Chapter 1 - Introduction to Science

Core Objectives in the Study of Biology:
- Identify and share characteristics of the natural sciences.
- Understand the process of scientific inquiry.
- Identify shared characteristics across all natural science disciplines.
- Compare inductive reasoning with deductive reasoning.
- Describe the distinct goals of basic science and applied science.
- Identify and describe the core properties of life.
- Describe the hierarchical levels of organization among living things.
- List examples of different sub-disciplines in biology.
Fundamental Questions in Biology:
- What is biology?
- What is biology to your friends and family?
- How does society use biology?

Scientific Knowledge Definition:
- Science is defined as knowledge that covers general truths or the operation of general laws, when acquired and tested by the scientific method.
Three Broad Groups of Science:
- Natural Sciences: Focus on the physical world and its phenomena (e.g., chemistry, biology, physics).
- Social Sciences: Focus on human society, relationships, and behavior (e.g., anthropology, psychology, sociology).
- Formal Sciences: Focus on formal abstract systems and logic (e.g., mathematics, statistics, computer science).

Natural sciences are divided into two primary categories depending on whether the subject of study is non-living or living.

Definition: The study of non-living things.
Major Fields:
- Chemistry: Studies the composition, structure, and properties of matter.
- Geology: Study of the composition of the Earth and the processes acting upon it.
- Astronomy: Study of everything in the universe outside Earth's atmosphere.
- Physics: Study of matter, energy, and the interactions between them.

Definition: The study of living things.
Major Fields:
- Biology: The study of life. Sits at the core of life sciences and branches into interdisciplinary fields to address real-world challenges in health, agriculture, and environmental issues.
- Biotechnology: The use of artificial methods to modify living organisms to produce a novel compound or to perform a new function to solve problems.
- Pharmacology: The study of how drugs and chemicals work within biological systems.
- Medicine: The prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases.

Scientific Method: A method of research with defined steps that include experiments and careful observation to test a hypothesis.
Hypothesis: A suggested explanation for an event, which can be tested.
Scientific Theory: The results of many experiments that confirm an explanation for an observation or phenomenon.
Scientific Law: A description, often in the form of a mathematical formula, for the behavior of some aspect of nature under certain conditions. Scientific laws are often used by other physical or natural sciences, but less so in biology (e.g., Sir Isaac Newton - Law of Gravity).

Scientists seek to understand our world and how it works using logical reasoning. Logical thinking is split into two primary forms:

Definition: Logical thinking that uses related observations to arrive at a general conclusion.
Types of Observations / Data:
- Qualitative: Meaning a description without numbers.
- Quantitative: Consisting of measurable values or numbers.
Simple Example: Observing "I have [X] number of students in my class today" to draw a generalized conclusion about class attendance.
Scientific Application: Underpins Descriptive Science (or Discovery Science), which aims to observe, explore, and discover.

Definition: A form of logical thinking that uses a general statement or premise to predict specific results.
Simple Example: Stating the general premise, "Everyone in my class today is enrolled in my course," and then going to ask each individual student if they are enrolled and recording the results.
Scientific Application: Underpins Hypothesis-Based Science, a form of science that begins with a specific explanation (hypothesis) that is then tested.

Flowchart showing the iterative steps of the scientific method

All biologists use the scientific method, but their work is broadly divided into two general categories:
- Basic Science: Seeks to expand knowledge regardless of short-term application, driven by curiosity.
- Applied Science: Aims to use science to solve real-world, practical problems.

Science (biology) is not done in a vacuum.
Scientists are always giving and getting input from those within their field and outside of the field.