Biology = the study of life
Characteristics of living beings:
-Made of one or more cells
-Can grow/develop
-Requires an energy source
-Gas exchange occurs
-Has the potential to reproduce
-Contains genetic information
-Reacts to stimuli
-The species can adapt/evolve over time
MICROSCOPE PARTS AND USE:
ocular lens - eyepiece
coarse focus - adjusts the location of the stage
fine focus - refines the image through the lens
nosepiece - the part to move to change objective lenses
objective lenses - the three lenses with various magnifications
natural magnification of the microscope - 10x, so when you use an objective lens it takes the magnification of the objective lens and makes it x10
red objective lens magnification - 4x
yellow objective lens magnification - 10x
blue objective lens magnification - 40x
specimen stage - the area where you place the specimen and from which you view it
stage controls - two knobs that allow you to adjust the positioning of the stage (forward, backward, right, left)
stage clips - clip the specimen into place
CONTROL VS. EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS
control group - cultivated under normal conditions; sees if the experiment is functioning properly
experimental group - cultivated under the same conditions as the control group while changing one variable
independent variable - the variable that is changed in the experimental group
dependent variable - the variable affected (and measured) in the experiment
controlled variable - a variable that does not change in the experiment
CORRELATION VS CAUSATION:
-Correlation - a relationship between two variables that may change together over time
BUT won’t be directly connected via cause and effect
Ex. - drinking more coffee makes it less likely to develop Alzheimer’s
-Causation - the change in one variable will cause the value of another variable to
change (also called “cause and effect”)
Ex. - heavy radiation exposure over a short period of time will kill a person
QUANTITATIVE VS QUALITATIVE DATA
-Quantitative data = involves numbers (more likely to be objective truths, as long as the
tools are being used correctly)
-Qualitative data = involves descriptions/adjectives (more likely to be subjective…could
involve bias) - it’s not this data isn’t needed or valued, it’s just not typically the main
dependent variable being measured
-Graphing - be familiar with interpolation and the x/y axes relationship (from the BZ book)
Theory: a coherent group of propositions formulated to explain a group of facts or phenomena in the natural world and repeatedly confirmed through experimentation and/or observation
-Has a lot to do with the why and how something happens in nature
Ex. → Theory of Evolution, Big Bang Theory (both backed by LOTS of evidence and
studies)
Law: statement, based on repeated experiments or observations, that accurately describes or predicts a range of natural phenomena
-Has a lot to do with describing what will happen
Ex. → Law of Gravity, Law of Thermodynamics, Laws of Newtonian Motion
Hypothesis: a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation
-Also known as an “educated guess”
-Often times phrased as an “If… then…” statement
-When an individual says, “I have a theory…”, this is what they actually have!