Unit 1

Biology

CenturyHigh School

2011-11

Name ______

Hour ______

Teacher ______

Assignments – Unit 1

AssignmentDate DueScore______

  1. Applying the Scientific Method______
  1. Making Metric Measurements______
  1. Using Graphing Skills______
  1. Interpreting Data______

5. Using a Microscope______

TOTAL HOMEWORK SCORE______

  1. Quizzes______

______

  1. Unit Test______

Notes – Unit 1 – Honors Biology

What is the Study of Biology???

How do you know something is Alive?

  1. Uses Energy (examples)
  1. Reproduces (examples)

Levels of Biological Organization

  1. ______
  2. ______
  3. ______
  4. ______
  5. ______
  6. ______
  7. ______
  8. ______
  9. ______
  10. ______
  11. ______
  12. ______
  13. ______

How are organisms related? (Interdependencies among Organisms)

Producers

Consumers

Decomposers

How are Organisms Different?

Domains

Kingdoms

  1. ______
  2. ______
  3. ______
  4. ______
  5. ______
  6. ______

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Species

BIOLOGICAL INQUIRY

(Alias “The Scientific Method”)

  1. Identify a Problem
  1. Collect Information about the Problem
  1. Create a Hypothesis
  1. Test the Hypothesis
  1. Make Observations
  1. Come to a Conclusion
  1. Revise the Hypothesis and Retest

What is LOGIC???

Parts of an Experiment

Constant Variables

Independent Variables

Dependent Variables

Experimental Error

Sample Size

Statistics, Graphs and Charts

BEGIN INDEPENDENT SCIENCE PROJECTS NOW

EVOLUTION

What is a hypothesis?

What is a theory?

What is a Law?

Define:

Evolution

Mutation

Survival of the Fittest

Natural Selection

  1. Individuals vary in form, function and behavior
  1. Adaptive, Environmentally affected traits
  1. Out come of differences are in survival and “reproduction”
  1. Leads to a better fit with prevailing environmental conditions

The Tools of Biology

The Metric System

Distance MassVolume

“Meters”“Grams”“Liters”

Kilo

Deca

Meter

Deci

Centi

Milli

Micro

Graphing

Most Important Rules:

  1. ______
  1. ______
  1. ______
  1. ______
  1. ______

When do you use which graph?

PIE GRAPH

BAR GRAPH

LINE GRAPH

The Equipment of Biology

Microscopes:

  1. The light Microscope
  1. The Dissecting Microscope
  1. The Electron Microscope

IMPORTANT MICROSCOPE TERMS

Parfocal

Resolution

Objective

Magnification

Slide and Coverslip

Other Equipment

Glassware:

Beaker

Erlenmeyer flask

Graduated cylinder

Test Tube

Pipette

Petri Dish

Watch Glass

Machines

Incubator

Centrifuge

Computer

Balance

Thermometer

Other Important Stuff

Safety Goggles

Dissecting Pans Pins, Scalpels, Probe and Forceps

Doing Science! Using the

Scientific Method

Pre-Lab Discussion

The scientific method is a procedure used to gather information and test ideas. Scientists use the scientific method to answer questions about life and living organisms. Experimentation is an important part of the scientific method. In order to ensure that the results of an experiment are due to the variable being tested, a scientist must have both an experimental setup and a control setup. The experimental setup contains the variable that is being tested. The control setup is exactly like the experimental setup except it does not contain the variable being tested.

Background

Ethology is the study of animal behavior. Many behaviors involve movement of the animal within its environment. In this exercise, you will investigate some innate (instinctive) behaviors of isopods.

Kinesis is a simple type of orientation behavior in which the organism changes its rate of locomotion in response to the stimulus. If the response is positive kinesis, the animal will slow down its locomotion in response to the stimulus and speed up if the stimulus is absent. In a way, this is a primitive form of seeking behavior: if a necessary environmental condition or factor is missing, the animal moves about quickly, thereby increasing its chances of finding better conditions. If the conditions are favorable, it stays close to that spot by slowing down. As a result of kinesis, animals will accumulate near the stimulus as if they were “attracted” by it. Actually, however, the animals are not “attracted” by the stimulus and do not change the direction of their locomotion.

In organisms that can detect stimuli at a distance, the orientation behavior may be a form of taxis, in which there is a sustained, directed movement either toward or away from the stimulus. This kind of response may be shown for light, heat, cold, moisture, gravity, sound, or chemicals. The response will be termed phototaxis if the stimulus is light, geotaxis if the stimulus is gravity, and chemotaxis if the response involves a chemical stimulus.

The sowbug is a small terrestrial crustacean often found under rotting wood. There are many possible reasons to explain why sowbugs are found there. They are born there and never leave, they find their way by positive chemotaxis toward wood molecules, they show negative phototaxis, or they show kinesis with respect to moisture. Our experiment will investigate the locomotion of sowbugs in response to dry compared with moist conditions. Keep in mind that more than one factor or type of behavior may result in the location of the sowbugs, but only one factor at a time can be studies.

Materials:

10-20 sowbugs per group

Paper towels

Dishes such s collecting or Petri dishes

Black paper

Procedure:

  1. You will need to collect your own specimens. On your field trip through the school grounds collect at least 10 sowbugs. Place them in the holding aquarium in the laboratory so they can be observed tomorrow.
  1. Observe the environment in which you find the pillbugs. This will provide clues about their behavior. Write down everything you observe so that you can remember and use it later.

PART I: Isopod Observations

In the first part of this exercise, you will observe pill bugs and record what you see.

Analysis (include in lab report)

a. How do the pill bugs seem to sense their environment?

b. Are they all the same species?

c. Can you tell the difference in males and females?

d. How many eyes do they have?

e. How many legs

f. Do they exhibit dominance behaviors?

g. How do they respire?

h. What are some stimuli they seem to respond to?

i. What was the environment like where you found them?

j. What do you think they were eating?

k. Sketch your isopod!!!

Scientific Sketching

When you make a sketch of a pill bug, don’t just draw an oval with a few squiggly legs – you are expected to do a scientific illustration similar to the sketch of an earthworm below. Think about proportions, accuracy, labels etc. Yes, you have to be an artist. An artist is an observer. A good observer with a ruler, can draw a decent illustration.

Here are some tips for making an accurate sketch (include in your lab report)

a. Determine the relative proportions (length, width, height as well as lengths of

Body parts)

b. Count the number of body segments

c. Count the number of legs

d. Locate and label the body parts

e. Note the size of the pill bug

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE:

1. With the members of your group, discuss whether or not the bugs are kinetically affected by moisture (see background information and your observations). Record this information under hypothesis. `

2. Prepare two dishes with paper toweling in the bottom. Moisten the paper toweling in one dish and leave the other dish dry. Cover each dish with black paper and/or dim the lights.

  1. Place 5-10 bugs in each dish (the same number in each).
  1. Observe the bugs after 5 minutes and record the number moving and the number holding still.
  1. Continue observing the bugs every 5 minutes for the next 20 minutes and recording your results. This should give you 5 total observations.
  1. Complete the charts on the next page. Total all of your results and analyze the data.

Problem

Formulate a hypothesis to answer the question: Do sowbugs move differently (more or less) in moist or dry environments? Write the Hypothesis HERE before you begin.

Hypothesis:

______

______

Observations:

Dish A (Dry)

Observation Time / # Sowbugs moving / # Sowbugs in dish / % Sowbugs moving
1 minute
2 minutes
3 minutes
4 minutes
5 minutes
TOTALS

Class Total - # Sowbugs Moving = __150______

Class Total - # Sowbugs in Dish = __285______

Class Total - % Sowbugs Moving = _~53%______

Dish B (Moist)

Observation Time / # Sowbugs moving / # Sowbugs in dish / % Sowbugs moving
1 minute
2 minutes
3 minutes
4 minutes
5 minutes
TOTALS

Class Total - # Sowbugs Moving = ___69______

Class Total - # Sowbugs in Dish = ___265______

Class Total - % Sowbugs Moving = __26______

STATISTICS:

  1. What is the mean percentage of sowbug movement in the dry chamber for the entire class? How does this compare to your mean?My class average was…… my group average was……. Our group average was……..different than the class
  1. What is the mean percentage of sowbug movement in the moist chamber per class? How does this compare to your total?
  1. Is the data more accurate if you only consider your own numbers or if you consider the entire class? Why do you say that?

4. Which do you think is more accurate, a large or small “sample size”. Why do you

say that?

ANALYSIS:

  1. Do you think sowbugs move by kinesis or chemotaxis? Which do your results support? Which did the entire class support?

2. Can you support your hypothesis? Why or Why not (yes is not sufficient)?

PART 2 – Student Designed Experiment.

Select TWO of the following factors to investigate

Factor / Materials (suggested)
Temperature / Ice, warm pack or water
Light / Flashlight, dark paper, aluminum foil
pH / Low pH (HCl or vinegar), high pH (NaOH)
Substrate (surface) / Soil, sand, sandpaper, bark, paper, gravel, plastic etc
Odor / Ammonia, vinegar
Food / Apple, potato, fish food
Other organisms / Mealworms, earthworms, etc.

Begin with a hypothesis, often written as an IF-THEN statement (include in your lab report)

Use the procedure above as a guideline to design your experiment, and collect your data. You may also create your own experiment using tunnels between chambers or parts of chambers with different conditions.

Analysis and conclusion. Did your results support your hypothesis?

DOING SCIENCE! Using the Scientific Method

LAB REPORT

Name ______

1. Background and purpose:

The purpose of this lab is to observe the pill bugs lifestyle/behavior. We have already determined that the pill bugs like moisture. Their kinesis stated that they would not move in a moist area. We think that the pill bugs will …………when exposed to…………

2. Isopod Observations (what did you see and Observe? Include the drawing)

a. How do the pill bugs seem to sense their environment?

b. Can you tell the difference in males and females?

c. How many eyes do they have?

d. How many legs

e. Do they exhibit dominance behaviors?

f. What are some stimuli they seem to respond to?

g. What was the environment like where you found them?

h. What do you think they were eating?

Sketch your isopod!!!

STUDENT EXPERIMENT

Problem:

What would happen if the we put in…………..?

Hypothesis

I believe that If we do this………………..THEN the pill bug will do………………

Experimental Design:We set up a petri dish and placed ….. pill bugs in it. Then, we divide our dish in half using a marker. We put ______on half of the dish and observed what happened.

Independent VariableThe variable that changes on its own without help Ex: Time, Distance

Dependent VariableThe variable that depends on the independent variable What is happening during time, or distance, etc.

Controlled VariablesThe variables that we don’t want to test wind, weather, temperature, light, plastic of petri dish, size of bugs

Description of the Design (so someone else could do it). This may include a sketch.

Results

Observation Time# Sowbugs on control# Sowbugs on experiment% Sowbugs moving

1 minute

2 minutes

3 minutes

4 minutes

5 minutes

TOTALS

Conclusion (does your data support your hypothesis?)

Was your hypothesis correct? Why?

What could you do to make the experiment better?

Make any other predictions why data turned out the way it did.

Making Metric Measurement

Prelab Discussion

In many biology investigations, precise measurement must be made before observations can be interpreted. Remember that your data is only as good as your weakest measurement. This is why scientists use something called significant figures. If your scale can only measure to .1 centimeters, it is not proper to report data to .001 cm. You simply were not able to measure that accurately. We will always use the metric system in science. Frankly, it is easier and is universal (the International System of Units called SI)

In this investigation, you will review SI units for measuring length, liquid volume, and mass. You will also learn how to use some basic laboratory equipment used in measuring.

Procedure

Part A. Measuring Length

  1. Use the meter-stick or metric ruler to measure the length, width, and height of your lab table in meters. Record your measurement to the nearest centimeter (.01 meter) in data table 1.
  1. Convert the measurements from meters to centimeters and then to millimeters. Record these measurements in Data Table 1. (How many significant figures?)
  1. Use the metric ruler to measure the length of a small test tube and the diameter of its mouth in centimeters. Record your measurements to the nearest millimeter in Data Table 2.
  1. Convert the measurements from centimeters to millimeters. Record these measurements in Data Table 2.

DATA TABLE 1 – Lab Table Measurements

Dimension / “m” / “cm” / “mm”
Length
Width
Height

DATA TABLE 2 – Test-Tube Measurements

Dimension / “cm” / “mm”
Length
Diameter of mouth

Part B. Measuring the volume of a Liquid

  1. Fill the test tube to the top with water. Pour the water into the graduated cylinder.
  1. If the graduated cylinder is made of glass, the surface of the liquid will be slightly curved. This curved surface is called a meniscus. To measure the volume accurately, your eye must be at the same level as the bottom of the meniscus (the bottom of the liquid curve). Read this mark on the graduated cylinder. Record the volume of the water from the test tube to the nearest milliliter in Data Table 3.
  1. Now pour the water into the 100 ml beaker and record the volume in the beaker. Record this number in table 3.

DATA TABLE 3 – Measurement of Volume

Object / “ml”
Water in Test Tube – graduated cylinder
Water in Test Tube – 100 ml beaker

Part C. Measuring Mass

Mass is not a measure of weight. Weight implies that gravity is involved. Mass is determined when your object is compared (balanced) against another object of a known mass. The mass remains exactly the same independent of the force of gravity. Therefore, mass is the same whether you are on earth or the moon which has a far weaker gravitational force.

  1. Turn on the balance if it is not already on.
  1. Push the tarr button. This should zero the balance so that it reads 0.0. Be certain that you are measuring in grams as some balances have different mode buttons and will measure in other systems.
  1. Measure the mass of a 100 ml beaker and record in Table 4.
  1. Now put the 100 ml beaker on the balance and tarr the balance. It should read 0.0 with the beaker sitting on it. Add 40 ml of water which you have measured in a graduated cylinder. Record the weight in table 4.
  1. Remove the beaker so that nothing is on the balance pan. Tarr the balance to 0.0 and reweigh your beaker with the water in it. Record this number.
  1. Now weigh a rubber stopper and a coin separately and record their weights for practice.

DATA TABLE 4 – Measurement of Mass

Object / “g”
100 ml beaker
40 ml water
50 ml beaker + 40 ml water
Rubber Stopper
Coin

Analyze and Conclude

  1. How do you convert meters to centimeters?

You divide by 100 or move the decimal place 2 places to the right

  1. How do you convert centimeters to millimeters?

Move the decimal place one to the right

  1. What is the largest volume of liquid your graduated cylinder can measure?

50ml

  1. What is the smallest volume of a liquid your graduated cylinder can measure?

1ml

  1. If you use the graduated cylinder for measurement, how many significant figures can you use in your measurements (decimal places)?

2 Sig Figs.

  1. Is the beaker volume different than the volume on the graduated cylinder?

Possibly but there is a lot of difference in the measurements

  1. Which do you think would be more accurate? How many significant figures (decimal places) can be used with the beaker measurement?

Graduated cylinder because it measures to more significant figures.

  1. What is the smallest mass of an object that your balance can measure?

1 Centigram0.01

  1. If you compared weight to mass, would the mass of the beaker on earth be greater than, less than or equal to the mass of the beaker on the moon? Why?

The mass would be equal

  1. Would the weight of the beaker on earth be greater than, less than or equal to the weight of the beaker on the moon?

The weight of the beaker on the moon would be less than the weight of the beaker on earth

Thinking Skills and Applications

  1. Why is it easier to convert meters to centimeters or millimeters than it is to convert miles to yards or feet?
  1. How would you find the mass of a certain amount of water that you poured into a paper cup?
  1. In this investigation, you found the mass of 40 ml of water. Based on your observations, what is the mass of 1 ml of water?

Using Graphing Skills

Pre-lab Discussion:

Recorded data should always be plotted on a graph. This makes the data easier to interpret and easier to share. Graphs are used to show a relationship between two or more different factors. Two common types of graphs are line graphs and bar graphs. In this lab, you will interpret and construct bar graphs, line graphs and circle graphs.

Part A. Interpreting Graphs

LINE GRAPH

The type of graph that best shows the relationship between two variables is the line graph. A line graph has one or more lines connecting a series of points. Along the horizontal axis or x-axis, you will find the most consistent variable in the experiment. Along the vertical axis or Y-axis, you will find the other variable.