Rutgers Biology Lab Practical Study Notes

A list of flashcards derived from lecture notes on biology lab practical topics, including significant figures, measurement, and statistical analysis.

Accuracy

How close a measurement is to the true value.

Precision

The ability to repeatedly measure a value in a fixed situation.

Significant Figures (Sig Figs)

Digits that carry meaning contributing to their measurement accuracy.

Scientific Notation

A method of expressing numbers as a value between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of 10.

Volume Measurement: Liter

1 liter (L) equals 1000 milliliters (mL).

Percentage Error

Calculated as (theoretical mass - measured mass) / theoretical mass × 100.

Buffer

An aqueous solution containing a mixture of salts and buffer agents that resists change in pH.

Stock Solution

A concentrated solution that can be diluted to a lower concentration for use in experiments.

Dilution Factor (DF)

The ratio that describes how much a solution has been diluted.

Standard Curve

A graph showing the relationship between the concentration of a substance and its corresponding absorbance.

Descriptive Statistics

Statistical methods that summarize and describe a dataset.

Inferential Statistics

Methods for making predictions or inferences about a population based on a sample.

Water Quality Index (WQI)

A measure used to assess the quality of water based on various parameters.

Eutrophication

The process of nutrient enrichment that leads to increased algal growth and depletion of oxygen in water.

Thermal Pollution

The degradation of water quality by raising its temperature.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)

A method used to amplify DNA sequences.

Taq Polymerase

A heat-stable enzyme used in PCR to synthesize new DNA.

Nucleotide

Building blocks of DNA, carrying genetic information.

DNA Barcoding

A method for identifying species using a short genetic marker in the DNA.