Bio Chapter 1 Study Guide

Biology

The study of life and living organisms.

What are the properties that all living things share?

Order, Energy and Matter Processing, Reproduction, Growth and Development, Response to the Environment, Evolutionary Adaptations.

Are viruses alive?

Viruses are not considered alive because they do not display all properties of life simultaneously.

What are the basic steps in the scientific method?

Observation, Question, Hypothesis, Experiment, Data Collection, Conclusion, Repetition.

Hypothesis

A proposed explanation for a phenomenon, based on observations, that can be tested and falsified.

Characteristics of a good hypothesis

Specific, Testable, Falsifiable (can be proven false).

Difference between hypotheses and theories

Hypothesis: Proposed explanation for a specific phenomenon; Theory: A well-substantiated explanation that covers a wide range of observations.

What is a controlled experiment?

An experiment where all variables are kept constant except for the one being tested.

Independent Variable

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment.

Dependent Variable

The variable that is measured or observed in an experiment.

What is a placebo?

A substance with no therapeutic effect used as a control in testing new drugs.

What is a control group? Why is it important?

A control group does not receive the treatment, providing a baseline to compare effects and validating results.

Pseudoscience

A field of study falsely presented as having a scientific basis.

Recognizing pseudoscience

Lack of scientific method adherence, unprovable claims, rejection of external review.

What is peer review?

The evaluation of work by impartial outside experts, considered the gold standard for valid scientific work.

How to recognize a reliable source

Current information, Primary source, qualified authors, lack of conflicts of interest, cited references, peer-reviewed.

What is a primary source?

Original material presented for the first time by the researchers.

What is a secondary source?

Description or review of primary sources, often containing commentary.