Bio Lab Midterm

What are the main sections of a lab report?

Title, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, References.

What should the title of a lab report include?

The dependent variable, independent variable, and organism.

What does the Introduction section of a lab report require?

Adequate background about the research, 3 journal citations, and a clearly stated hypothesis.

How should the Methods section be written?

Describes materials and methods in paragraphs, first person past tense, and detailed.

What must the Results section include?

A graph and a written explanation.

On which axes are the independent and dependent variables presented in a graph?

Independent variable → X-axis, Dependent variable → Y-axis.

What are the steps of the scientific method?

Ask a question/observe, develop a hypothesis, design an experiment, analyze findings, share knowledge.

What is the independent variable?

The manipulated variable in an experiment.

What is the dependent variable?

The measured response in an experiment.

What are controlled variables?

Factors that the investigator attempts to keep the same for all groups.

What is the control group?

The group that doesn’t receive testing, used as a baseline.

What is species diversity?

The number and abundance of species in a community.

What is species richness?

The number of species in a community.

What is species evenness?

The relative abundance with which each species is represented in a community.

Why is understanding species diversity, richness, and evenness important?

They are indicators of environmental quality.

How do you analyze coliform present in drinking water?

Using an R-card to test, place a drop of water on the card and incubate; pink and blue colonies indicate coliform presence.

Why is testing for coliform bacteria important?

Coliform bacteria, especially E. Coli, can be deadly.

How do you determine dissolved oxygen in water?

Using a test ampoule, fill with water and compare color to a chart.

How do you measure the pH of water?

Using a test strip that changes color based on the pH.

What is the response of macroinvertebrates to wastewater pollution?

They are sensitive to ecosystem changes and will indicate pollution presence.

Give an example of phytoplankton.

Cyanobacteria or algae.

Give an example of zooplankton.

Protozoa.