Scientific Process and Ethology: Isopods

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes on the scientific process, ethology, isopods, and the moisture-based isopod experiment.

Scientific Process (Scientific Method)

A systematic approach to asking questions, making observations, forming hypotheses, conducting experiments, and drawing conclusions about the natural world.

Observation

Careful noticing and recording of facts or events; the initial step that leads to questions and hypotheses, often with background literature.

Hypothesis

A tentative, testable answer to a question that combines observations and background knowledge.

Prediction

A statement about the expected outcome of an experiment if the hypothesis is tested under specified conditions.

Testing the Hypothesis / Experiment

Conducting controlled investigations to evaluate whether the hypothesis is supported or refuted, often by making predictions and collecting data.

Ethology

The branch of biology that studies animal behavior, especially in natural or controlled experimental contexts.

Isopod (Armadillidium)

A terrestrial crustacean arthropod known as pillbugs or roly-polies; small, with a segmented body, exoskeleton, and two pairs of antennae.

Arthropod

An invertebrate animal with a segmented body, jointed legs, and an exoskeleton (includes insects, arachnids, and crustaceans).

Exoskeleton

The hard external skeleton that supports and protects arthropods.

Taxis

Directed movement of an organism toward or away from a stimulus.

Kinesis

Undirected, random movement in response to a stimulus; movement rate may vary with stimulus but is not directed.

Orientation

The process by which animals position themselves with respect to environmental spatial features; includes taxis and kinesis.

Pillbug / RoLy-Poly

Common name for terrestrial isopods (Armadillidium) that roll into a ball when disturbed.

Moisture Stimulus

Environmental moisture used as a stimulus in the isopod moisture-orientation experiment.

Independent Variable

The factor deliberately changed by the experimenter (e.g., which side is moist vs. dry).

Dependent Variable

The variable measured in the experiment (e.g., number of isopods on each side, movement speed).

Acclimation

A waiting period (e.g., 60 seconds) allowing organisms to adjust to new surroundings before data collection.

Behavior Chamber

The experimental setup inside a large Petri dish that creates distinct moisture zones (wet vs. dry) for observing isopod behavior.

Data Table / Graph

A structured grid for recording observations (tables) and a visual representation of data (graphs) with labeled axes and a meaningful title.