Observing and Asking Questions An observation is the act of noticing and describing events in a careful, orderly way. What observations can be made about the grasses shown below? Your observations should lead you to ask a question: Why did the grass in location B grow taller? Forming a Hypothesis You may have heard that a hypothesis is an educated guess. But it is NOT just a guess. Hypothesis are predictions based on what you already knowthats the educated part! A hypothesis is a scientific explanation for a set of observations that can be tested. Based on your question, what are some possible hypothesis for why the grass in location B is growing taller? Forming a Hypothesis There are many possible hypothesis for this situation: amount of sun, amount of water, amount of nutrients/nitrogen. As long as you hypothesis is testable it is a good one! Lets go with If the grass in location B received more nitrogen, then it will grow taller. Introduction to Biology Biology is: the study of life! All living things are made of cells. All living thigs have a genetic code. Characteristics of Living Things For something to be considered living it must have ALL of the following characteristics: We will cover each individually. Order All living things have very organized internal & external parts Adaptation All living things have evolved to have adaptations that help them survive Response All living things respond to a stimulus Regulation All living things maintain constant internal conditions this is called homeostasis. Reproduction All living things pass genes to their offspring Growth & Develop All living things grow and develop Energy Processing All living things obtain energy from the environment to do work. Example: Looking bacteria cells to determine what kind of disease they may cause. Determining what traits a baby get from his/her parents. Deciding how to name new organisms when they are discovered. Example: Study migration patterns of birds. Example: Study what kind of plants have the most nutrition.