The Nature of Science and the Scientific Method - Flashcards

A set of practice Q&A flashcards covering the major concepts from the lecture notes on the nature of science and the scientific method.

What are the two types of reasoning used by biologists?

Deductive and inductive reasoning.

What are the main components of the scientific method as described in the notes?

Observation, hypothesis formation, prediction, experimentation, and conclusion (a systemic approach to science).

How do experimental and control groups differ?

The experimental group receives the treatment; the control group does not. Ideally, only the variable of interest differs between them.

What is a hypothesis?

A testable explanation for an observation that can be tested in many different ways; it allows predictions and can be changed with new data; often expressed as 'If…then'.

Provide an example of an 'If…then' hypothesis from the notes.

If organisms are made of cells (premise 1) and humans are organisms (premise 2), then humans are composed of cells (deductive prediction).

What are the steps typically involved in hypothesis-driven science?

Observation, question, hypothesis, predictions, experiment, conclusion.

What is an experiment?

A test of the hypothesis designed to test only one variable at a time; includes a test experiment and a control experiment.

What is a controlled experiment?

An experiment that compares an experimental group with a control group; ideally, only the variable of interest differs; control groups cancel the effects of unwanted variables.

What is a null hypothesis?

A statement of no difference; e.g., 'Replacing the bulb will not fix the flashlight.'

What does a p-value represent in statistics?

The evidence against the null hypothesis; the smaller the p-value, the stronger the evidence to reject the null; 0.05 is a commonly accepted threshold.

What is a typical conclusion drawn from statistical tests about hypotheses?

If the p-value is small, reject the null hypothesis; if not, fail to reject it.

What are reductionism and systems biology?

Reductionism breaks a complex process into simpler parts; systems biology focuses on emergent properties that can’t be understood by looking at simpler parts.

What is a scientific theory?

A body of interconnected concepts supported by substantial experimental evidence and reasoning; expresses ideas we are most certain.

Give two examples of scientific theories mentioned in the notes.

Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and Newton’s Theory of Gravitation.

What are examples of descriptive science given in the notes?

Classification of all life on Earth and human genome sequencing.

What role does observation play in science?

Science begins with observations and uses reasoning; much of science is descriptive.

What does the term 'scientific method' refer to?

A systemic approach to science used to gain understanding of the natural world.

What is an emergent property in systems biology?

Properties that emerge at the system level and cannot be understood by looking at simpler parts.

Why is the p-value of 0.05 considered an acceptable risk in many studies?

It represents an acceptable risk of rejecting the null hypothesis; it is a conventional threshold for claiming statistical significance.

How should a well-designed experiment be structured?

It should test one variable at a time and include both an experimental group and a control group; statistics are used to decide on rejecting the null.