Unit 1: The Science of Biology
Unit 1: The Science of Biology
An Introduction to Biological Concepts
The first part of this unit will not be found within the standards of biology. This will be an introduction to biology, and will cover some of the major biological concepts that we will discuss in further detail throughout this semester.
Scientific Inquiry
The second part of this unit will be standards-based. It will focus on Standard B-1: Scientific Inquiry. The following explains this standard.
Scientific Inquiry
Standard B – 1: The student will demonstrate an understanding of how scientific inquiry and
technological design, including mathematical analysis, can be used
appropriately to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.
There are 9 indicators that are essential for you to be able to understand and/or do.
B-1.1 Generate hypotheses based on credible, accurate, and relevant sources of scientific
information.
B-1.2 Use appropriate laboratory apparatuses, technology, and techniques safely and accurately
when conducting a scientific investigation.
B-1.3 Use scientific instruments to record measurement data in appropriate metric units that reflect
the precision and accuracy of each particular instrument.
B-1.4 Design a scientific investigation with appropriate methods of control to test a hypothesis
(including independent and dependent variables), and evaluate the designs of sample
investigations.
B-1.5 Organize and interpret the data from a controlled scientific investigation by using mathematics,
graphs, models, and/or technology.
B-1.6 Evaluate the results of a controlled scientific investigation in terms of whether they refute or
verify the hypothesis.
B-1.7 Evaluate a technological design or product on the basis of designated criteria (including cost,
time, and materials).
B-1.8 Compare the processes of scientific investigation and technological design.
B-1.9 Use appropriate safety procedures when conducting investigations.
You can expect both quizzes and classwork assignments that will focus on your understanding of the above material. There will also be a Lab Practical in this unit that you will need to pass in order to participate in labs the remainder of the semester.
An Introduction to Biological Concepts
Objectives:
Define and give examples of Earth’s biodiversity.
Summarize the characteristics that all living things share.
Summarize the four major unifying themes of biology.
Give an example of each of the themes of biology.
Explain the importance of clear communication in biology.
Vocabulary:
Define the following vocabulary words in the space provided.
1. biosphere
2. biodiversity
3. species
4. biology
5. organism
6. cell
7. metabolism
8. DNA
9. system
10. ecosystem
11. homeostasis
12. evolution
13. adaptation
What is Biology?
Biology is the study of ______.
We study biology to learn about the ______around _____.
Life is made up of ______particles, so we study them.
Why Study Biology?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Were it not for the study of biology, there would be none of the following:
Advancements in ______.
Think of an example:
Advancements in ______.
Think of an example:
Advancements in ______.
Think of an example:
Advancements in our basic ______of the world ______us.
What Does Biology Encompass?
When we study biology, we are not only studying living things.
We learn how a ______operates.
We learn how to use the ______.
We learn how to properly ______and ______data.
We learn how to ______new knowledge to new or existing ______.
We ______our understanding of things (both ______& ______) around us.
What is Life?
The ______includes all living things & all the places they are found.
Every part of the ______is connected with every other part.
The ______includes many environments.
Lithosphere (land/terrestrial)
Hydrosphere (saltwater and freshwater)
Atmosphere (air)
The term ______refers to the variety of life in an area.
______greatly increases as you move from the poles.
______is greater in areas with consistently warm temperatures.
A ______is one particular type of living thing, an ______.
Members of a ______can interbreed to reproduce.
There are about ______species that have been identified.
There are also many species on earth that are very unusual, like the ones to the right. Write some of them down in the space below and read about them later.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE
All living things share certain characteristics whether they are small and simple or large and complex.
1) All living things ______.
2) All living things ______.
3) All living things ______.
4) All living things ______.
5) All living things ______.
6) All living things ______.
7) All living things ______.
8) All living things ______.
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Think: What do you think about when you hear the term theme?
Unifying themes connect concepts from many fields of biology.
There are 4 MAJOR UNIFYING THEMES OF BIOLOGY.
1. All levels of life have ______of related parts.
2. ______and ______are related in biology.
3. Organisms must maintain ______to survive in diverse environments.
4. ______explains the unity and diversity of life.
Fill out the following chart on the Unifying Themes of Biology
Systems / Structure & Function / Homeostasis / EvolutionDescription
Example
Communication
In science, it is important that scientists be able to communicate and understand one another. To make this easier, science is Latin-based and filled with prefixes and suffixes. Let’s do an activity to practice this.
Scientific Inquiry
Standard B – 1: The student will demonstrate an understanding of how scientific inquiry and
technological design, including mathematical analysis, can be used
appropriately to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.
Indicator B – 1.1: Generate hypotheses on the basis of credible, accurate, and relevant
sources of scientific information.
Key Concepts:
Hypotheses Sources of scientific information
It is essential for you to know:
· That a hypothesis is a reasonable explanation of an observation or experimental result or a possible answer to a scientific question that can be tested.
· That you must use credible (trustworthy), accurate (correct-based on supported data), and relevant (applicable, related to the topic of the investigation) sources of scientific information in preparation for generating a hypothesis.
Objectives:
Identify the variables involved in a hypothesis.
Use data to determine whether a hypothesis is supported or not supported by the data.
Summarize the criteria by which scientific information is used to help generate hypotheses.
Vocabulary Words:
Define the following vocabulary words in the space provided.
1. hypothesis
2. independent variable
3. dependent variable
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What is a hypothesis?
A ______is often referred to as an “educated guess”.
Why is it called an educated guess vs. just a guess?
A ______is a possible explanation of why something
may have happened or a
prediction of what might happen. It is the explanation of the possible cause of a problem or a
possible solution to a problem.
The ______may or may not be supported by the experimental results.
· It is often stated in terms of an independent and a dependent variable .
§ Cause and Effect Relationship
§ “If….then….because…”
The results of an experiment CANNOT prove a hypothesis is correct. Instead, the results of an experiment support or do not support the hypothesis.
When hypotheses are tested over and over again and not contradicted, they may become known as ______or ______.
Example: Imagine that you are sitting at home, watching television, and suddenly, your lights
go out. What would you do?
The first thing you need to figure out is:
This is called forming a ______. In order for it to be a true ______, it must be able to be ______.
Hypotheses
formulated, stated, formed, or framed
tested
then they are
accepted, verified rejected or disproved
or confirmed
Question and Hypothesis Practice
A student is interested in designing several experiments to test the factors that effect how quickly an
Alka-Seltzer® tablet dissolves in water (solution rate). For each question, write an appropriate
hypothesis that could be tested with an experiment. Be sure each hypothesis is in the proper “If…,
then… , because…” format.
Example:
Question: What effect does stirring have on solution rate?
Hypothesis: If the water is stirred, then the tablet will dissolve faster because stirring increases
solution rate.
1. Question: What effect does the water temperature have on solution rate?
Hypothesis: ______
______
2. Question: What effect does crushing the tablet have on solution rate?
Hypothesis: ______
______
3. Question: What effect does adding soda to the water have on solution rate?
Hypothesis: ______
______
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Use valid, credible sources for information
Just because you have located a book, article, website, or other resource on your topic, does not mean you should automatically use it in your paper or project.You need to choose your resources carefully to make sure you get the best and most useful ones.
How can you tell if the book, article, website, or other resource you located is a valid, credible source? It may be helpful for you to ask yourself six questions:
Who?
/ Who is the author? What are his/her credentials?What?
/ What information is available from this resource?Where?
/ Where did the author(s) get the information? Are citations provided?When?
/ When was the resource produced? (For books, check the copyright date. For articles, check the publication date. For websites, look for a "created on" or "last updated on" date.)Why?
/ Why does this resource exist? Is the purpose to entertain, persuade, inform, etc.? Is the resource biased?How?
/ How comprehensive is the resource? Does it go into the depth you need?Standard B – 1: The student will demonstrate an understanding of how scientific inquiry and
technological design, including mathematical analysis, can be used
appropriately to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.
Indicator B – 1.2: Use appropriate laboratory apparatuses, technology, and techniques safely
and accurately when conducting a scientific investigation.
Key Concepts:
Laboratory apparatus Laboratory technology
Laboratory techniques Scientific investigation
It is essential for you to know:
· Use appropriately and identify various laboratory apparatuses and materials appropriate for biology.
· Use identified laboratory apparatuses in an investigation safely and accurately with associated technology such as computers, calculators, and other devices for collecting, graphing, and analyzing data.
· Use appropriate techniques that are useful for understanding biological concepts, such as using a microscope appropriately.
Objectives:
Identify an apparatus from a description or illustration.
Recognize appropriate laboratory apparatuses, technology, & techniques for given
procedures.
Recognize safety guidelines associated with use of laboratory apparatuses, technology, and
techniques.
Vocabulary Words:
Define the following vocabulary words in the space provided.
1. microscope
Lab Safety
One of the first things a scientist learns is how a lab operates.
This includes being safe in the lab. While working in the lab
can be very exciting, it can also be very dangerous if proper
safety rules are not followed correctly.
Using your textbook, find the pages that discuss proper lab safety and provide pictures of lab safety symbols. Write those page numbers BIG in the space below.
In order to participate in laboratory activities, a Lab Safety Contract must be signed.
1. Which piece of laboratory equipment would be used to measure volume precisely?
2. Which laboratory apparatus would be used to pour liquids into containers with small openings?
3. Which piece of laboratory equipment would be used to heat an object?
4. Which laboratory apparatus would require you to use °C?
5. Which laboratory apparatus would require you to use a rubber stopper to prevent a liquid from spilling?
6. Which laboratory apparatus would be used for protection during an investigation?
7. Which is a wide-mouthed piece of laboratory apparatus used to store, transport, and heat substances?
8. Which piece of laboratory equipment would be used to place test-tubes being used during a scientific investigation?
9. What laboratory apparatus is used to clean out a test-tube?
10. Which piece of laboratory equipment is used to scoop small substances?
Microscopes
Tools are objects used to improve the performance of a task.
______are tools that extend human vision by making enlarged images of objects:
* Compound light microscope
* Scanning electron microscope (SEM)
* Transmission electron microscope (TEM)
* Dissecting microscope
Compound LightMicroscope
(CLM) / Scanning Electron Microscope
(SEM) / Transmission Electron Microscope
(TEM) / Dissecting
Microscope
Scientific Inquiry
Standard B – 1: The student will demonstrate an understanding of how scientific inquiry and
technological design, including mathematical analysis, can be used
appropriately to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.
Indicator B – 1.3: Use scientific instruments to record measurement data in appropriate metric
units that reflect the precision and accuracy of each particular instrument.
Key Concepts:
Reading scientific measuring instruments Measurement data
Metric units Precision and accuracy
It is essential for you to know:
· Read scientific instruments such as graduated cylinders, balances, spring scales, thermometers, rulers, meter sticks, and stopwatches using the correct number of decimals to record the measurements in appropriate metric units.
· The measurement scale on the instrument should be read with the last digit of the recorded measurement being estimated.
· Record data using appropriate metric units (SI).
o Using the prefixes
o Using dimensional analysis
· Understand that the more decimals in the recorded measurement, the greater the precision of the instrument.
· Understand that the terms precision and accuracy are widely used in any scientific work where quantitative measurements are made.
Objectives:
Compare precise vs. accurate measurement data.
Summarize accuracy & precision with specific scientific instruments in making measurements.
Identify the appropriate instrument that meets the measurement need and appropriate
precision for a designed experiment.
Vocabulary Words:
There are no vocabulary words for this topic.
Measurement
______is an important type of observation.
It is an observation that includes numbers and
units.