Principles of Biology 1 - Scientific Method and Statistics Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering taxonomy, the scientific method, experimental design, scientific theories, and basic statistical analysis from Chapter 1 notes.

Five Characteristics of Life

The five essential features shared by living organisms: energy, cells, information, replication, and evolution.

Taxonomy

The system of naming and classifying organisms into categories based on shared characteristics.

Binomial Name

A two-part scientific name given to an organism where the first word is the Genus and the second word is the species.

Scientific Method

The step-by-step process scientists use to test ideas, including making observations, forming hypotheses, experimenting, analyzing data, and reaching conclusions.

Hypothesis

A potential, testable answer to a scientific question that is based on reasonable expectations.

Null Hypothesis

An alternate hypothesis stating that the variable being studied makes no difference or has no effect.

Edward Clarke

A physician and Harvard Medical Professor who proposed the limited energy hypothesis in 1873 using purely descriptive data without measurements.

Limited Energy Hypothesis

A hypothesis proposing that energy in the body is fixed, meaning energy used by muscles or organs leaves less energy for the brain.

Mary Putnam Jacobi

A physician and Columbia Medical Professor who disproved the limited energy hypothesis by collecting quantitative data from 268 women across 34 tables.

Controlled Experiment

An experiment that tests whether an experimental variable has an effect by comparing an experimental group to a control group.

Experimental Group

The group in a controlled experiment that receives the variable or factor being manipulated.

Control Group

The reference group in an experiment that is left unmanipulated to serve as a baseline for comparison.

Scientific Theory

A well-supported hypothesis that has never been disproven after extensive testing over many years.

Cell Theory

The scientific theory stating that all living things are composed of cells.

Atomic Theory

The scientific theory stating that all living and non-living matter is composed of atoms.

Germ Theory

The scientific theory stating that bacteria and viruses are the cause of human diseases.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Article

A primary scientific publication reporting original research, detailed experimental methods, data summaries, statistical analyses, and reference citations.

t-test

A statistical test used to determine whether the difference between two sample means is statistically significant.

p-value

The probability of observing a difference between two sample means if they are actually the same, with a standard significance cutoff of $p < 0.05$.

=AVERAGE(data set)

The Excel function used to calculate the mean of a data set.

=STDEV(data set)

The Excel function used to calculate the standard deviation of a data set.

=T.TEST(data set 1, data set 2, 2, 2)

The Excel function used to calculate the p-value comparing two data sets.