BIO105 – Learning Guide Week 1: Nature of Science and Evolution Vocabulary

Flashcards generated from BIO105 Week 1 lecture notes, covering key vocabulary in the nature of science and evolution.

Science

A systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.

Experiment

A scientific procedure undertaken to make a discovery, test a hypothesis, or demonstrate a known fact.

Observational study

A study in which researchers observe and measure characteristics of a population without manipulating the subjects under study.

Manipulative experiment

An experiment where the researcher actively controls and alters the levels of one or more variables to determine their effect on other variables.

Scientific method

A method of research with defined steps that include experiments and careful observation.

Observation

The act of noticing and describing events or processes in a careful, orderly way.

Variable

Any factor, trait, or condition that can exist in differing amounts or types and can be measured or controlled.

Explanatory variable

The variable that is changed or controlled by the researcher; also known as the independent variable.

Independent variable

The variable in an experiment that is changed or manipulated by the researcher to observe its effect.

Response variable

The variable being measured or observed in an experiment; also known as the dependent variable.

Dependent variable

The variable in an experiment that is measured to see if it is affected by the independent variable.

Control

A group or condition in an experiment that is not exposed to the treatment and serves as a baseline for comparison.

Matched variables

Variables that are paired or made similar between different groups in a study to minimize compounding factors.

Correlation

A statistical measure describing the extent to which two or more variables are related or move together.

Causation

A relationship between two variables where one variable is directly responsible for influencing a change in another variable.

Fact

An observation that has been repeatedly confirmed and for all practical purposes is accepted as 'true'.

Hypothesis

A testable explanation for a phenomenon, often stated as a falsifiable prediction.

Theory

An explanation of some aspect of the natural world based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experimentation, often unifying multiple hypotheses.

Pattern (in scientific theory)

A regularly recurring characteristic, sequence, or trait observed in nature that a scientific theory seeks to describe and explain.

Process (in scientific theory)

The underlying mechanism, steps, or causes that explain observed patterns in nature, as described by a scientific theory.

Law

A descriptive generalization about how an aspect of the natural world behaves under stated circumstances, without necessarily explaining why.

Evolution

The change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.

Mechanisms of evolution

The processes that drive evolutionary change within populations over time, including natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, genetic drift, and mutation.

Natural selection

The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Non-random mating

A type of mating choice where individuals select partners based on specific traits rather than by chance.

Sexual selection

A form of natural selection where individuals with certain inherited characteristics are more likely to obtain mates.

Gene flow

The movement of genes into or out of a population due to the migration of individuals.

Genetic Drift

Random changes in allele frequencies in a population due to chance events, especially significant in small populations.

Mutation

A permanent alteration in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene or chromosome, serving as the ultimate source of all genetic variation.

Adaptation

A heritable characteristic or trait that increases an organism's fitness in a specific environment.