Unit 1

Methods of Biological Science

The Goals of Science

1. Deals only with the natural world

2. Collect and Organize Information

3. Propose explanations that can be tested

Summarizing.............. SCIENCE is a body of knowledge that explains the natural world.

Steps of the Scientific Method

Assumption vs. Inference

 Assumption: Beliefs or ideas that we hold to be true, something we take for granted or presuppose. Statements that are accepted or believed to be true without evidence

Inference - a logical interpretation based on prior knowledge or experience (Ex. You see a window broken and a baseball on the floor next to the shattered glass. You can -infer- that a baseball broke your window)

Ex. 1
Inferences about the eating habits of each animal

C
How did you determine what these animals eat? What inferences did you make? Did you make any assumptions?

Skull A

The teeth are not the only evidence that could be used to support inferences about the feeding habits of the animals. What other features might provide important clues?

Exercises 2 and 3: Using observations to generate a causal explanation, and designing experiments to test a hypothesis
Hypothesis Dependent Variable Replication

Experiment

Prediction

Independent Variable

Definitions
HYPOTHESIS Once there is a specific critical question, then a hypothesis must be developed. Hypotheses are tentative answers to the scientific questions. For every critical question there are a vast number of hypotheses (tentative answers). PREDICTION To be useful, a scientific hypothesis must be testable in some way. This means that scientific hypotheses must lead to specific predictions that can be tested by further observations or experiments. Each prediction begins by restating the hypothesis and then stating a specific event that will occur if the hypothesis is valid.

What was your causal explanations/ hypothesis for what happened in the jar?

Describe an What prediction can experiment that you make based on What prediction would test the your hypothesis?can you make based on your hypothesis? hypotheses you a) 2 liquids in the jar react together proposed.
b) the liquid reacts with the air in the jar c) the liquid reacts with the underside of the lid Liquid= glucose + potassium hydroxide + blue dye

Hypotheses and Predictions

Observation When I shake the jar the liquid turns blue.

Hypothesis Statement of why something happens. When I shake the jar the liquid turns blue because it becomes oxygenated.

Prediction Statement of what will happen if the hypothesis is correct. If I remove all the oxygen from the jar and shake the liquid, it will not turn blue.

Designing an Experiment
Experiment- test of a hypothesis Control group- removes the independent variable (manipulation), or keeps it as in nature; compare other groups to this one Treatment group(s)- alterations/variations of the independent variable Replication- builds evidence, provides greater support for/against claim, minimizes error

OBSERVATION Some possible observations include: The The The The shrimp is associated with the algae. shrimp seems to be eating the algae. algae are green. shrimp is green.

The shrimp and the algae are similar in color.

CRITICAL QUESTIONS Some possible questions include: Why are the algae green? Why is the shrimp green? Is the shrimp eating the algae? Is the shrimp color related to the algae color?

HYPOTHESIS Some possible hypotheses include: The color of the shrimp is not related to the color of the algae. The color of the algae is derived from the color of the shrimp. Shrimp color is derived from the color of the algae.

PREDICTION Some possible predictions based on the selected hypothesis include: If shrimp color is derived from the color of the algae, then: ... shrimp will change color when their diet changes. ... shrimp will change color when placed in a tank with algae of a different color.

EXPERIMENT A method to verify the accuracy of the predictions made from a hypothesis -One hundred adult shrimp are divided at random into two equally sized groups and maintained under identical conditions except for their food. -The control group is fed the same green algae that led to the original observation. -The experimental group is fed algae of a different color. -The shrimp in the two groups are observed periodically for several months, and detailed records of shrimp color are maintained for both groups. The Independent variable is what you, the experimenter, changes or enacts in order to do your experiment. The dependent variable is what changes when the independent variable changes

RESULTS (DATA) Once the experiment is done and data are collected, there will be results to analyze. Result A: Control shrimp are green and experimental shrimp are brown. Result B: Control shrimp are green and experimental shrimp are also green.

Question
Annie was studying the effect of temperature on how quickly fish are able to reproduce (time to reproduction). She placed 25 juvenile catfish in each of 3 tanks. One tank contained water at a normal temperature (23C), the second tank contained water at 30C, and the third tank contained water at 35C. What is the dependent variable in this experiment? time to reproduction What is the independent variable in this experiment? temperature What is the control group in this experiment? tank with normal temperature

Collecting Data
A scientist carefully collects and organizes data from the experiment Data should always be presented in a neat fashion, usually tables or graphs
Data Table Example Data can be powerfully displayed as a graph

Calculating and Analyzing Data

The mean that you calculated for 15 shells, was it closed to the grand mean? Grand mean: 89.8 based on 10,000 shells

Exercise 4: Calculation of the mean

Why do you suppose there is so much variation in these estimates of the mean? Generalization Sampling Error: Inaccuracy due to inadequate sample size Use larger sample. Sampling must be random Experimental Error: Inaccuracy due to procedural faults

Test question
Noah measures 5 microliters of plasma for his radioimmunoassay instead of 5 milliliters. What specific type of error did Noah commit? Experimental error

Graphic summaries of data

Histogram show frequency of a continuous variable within a given range. You can decide how big each range is.

Graphic summaries of data

Bar graphs compare one (or more) variables across different groups of similar things

Histogram vs. Bar Graph

Similarity: Both may measure number of something-- or frequency. Difference: X-axis is continuous in a histogram, and categorical/discrete in a bar graph.

Graphic summaries of data

Line graphs show the functional relationship between two variables

Line graphs X axis = independent variable Y axis = dependent variable Best fit line is drawn through the points to show the nature of the relationship

Best fit line does NOT have to be straight, and does not always connect points.
Y-axis: dependent variable

What you measure

X-axis: independent variable

What you manipulate

Best-fit line

Interpreting graphs
Interpolation - estimation of an unmeasured quantity based on the trend shown by data points on either side of the unmeasured quantity (inside the data range). Extrapolation - estimation of unmeasured quantities based on extending the graph line beyond the measured data (outside the data range).

Graphic summaries of data

Type of Graph
Histogram, since data are clearly presented as frequency counts Bar graph, since the independent variable is a set of categories

Line graph, even though there are categories of organisms, the independent variable (generation time) is continuous

Graph Rules
Title descriptive, use both variables if possible Axis independent vs. dependent Labels Units for what you measured Form Use @ least 50-75% of your graph paper (use continuity breaks if needed); start trend line at first point and end it at last point; best fit line, CAN CURVE Do not connect the dots!

Sampling error

EXTRAPOLATION

35

Objectives:
1. Distinguish between inferences and assumptions 2. Formulate hypotheses and describe the relationship between hypotheses and predictions 3. Recognize the dependent and independent variables in an experiment and describe the role of a control group 4. Distinguish between experimental error and sampling error 5. Construct histograms and bar graphs 6. Construct graphs of data showing functional relationships between two variables 7. Distinguish between interpolation and extrapolation

Skull A

What sort of action do you think the front teeth can accomplish clipping, grinding, or tearing? What do you think the teeth in back of the jaw are used for? What type of food do you think this animal eats and why?

Skull B

What sort of action do you believe the front teeth can accomplish clipping, grinding, or tearing? What about the other teeth near the back of the jaw? What do you think these are used for? What type of food do you think this animal eats? Why?

Skull C
What sort of action do you believe the front teeth can accomplish clipping, grinding, or tearing?

What are the other teeth used for?

What type of food do you think this animal eats? Why?