Why Study BiologyWhy Study Biology• Knowledge of biology is pertinent (discuss)Knowledge of biology is pertinent (discuss)• Medicine/healthcareMedicine/healthcare• Biotechnology Biotechnology

– Curing diseaseCuring disease– New foods/medicinesNew foods/medicines– Genetic engineeringGenetic engineering

• Over-population Over-population • Loss of biodiversity Loss of biodiversity • Career opportunitiesCareer opportunities

Why Study BiologyWhy Study Biology

• Biology is controversial (How?)Biology is controversial (How?)

• Birth controlBirth control

• Genetic engineeringGenetic engineering

• Habitat loss/loss of biodiversityHabitat loss/loss of biodiversity

• Global warmingGlobal warming

Biology Biology

• Multidisciplinary – all sciences Multidisciplinary – all sciences contribute/are usedcontribute/are used

• Life difficult to defineLife difficult to define– Living things can do certain thingsLiving things can do certain things– What?What?

Some Properties of LifeSome Properties of Life

• Use energy/metabolize/assimilateUse energy/metabolize/assimilate• Maintain homeostasisMaintain homeostasis• Reproduce Reproduce • Grow/developGrow/develop• Organize(d)Organize(d)• Respond to stimuliRespond to stimuli• Interact with environment Interact with environment • Adapt/evolveAdapt/evolve

Hierarchy of OrganizationHierarchy of Organization

• AtomsAtoms• MoleculesMolecules• OrganellesOrganelles• CellsCells – basic unit of life – basic unit of life• Tissues Tissues • OrgansOrgans• Organ systemsOrgan systems• OrganismsOrganisms

Hierarchy of OrganizationHierarchy of Organization

• OrganismsOrganisms

• PopulationsPopulations

• CommunitiesCommunities

• EcosystemsEcosystems

• BiomesBiomes• BiosphereBiosphere

Biology as ScienceBiology as Science

Science is both a process and a Science is both a process and a body of knowledgebody of knowledge

Biology as ScienceBiology as Science

• Science attempts to predict future eventsScience attempts to predict future events

• Science requires testing/peer reviewScience requires testing/peer review

• Biology is less absolute/predictable than Biology is less absolute/predictable than other sciences (chemistry, physics)other sciences (chemistry, physics)– Ex. Kick a dogEx. Kick a dog– Jurassic ParkJurassic Park

• Biologists ask ‘What, why, how?’Biologists ask ‘What, why, how?’

Biology as ScienceBiology as Science

• Body of knowledge arrived at by ‘scientific Body of knowledge arrived at by ‘scientific method’method’– ObservationObservation– Question Question – HypothesisHypothesis– ExperimentExperiment– Analysis Analysis – Review by peersReview by peers

Biologists Use Inquiry Biologists Use Inquiry

• InquiryInquiry - search for information and - search for information and explanationexplanation

• Two main processes of scientific inquiryTwo main processes of scientific inquiry– Descriptive scienceDescriptive science– Hypothesis-based scienceHypothesis-based science

Descriptive ScienceDescriptive Science

• Descriptive science - describes natural Descriptive science - describes natural structures and processes by careful structures and processes by careful observationobservation and and analysisanalysis of data of data

– Data can be quantitative (numbers) or Data can be quantitative (numbers) or qualitative (other than numbers), often qualitative (other than numbers), often bothboth

Descriptive? (quantitative, qualitative)

Hypothetical?

Science Reasoning Science Reasoning

• Inductive reasoningInductive reasoning – generalization based – generalization based on a on a largelarge number of observations number of observations– From the specific to the generalFrom the specific to the general

• Deductive reasoningDeductive reasoning – apply a – apply a generalization to a specific phenomenageneralization to a specific phenomena– From the general to the specificFrom the general to the specific– Prediction Prediction

Scientific ProcessScientific Process

• Observation – deformities in frogs in Observation – deformities in frogs in certain ponds/lakescertain ponds/lakes

• Question – cause?Question – cause?

• HypothesesHypotheses: possible solution; predictable : possible solution; predictable outcome, “if…then…”; testable, outcome, “if…then…”; testable, repeatable, falsifiablerepeatable, falsifiable– Chemical pollutionChemical pollution– UV radiation/global warmingUV radiation/global warming– Parasites (research)Parasites (research)

Scientific ProcessScientific Process

• ExperimentExperiment – test of hypothesis – test of hypothesis– Most critical componentMost critical component– Must be controlledMust be controlled– Only one variable (effect being tested)Only one variable (effect being tested)– Two groups: experimental and controlTwo groups: experimental and control– Must be repeatable (at least 5x)Must be repeatable (at least 5x)– Difficult to do in the wildDifficult to do in the wild

• Hard to control conditions• Organisms’ behavior changes

The Myth of the Scientific MethodThe Myth of the Scientific Method

• The The scientific methodscientific method is idealized is idealized – Very few scientific inquiries follow all the Very few scientific inquiries follow all the

‘steps’ of the “scientific method”‘steps’ of the “scientific method”

• Science doesn’t address supernatural Science doesn’t address supernatural phenomena because hypotheses must phenomena because hypotheses must be testable and falsifiable and be testable and falsifiable and experimental results must be repeatableexperimental results must be repeatable

The Culture of ScienceThe Culture of Science

• Science is social Science is social – Cooperation Cooperation – CompetitionCompetition

ACOS #1ACOS #1• Select appropriate laboratory glassware, Select appropriate laboratory glassware,

balances, time-measuring equipment, balances, time-measuring equipment, and optical instruments to conduct an and optical instruments to conduct an experiment.experiment.– Graduated cylinder, beaker, flask, test tube, Graduated cylinder, beaker, flask, test tube,

microscope slide, pipette, and Petri dishmicroscope slide, pipette, and Petri dish– Balance, stopwatchBalance, stopwatch– Compound microscope, electron Compound microscope, electron

microscope, magnifying glassmicroscope, magnifying glass

Petri Dish

Pipette

Optical EquipmentOptical Equipment

1. What are these?

2. What are they used for?

3. What are these?

4. What are they used for?

5. What are these?

6. What are they used for?

A. A. B.B.

7. Which glassware above is a flask?

8. What is the other glassware called?

9. What is this thing?

10. What is it used for?

11. What is this?

12. What is it used for?

13.13. What device would you use to measure What device would you use to measure 15 ml of water? 15 ml of water?

14.14. What would you use to mix liquids What would you use to mix liquids together?together?

15.15. What would you use to measure the mass What would you use to measure the mass of a substance?of a substance?

16.16. What device would you use to observe What device would you use to observe cells?cells?

17.17. What would you use to grow fungi in?What would you use to grow fungi in?

18. What device would you use to transfer 18. What device would you use to transfer small amounts of liquids? small amounts of liquids?