BIO 1GENERAL BIOLOGY

Prof. Verna Marie Monsanto- Hearne

PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY WITH EMPHASIS ON THE MOLECULAR, CELLULAR, TISSUE-ORGAN, AND ORGANISMIC LEVEL OF ORGANIZATION OF LIFE

BIO/LOGY

LIFE SCIENCE

concept map of the course

SCIENCE

from latin “Scientia” meaning knowledge

search for what is true

study of the world around us

SCIENCE

answers the how, what, where, and why of our surroundings

organized body of knowledge

a system of acquiring knowledge using the scientific method

scientific method“organized common sense”

- Claude Villee

scientific method

a frame of mind that involves

1. curiosity

2. refusal to accept an explanation without evidence

keen observation:

**most basic skill of a scientist

**makes use of our 5 senses

know the facts which are already available

hypothesis: possible explanation

design the experiment

**assign a control set-up and an experimental set-up (or a set-up with an experimental variable)

accurate description: another required skill in a scientist : writing or telling about observations

data: careful records of observations and information

use of quantitative measurements

length, volume, weight, temperature, etc

hypothesis: possible explanation

Analysis Understand and interpret data

hypothesis: possible explanation

Analysis Understand and interpret data

conclusion:

** either one accepts or rejects the hypothesis

Share publish results

hypothesis: possible explanation

Analysis Understand and interpret data

share by means of publication, seminars, etc to make experiment relevant

Share publish results

note:

•one cannot prove or disprove a hypothesis based on just a single experiment

•result must be reproducible

Theory

•when a hypothesis is confirmed often enough and is unlikely to be disproved

THEORY: powerful, time tested concepts that make useful and dependable predictions about the natural world

Scientific knowledge

•constantly changing body of observations

•ex: flat earth, sun revolving around the earth

•not a collection of eternal truths

Analysis

Share publish results

Understand and interpret data

some bacteria grow in Nabok river, a mercury

contaminated site

there are some bacteria which are mercury

resistant

the bacteria growing in Nabok river are mercury

resistantculture bacteria

isolated from Nabok river, grow in medium containing mercury

(experimental) and grow bacteria in medium without mercury

check for bacterial growth in both media

there is bacterial growth in both media

the bacteria are mercury resistant

The Scientific Method

in Everyday Experienc

e

BIO/LOGY

LIFE SCIENCE