BIOL 130 - Chapter 1 The Study of Science

About science

• It is a way of knowing about the natural world

• it should always be objective

• scientific conclusions may change or be modified as out understanding and technology increase

• studied by using the scientific method

cell theory

• a scientific theory in biology

• all organisms are composed of cells and new cells only come from pre-existing cells

homeostasis theory

• a scientific theory in biology

• the internal environment of an organism stays relatively constant

genes theory

• a scientific theory in biology

• organisms contain coded information that dictates their form, function, and behavior

ecosystem

• a scientific theory in biology

• populations of organisms interact with each other and the physical environment

evolution theory

• a scientific theory in biology

• all organisms have a common ancestor, but each is adapted to a particular way of life

the steps of the scientific method

• start with an observation

• develop an hypothesis

• make a prediction

• perform experiments

• collect and analyze data

• develop a conclusion

how ulcers were discovered (scientific method)

• observation: many patients had a particular bacterium near their ulcers

• hypothesis: helicobacter pylori is a cause of gastritis and ulcers

• prediction: introducing H. pylori into a stomach lining will result in an ulcer

• experiment/results: 1. h. pylori was isolated and grown from ulcer patients. 2. humans swallowing an h. pylori solution developed inflammation in their stomachs

• conclusion: h. pylori was the cause of some ulcers. further studies showed h. pylori can be cured by antibiotics curing the ulcer

• then publish!

a controlled study

• variables:

  • experimental variable is the variable that is purposely changed or manipulated

  • all other variables need to remain constant

  • h. pylori was the variable

• groups

  • test group is a group of subjects that are exposed to the experimental variable, took in h. pylori

  • control group is a group for comparison that is not exposed to the experimental variable, took a placebo which did not contain h. pylori

scientific information published

• staying aware of what content you use

• peer reviewed, scientific journals are considered the best source of information but can be difficult for the lay person to understand. they are searchable by topic PubMed, Web of Science, etc.

• often the lay person reads secondary sources and must be wary of information taken out of context. If possible, track down and read the original study.

• be careful of information on the internet by using reliable sources such as URLs with .edu, .gov, and .org. still be wary.

ie bharat b aggarwal

In 2012,,,,,,,allegations of fraud,,,in as

many as 65 of Aggarwal's published

papers, with the allegations involving

images that had been reused

and manipulated to represent different

results. As of 2023, 30 papers published

by Aggarwal have been retracted, ten

others have received an expression of

concern, and 17 others have been

corrected.

covid misinformation

Masks and 6’ distancing were heavily

promoted by, “experts” to slow or stop

covid spread. There was never any proof

that either would do so and lots of proof

they would not and many people, expert

and lay, stated so on the internet. but Hydroxycloroquine was heavily pushed as

a covid treatment on the internet and there

was never any good proof it would help,

either.

how the internet, news and TV promote

• sensation

• a study showing “modest” improvement with this or that treatment which calls for more research will often be “sensationalized” by outlets looking for more followers by proclaiming, “a cure has been found”

• remain to be skeptical

what to look out for reading about science

• Beware of anecdotal data from both laypeople

and, “experts”. Look for published proof.

• Understand methodology and results.

• Does the data justify the conclusions inferred by

the scientists?

• Be able to read a graph.

• Have some understanding of statistics.

• Look for supporting studies, multiple studies

looking at the same issue and arriving at the

same conclusions.

science and social responsibilities

• science is a way of acquiring knowledge about the natural world

• the results of scientific investigations can be used well or badly

  • science cured h. pylori based ulcers

  • science developed sarin gas used in 2017 chemical attack in syria

bioethics

• branch of ethics concerned with the development and consequences of biological technology; ie:

  • genetic engineering (genetically modified crops)

  • treats to biodiversity

  • cloning

  • stem cell research

  • many other topics

human influence on ecosystems

Humans tend to modify ecosystems for their own

purposes:

• The earliest recorded hypothesis that human

population would outpace food production leading to

widespread famine was Malthus’, “An Essay on the

Principle of Population” published in 1798 There he

postulated that population growth was exponential but

agriculture growth was linear leading to widespread

famine in the near future. Improvements in agriculture

have kept reasonable pace with population growth

proving his hypothesis inaccurate, so far.

• changes in human behavior and use of new technology can result in new diseases (think about covid and its spread due to air travel technology)

• human activities may contribute to an altered biosphere (overfishing, global warming, etc. but also more housing and more food for more people, all have altered the biosphere)

planet a and b

planet a is our earth

planet b is far away, proxima centauri b

• with current rocket tech, its 80,0000 years away.

• we will need to stay on planet a for a bit longer.

• and likely we can

• in 2019 someone once said “the world is going to end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change”

• i think that was a bit dramatic and here years later that “end” prediction seems exaggerated

• main take away: be skeptical