BIOL 1010 Lab final exam

·        You used the scientific method to propose and conduct your independent project. Do you know
the steps of a scientific method? Can you apply your understanding of the scientific method to
design a simple scientific investigation?

·        Observation

·        Question

·        Hypothesis

·        Experiment

·        Data Collection

·        Analysis

·        Conclusion

Provided with an experiment, e.g. the Chlamydomonas reinharditii experiment - can you identify the independent, dependent, and controlled variables as well as the control group in the experiment? Why did they place the test tubes under light bank?

Independent variable: Nitrogen levels in the medium

Dependent variable: Growth of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (measured by absorbance or cell count)

Controlled variables: Light exposure, temperature, volume of culture, etc.

Control group: Group grown in standard nitrogen conditions

Why under light bank? Light is required for photosynthesis, which affects algal growth.

·        What is the primary purpose of introduction section of a scientific paper?

To present background information, explain why the research matters, and lead into the research question.

What section is the purpose/hypothesis clearly stated?

In what section of the paper are data presented in a graph?

Purpose/Hypothesis: Found in the Introduction or clearly in the end of the Introduction

Graphs/Data: In the Results section

·        What were your project’s question, hypothesis, independent variable, dependent variable and control group?

Question: [e.g. How does nitrogen concentration affect algal growth?]

Hypothesis: [e.g. Higher nitrogen will increase growth.]

Independent Variable: Nitrogen level

Dependent Variable: Growth (absorbance)

Control Group: Algae grown in baseline nitrogen conditions

·        What are the environmental benefits of recycling?

Reduces landfill waste

Conserves natural resources

Saves energy

Reduces greenhouse gas emissions

·        What are the three distinct steps involved in recycling? What do the three Rs mean in recycling

1)     Collection

2)     Processing/manufacturing

3)     Purchasing recycled products

3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Individually, how can you reduce solid waste that ends up in landfills?

Composting, reusable bags/bottles, buying less packaging, donating items, etc.

How does plastic waste affect marine animals?

1)     Animals ingest plastic mistaking it for food → internal injury or starvation

2)     Entanglement can cause injury or prevent movement

Provided with data, are you able to calculate percentages of entanglements and ingestions?

All you do to calculate is to divide the smaller number from the bigger number

Ex: 10/100 = percentage (numbers will be different based on data)

What are the negative environmental impacts of a large human population and what are possible solutions for each impact?

Pollution → Solution: green technology

Resource depletion → Solution: conservation

Habitat loss → Solution: sustainable development

How do populations in developed and developing countries differ when you consider rate of increase, growth rate, doubling time, total fertility, life expectancy, infant mortality, and percent of populations <15 and 65+ years?

-Total fertility rate in developing countries is higher than developed countries

-65+ is lower in developing countries and higher in <15 than in developed countries

-Developed countries having a higher older population indicate lower birth rates and higher life expectancy

-Life expectancy is much higher in developed countries rather than in developing countries. Possible factors include medicine/medical treatments, nutrition, education and food availability.

-Infant mortality is much higher in developing countries than in developed countries. 2 factors that could be the reason for this are healthcare and sanitation in hospitals

·        Provided with equations for compound growth equation and doubling time, can you calculate projected population growth?

2054 population (Nt) = (7.7x10^9) x e^(0.011 x 34)= 1.12x10^10 mill                         (notated population) x e ^(percent in decimals x year difference)

Doubling time = 70/r      r =percentage converted into decimals

And are you able to use scientific notations? Can you define coefficient, base, and exponent of a scientific notation? Are you able to convert numbers to scientific notation and back to standard notation?

Form: a×10^n

Coefficient: a, Base: 10, Exponent: n

Example: 3,000 = 3×10^3

What is mark/recapture

What is it? A method to estimate animal population sizes by capturing, marking, releasing, and recapturing.

Formula: N=(MxC)/R

• N: Estimated population size

• M: # of animals marked

• C: Total recaptured

• R: # of recaptured that were marked

What are the different parts of climate change?

Increase in average temperatures globally

More frequent/intense/ longer duration of extreme weather

Change in precipitation patterns/times

Change in distribution of animal/plant species

Sea level rise/Melting ice caps

Ocean acidification

Affects places differently throughout globe

Is global warming the same as climate change? Why or why not?

Global Warming: The rise in global surface temperatures

Climate Change: Broader term including warming + all changes in weather patterns

How does the greenhouse effect work? Is the greenhouse effect inherently bad?

Greenhouse effect: Sunlight enters Earth’s atmosphere → Earth emits heat → Greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄, etc.) trap some heat

Not inherently bad—necessary for life—but intensified by human activity

What are other major human impacts on the environment/biodiversity of the Earth?

Deforestation

Habitat destruction

Overfishing

Pollution

Introduction of invasive species