Understanding Science and the Scientific Process

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture on science, pseudoscience, characteristics of life, and the scientific method.

How is science defined in terms of its approach to understanding the natural world?

It is a systematic process that uses observation, experimentation, and evidence-based reasoning to explain phenomena and make predictions.

What is biology?

The scientific study of living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, evolution, and distribution.

Name three common subdisciplines of biology.

Genetics, ecology, and physiology (others include microbiology, zoology, botany, etc.).

What key feature distinguishes science from pseudoscience regarding evidence?

Science is based on empirical evidence and systematic methods, whereas pseudoscience lacks scientific evidence and often relies on anecdotes or beliefs.

How does peer review differ between science and pseudoscience?

Science invites peer review and external criticism; pseudoscience resists such scrutiny.

What does it mean for a hypothesis to be testable?

It can be examined through experiments or observations that could potentially falsify it.

Why is replicability a fundamental characteristic of science?

Results must be reproducible by other researchers to confirm validity and rule out chance or bias.

List five characteristics of pseudoscience.

Lack of empirical evidence, reliance on anecdotes/testimonials, resistance to peer review, vague or untestable claims, contradiction of established scientific principles.

What is meant by 'organization' as a characteristic of life?

Living things exhibit hierarchical cellular structure, from atoms to molecules to cells, tissues, organs, and systems.

Define metabolism.

The sum of all chemical reactions in an organism, including anabolism (building molecules) and catabolism (breaking molecules for energy).

What role do enzymes play in metabolism?

They act as biological catalysts that speed up metabolic reactions.

What is homeostasis?

The ability of an organism to maintain internal stability despite external changes.

Give an example of a negative feedback mechanism involved in homeostasis.

Body temperature regulation or blood sugar control by insulin and glucagon.

How do growth and development differ?

Growth is an increase in size, while development involves changes in complexity and cell differentiation over time.

Compare asexual and sexual reproduction in terms of genetic variation.

Asexual reproduction yields genetically identical offspring; sexual reproduction combines genetic material from two parents, creating variation.

Why is reproduction essential for evolution?

It passes genetic information to offspring and introduces variation on which natural selection can act.

Define 'response to stimuli' in living organisms.

The ability to detect and react to environmental changes, such as plants bending toward light or animals fleeing predators.

What is an adaptation?

A heritable trait that increases an organism's chance of survival and reproduction in a particular environment.

How is evolution defined in biology?

The change in populations of organisms over time through processes such as natural selection and genetic drift.

List the seven basic steps of the scientific method in order.

Observation, question, hypothesis, experiment, data analysis, conclusion, communicate results.

Differentiate between an independent and a dependent variable.

The independent variable is manipulated by the experimenter; the dependent variable is measured as the outcome.

Why is sample size important in experiments?

Larger sample sizes reduce random error and increase the reliability and generalizability of results.

How can statistical analysis assist in scientific conclusions?

It helps determine whether observed differences or relationships are significant and not due to chance.

What is the primary purpose of communicating scientific results?

To share findings with the community for validation, replication, and building on existing knowledge.

How does peer review enhance scientific reliability?

Independent experts critically assess methodology, analysis, and conclusions before publication, ensuring quality and accuracy.

Define 'empirical' in the context of science.

Based on direct observation or experimentation rather than theory alone.

What does 'objective' mean as a scientific characteristic?

Minimizing personal bias so conclusions rely solely on data.

Explain the concept of 'progressive' in science.

Science builds on existing knowledge, refining and expanding understanding over time.

Give an example of biological organization from smallest to largest unit.

Atom → molecule → cell → tissue → organ → organ system → organism.

Identify two challenges in designing biological experiments.

Controlling confounding variables and obtaining adequate sample size/replication.

What constitutes a good scientific hypothesis?

A tentative, testable, falsifiable explanation based on prior knowledge and observations.

How can data analysis lead to new hypotheses?

Unexpected patterns or anomalies in data can prompt new questions and explanations to be tested.

Define 'natural selection.'

The process by which individuals with advantageous traits survive and reproduce more successfully, causing those traits to become more common in the population.

What is 'genetic drift'?

Random changes in allele frequencies in a population, especially significant in small populations.

Why are anecdotes insufficient as scientific evidence?

They are subjective, uncontrolled, and cannot be systematically verified or generalized.

Describe the role of curiosity and skepticism in forming scientific questions.

Curiosity drives the search for new knowledge, while skepticism ensures questions are specific, testable, and grounded in evidence.