A process of discovery; a way of knowing.

It is also a body of knowledge. It is a collection of unified insights about nature supported by facts. (Theory)

continuing effort to discover and increase human knowledge and understanding through disciplined research

THE WHOLE PROCESS There are different terms used to describe scientific ideas based

on the amount of confirmed experimental evidence.

Hypothesis- a statement that uses a few observations- an idea based on observations without experimental evidenceTheory- uses many observations and has loads of experimental evidence- can be applied to unrelated facts and new relationships- flexible enough to be modified if new data/evidence introducedLaw- stands the test of time, often without change- experimentally confirmed over and over- can create true predictions for different situations- has uniformity and is universal

Biology is the study of living things

Living things are diverse

There are enough similarities among some living things that they can be grouped into the same kingdom

Members of different kingdoms are usually very different from each other

Archaebacteria: Methanogenic bacterium. Eubacteria: Soil bacteria. Protista: Unicellular eukaryotes(cells with a

nucleus) and algae. Fungi: Nonphotosynthetic multicellular

organisms that digest their food externally. Plantae: Photosynthetic multicellular

terrestrial organisms. Animalia: Nonphotosynthetic multicellular

organisms that digest internally.

What qualifies something as “living” versus “non-living?”

Consider these points ◦ complexity◦ movement◦ response to stimulation

A life-defining property must be exclusive to living things

1. Cellular organization◦ all living things are comprised of at least one

cell

2. Metabolism◦ all living things process energy which is used to

power other processes

3. Homeostasis◦ all living things maintain stable internal

environments to optimize conditions for metabolism and other processes

4. Growth and reproduction◦ all organisms have the capacity for growth and

reproduction

5. Heredity◦ all organisms pass genetic information across

generations from parents to offspring

Living things function and interact with each other on many levels

The organization of life is a hierarchy of levels of increasing complexity◦ cellular◦ organismal◦ populational

Acceptance: Belief in something; taking something to be true based on someone else’s authority; second-hand information.

Analysis: Breaking down a concept into component parts to study it; first-hand knowledge.

Subjective: Existing only within the experiencer’s mind; unable to be checked by an outside observer; feeling or an opinion.

Objective: Able to be observed, measured, or checked by an outside observer.

X: There is a surfing competition in Virginia Beach each summer.

Y: Blue whales can reach 300 feet in length. Z: Carlos Santana is one of the world’s

finest guitar players.

Where on the graph is the realm of ideas that science can work with? Why?

The major points about scientific knowledge are:

Tentative: Scientific knowledge is never absolutely certain; New data may cause a change.

Objective: Science seeks to explain the physical universe. Objectivity is never complete because the research is done by humans.

Testable: Hypotheses suggest predictions that can be tested.

Deductive reasoning utilizes logic rather than observations. Goes from a general statement to specific statements.

Inductive reasoning utilizes the discovery of general principles by observing or examining specific cases or examples.

The scientific process has six stages

• 1. Observation science begins with careful observation of natural

phenomena

• 2. Hypothesis scientists make an educated guess that might be

true often scientists formulate multiple ideas about a

phenomenon; these are called alternative hypotheses

3. Predictions◦ if a hypothesis is correct, then specific

consequences can be expected

4. Testing◦ scientists conduct experiments to attempt to

verify predictions made by hypotheses

5. Controls◦ experiments usually employ a parallel design

scientists use a control to assess the influence of potential factors, called variables

conditions stay the same in the control in comparison to the variable condition

6. Conclusion◦ a hypothesis that has been tested and not

rejected is tentatively accepted

When does a hypothesis become theory? Is there a Scientific Supreme Court to rule?

Results of an experiment must be reproducible Any hypothesis must be falsifiable Every assertion regarding the natural world is

subject to challenge and revision

“ A scientist does not follow a fixed method to form hypotheses, but also relies on judgment and intuition.”

A scientific theory is one that has withstood repeated observation and experimentation and hold true.

People use the term theory differently in common speech:

Scientist: Has certainty Public: Lack of knowledge..”it’s only a theory”

The scientific method is not always employed to reach a great discovery…some discoveries are accidental or based on intuition.

Science cannot explain every facet of life nor can it solve all problems.

Cellular organization: one or more cells Metabolism: utilizes energy Homeostasis: maintains stable internal

conditions Reproduction Heredity: DNA transfer of traits

Living organisms function and interact with each other a many levels.

A key factor in organizing these interactions is the degree of complexity.

Examine Fig.1.5, p.6-7.

There are five general themes that unify and explain biology:

Evolution: Change in species over time. Darwin: Natural selection Artificial selection The biodiversity seen today is the result of a long history

of natural selection. Flow of energy through the food chain is key in

shaping ecosystems(How many/what kind of organisms in an ecosystem)

There are five general themes that unify and explain biology:

Cooperation between different organisms has led to co-evolution and is responsible for the biodiversity we see today.

Biological structures are closely related to their functions.

Maintaining homeostasis has contributed to the specialization of complex organisms.

1. The Cell Theory

2. The Gene Theory

3. The Theory of Heredity

4. The Theory of Evolution

all organisms are composed of at least one cell

the cell is the most basic unit of life

all cells come from pre-existing cells

genetic information is encoded in molecules of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

genes can encode specific proteins or RNA, or they can act to regulate other genes

the proteins and RNA encoded by an organism’s genes determine what it will be like in terms of form and function

genes are passed down in generations as discrete units

◦ Mendel’s theory of heredity gave rise to the field of genetics

◦ the chromosomal theory of inheritance located Mendelian genes on chromosomes

Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution explains the unity and diversity of life as “descent with modification”

Advances in genetics have helped scientists understand precisely how changes in genes can result in adaptation and evolution.

Scientists group organisms, based on similarities, into six kingdoms

Each of the six kingdoms can be assigned, on the basis of cell structure, into one of three larger groups called domains

Do boys and girls have different pulse rates?