BiologyChapter 1

The Science of Biology

Section 1What Science is and is not.

• The goal of science is to investigate and understand nature, to explain events in nature and to use those explanations to make useful predictions.

• Science is an organized way of using evidence to learn about the natural world.

• The word Science also refers to the body of knowledge that scientists have built up after years of using this process.

Evidence Based on Observation• Science starts with observation.

• Observation involves using one or more of the senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and sometimes taste to gather information.

• The information gathered from observations is called evidence, or Data.

• Observations can be classified into two types, Quantitative and Qualitative.

Quantitative Observation• Quantitative Observations involve

numbers.• An example of quantitative observation is

“There are 4 sharks in the water!”

Qualitative Observation• Qualitative Observations involve

characteristics that cannot be easily measured or counted, such as color or texture.

• A qualitative observation could be “That Great White shark has very rough skin!”

Interpreting the Evidence• An observation alone has little meaning in

science, because the goal is to understand what was observed.

• An Inference is a logical interpretation based on prior knowledge and experience.

• Example: researchers might sample water from a reservoir, if samples collected from different parts of the reservoir are all clean enough to drink, the researchers may Infer that all the water in the reservoir is safe to drink.

Explaining the Evidence• A Hypothesis is a possible explanation for

a set of observations or an answer to a scientific question.

• In everyday settings, a hypothesis can be stated about any topic or idea.

• In science, a hypothesis is useful only if it can be tested.

• Scientific hypotheses may be developed and tested in different ways.

• Hypotheses may arise from prior knowledge, logical inferences, or imaginative guesses.

• The testing may sometimes be done by making further observations or through careful questioning.

• A hypothesis is tested through a controlled experiment.

• The tests of a hypothesis may support it, or suggest that the hypothesis is partly true but needs to be revised.

• The tests may even prove that the hypothesis is wrong.

• No matter what the outcome, a tested hypothesis has value in science because it helps researchers advance scientific knowledge.

Anole Dewlap Display• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS7mZF

wUTFg&feature=relmfu

Mid-Section Review• Define Data• Define Science• Define Inference• Define Quantitative Observation• Define Qualitative Observation• Define Hypothesis• What is the goal of science and why?• In everyday settings:• A hypothesis may arise from:• The tests of a hypothesis may:• The word science refers to:

A Scientific View of the World• Scientists are persuaded by logical

arguments that are supported by evidence.

• For scientists, science is an ongoing process, not the discovery of an unchanging, absolute truth.

• Scientific findings are always subject to revision as new evidence is developed.

• Certain qualities are desirable in a scientist: Curiosity, honesty, openmindedness, skepticism, and the recognition that science has limits.

• Despite recognizing the power of science, scientists know that science has definite limits.

• Science cannot help you answer moral questions.

• Science cannot help you decide whether a painting is beautiful or cheating on a test is wrong.

Science and Human Values• Today, scientists contribute information to

discussions about health and disease, and about the relationship between human beings and the rest of the living world.

Section Review• Numbers 1-5

Think, Pair, Share• Figures: 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, and 1-6.

Quiz• What is the goal of science?• An organized way of using evidence to learn about the natural world

___________.• Science starts with an _____________.• Information gathered from observations is known as ____________.• What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative

observations?• a logical interpretation based on prior knowledge and experience is

known as ______________.• a possible explanation for a set of observations or an answer to a

scientific question is known as a ____________________.• A theory enables scientists to:• In science, testing a hypothesis often involves:• Today, scientists contribute information to: