ALL SCIENCE COURSE EXAMS

The 7 Steps of the Scientific Method are …

1. Make observations

2. Identify the Problem/Ask a Question

3. Form a Hypothesis

4. Perform an Experiment

5. Collect and Analyze Data

6. Draw Conclusions

7. Communicate the Results

A hypothesis is …

An educated guess; A prediction or a proposed explanation that can be tested

Quantitative data is …

Information or data based on countable measurements of something; Preferred type of data for science

Qualitative data is …

Information based on the qualities of something

The experimental group is …

The group the experiment is being performed on

The control group is …

Identical to the experimental group except for the one factor that is being tested; Used to compare the results from the experimental group (Used for comparison)

The independent variable is …

The factor that is being tested, it is the one thing that changes between the control group and experimental group (Cause)

The dependent variable is …

(Data) What the experimenter measures, it results from the independent variable (Effect) – Data that depends on the independent variable!

Standardizing Variables/Constants are …

All of the things that are kept equal between the two groups (This ensures that any changes in the dependent variable are a result of the independent variable)

A placebo is …

Something given or done to the (human) control group (that isn't actually being tested) so they do not know they are part of the control group

The Placebo Effect …

Occurs when members of the control group exhibit a result similar to the experimental group

How does science relate to engineering and vise versa?

Scientists focus on studying the natural world to more deeply understand how things work while Engineers focus on modifying the world to meet human needs and wants

Observational data is …

any data obtained from observation

Experimental data is …

data obtained from doing an experiment; it may be quantitative or qualitative

Anecdotal evidence is …

evidence based on hearsay rather than hard facts; based on small, personal accounts

Primary data is …

data collected first-hand by the researcher

Secondary data is …

data gathered from experiments or interviews done by other people

Type 1 Error is when …

(False Positive) you wrongfully assume your hypothesis is correct but it is not

Type 2 Error is when …

(False Negative) you wrongfully assume there is no significant difference between your control and variable when there really is a difference

Evolution is …

changes in the inherited characteristics of species over generations

A species is …

a group of genetically similar organisms that can produce fertile offspring

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck …

proposed that physical changes to an organism from their lifetime were passed down to their offspring; not how traits are passed down, so his theory was NOT correct

Charles Darwin was (& key points) …

a naturalist of the Beagle; theory of evolution; Galapagos Islands-finches; wrote The Origin of the Species; natural selection; survival of the fittest; adaptation

Natural selection is when …

organisms with favorable traits are mroe likely to survive and reproduce

Survival of the fittest is when …

organisms with traits that help them survive will live and reproduce, while the weaker organisms will die off

Adaptations are …

inherited characteristics that increase an organism’s chance of survival (ex: bird beaks)

The study of heredity is …

how traits are passed from parent to offspring

A trait is …

a genetically determined variant of a characteristic

Gregor Mendel was …

the father of genetics; discovered basic laws or herdity by studying pea plants

P1 generation is …

the parent generation

F1 generation is …

the first filial generation; the offspring from the P1 generation

F2 generation is …

the second filial generation; offspring from the F1 generation

A gene is …

the segment of DNA on a chromosome that controls a particular trait

An allele is …

the different forms of a gene; letters (lower and upper case) are used to represent the different alleles

A dominant trait is …

the trait that is expressive more often; the allele that masks the presence of another allele for the same characteristic (capital letter)

A recessive trait is …

the trait that is expressed less often (covered up by the dominant trait); the allele is masked by the presence of another allele for the same characteristic (lowercase letter)

Genotype is …

the set of alleles that an organism has; the combination of letters (ex: TT, Tt, tt)

Phenotype is …

an organism’s physical appearance; what it looks like (ex: can VS cannot roll tongue)

Homozygous is when …

the two alleles for a particular gene are the same (ex: TT or tt)

Heterozygous is when …

the two alleles for a particular gene are different (Ex: Tt)

A punnett square is …

a diagram that predicts the expected outcome of a genetic cross by considering all possible combinations of gametes in the cross

A monohybrid cross is …

a cross involving a single trait

Incomplete dominance is when …

the phenotype of the offspring is in-between that of the parents

Codominance is when …

both alleles for a gene are expressed in a heterozygous offspring; neither allele is dominant or recessive—the alleles do NOT blend; both traits are expressed

AB blood type is …

a universal receiver because they can get any time of blood

O blood type is …

a universal donor because they can give blood to anybody

Polygenic traits are …

traits that are controlled by 2 or more genes

Examples of polygenic traits are …

skin color, eye color, height

Human female & human male sex chromosomes are …

female: XX; male: XY

Sex-Linked traits are …

traits (genes) located on the sec chromosomes

The 4 nitrogen bases are …

adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine

Adenine always pairs with …

thymine

Cytosine always pairs with …

guanine

Genes are …

segments of DNA that code for a particular trait

RNA is …

similar to DNA except the sugar molecule is ribose; there is no thymine but instead there is uracil (pairs with adenine)

The 3 types of RNA are …

messenger RNA (mRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and transfer RNA (tRNA)

Messenger RNA (mRNA) is …

carries the genetic information from the DNA to the ribosomes

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is …

ribosomes made of rRNA and protein

Transfer RNA (tRNA) is …

brings amino acids to ribosomes to make proteins

Mutations are …

caused by mistakes that are made when the DNA is copied

Genetic engineering is used to …

alter the genes in a cell and to transfer the genes for a specific trait from one organism to another

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are …

organisms that have had their genes altered

Ecology is …

the study of the relationships among organisms and their environment

Ecologists study …

environments at different levels of organization

An organism is …

an individual living thing, such as an alligator

Population is …

a group of the same species that lives in one area

A community is …

a group of different species (populations) that live together in one area

An ecosystem includes …

all of the organisms as well as the climate, soil, water, rocks, and other nonliving things in a given area

A biome is …

a major regional or global community of organisms characterized by the climate conditions and plant communities that thrive there

Biotic factors are …

living things (ex: plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, protista)

Abiotic factors are …

non living things (ex: moisture, temperature, wind, sunlight, soil, water, rocks)

Biodiversity is …

the assortment (variety) of living things in an ecosystem

A keystone species is …

a species that has an unusually large effort on its ecosystem; if removed, the ecosystem falls apart

The steps of water cycle includes …

precipitation, snowmelt runoff, surface runoff, infiltration into groundwater, groundwater flow, plant uptake, transpiration, evaporation, condensation, transport

Infiltration is …

water entering the soil (vertical movement)

Percolation is …

water moving deeper down toward the water table (vertical movement)

Seepage is …

water seeps through the soil (doesn’t have to be soil)

Sublimation is …

water passing directly from the solid to the gas phase (ex: snow and ice change directly into water vapor)

Desublimation is …

water passing from a gas to a solid (ex: water vapor turning into ice [snowflakes and frost])

The processes in the nitrogen cycle include …

fixation, nitrification, assimilation, ammonification, denitrification

The carbon processes are …

photosynthesis, respiration, decay (decomposition), burning (combustion), burning fossil fuels, carbon dioxide exchange (ocean-atmosphere exchange), phytoplankton, sinking sediment, rock formation, weathering and runoff, deep circulation

Carbon is kept in …

the atmosphere, vegetation, soil and organic matter, coal, oil, gas, sediments and sedimentary rock, ocean surface and deep ocean

The energy food pyramid starts with …

the sun (energy = 100%)

1st level (bottom) of the energy food pyramid are …

the producers (consumers with the most energy)

2nd level of the energy food pyramid are …

primary consumers (herbivores or omnivores)

3rd level of the energy food pyramid are …

secondary consumers (omnivores or carnivores); one of the least energy

4th level of the energy food pyramid are …

tertiary consumers (omnivores or carnivores); one of the least energy

10% rule (energy food pyramid) is when …

10% of the energy “harvested” at a lower trophic level is transferred to the next higher trophic level

Symbiosis is …

the act of living together; means two organisms that live together temporarily for a longer time, at least one of the organisms benefits from the relationship

Mutualism is when …

both organisms benefit

Commensalism is when …

one organism benefits and one organism is unaffected

Parasitism is when …

one organism benefits and one organism is harmed

Classification is …

the arrangement of organisms into orderly groups based on their similarities

Taxonomy is the …

science of naming and classifying groups of organisms based on shared characteristics

Taxonomists are …

scientists that identify and name organisms

Standardized naming includes …

latin or greek, genus species, capitalize Genus but NOT species, italicized print, underline when writing

Taxon (taxa-plural) is a …

category into which related organisms are placed

The hierarchy of groups (taxa) from broadest to most specific include …

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species (Dear King Philip Came Over For Great Spaghetti)

The three domains include …

Archaea (kingdom), Bacteria (kingdom), Eukarya (protista, fungi, plantae, animalia)

A dichotomous key is used to …

identify organisms, characteristics given in pairs, read both characteristics and either go to another set of characteristics OR identify the organism