles

– Moving Moles – Metric Conversions

– Laptops

– Calculators

– Biology Writing Books