WOFFORD COLLEGE BIO 150 EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE – DR.
PUTNEY 2026/2027
Criteria used to define/recognize science/scientific statements and examples - Ans✅✅✅
Hypotheses - Ans✅✅✅ Developed from a research question.
A tentative biological explanation for an observed natural phenomenon.
Needs to generate specific, testable predictions.
Theories - Ans✅✅✅ A well-substantiated explanation.
Supported by a large body of evidence.
Explains why a phenomenon occurs/exists.
Laws - Ans✅✅✅ A DESCRIPTIVE generalization of the natural world behaving under certain
circumstances.
Describes a phenomenon.
Distinguish between hypotheses and predictions - Ans✅✅✅ A hypothesis is an explanation for an
observation.
A prediction is the outcome if the hypothesis is correct.
What is science and how do we do it? - Ans✅✅✅ CONPTTF
- consistent
- observable
- natural
- predictable
, - testable
- tentative
- falsifiable
Why should you not say prove/disprove when talking about science? - Ans✅✅✅ Science is always
changing and new facts and evidence is always arising that could change pre-existing ideas about
science.
What is the importance of a control treatment (or standard for comparison) in an
experiment? - Ans✅✅✅ You need to have a group that is unaffected so you can see exactly where
the change occurs and what caused it.
Independent variables
o Be able to describe what the independent variable in an experiment is
o Be able to distinguish between experimental and control treatments within the ind.
var - Ans✅✅✅ Independent variable- what you change
Dependent variable- what changes in response to the independent variable
Reading and interpreting graphs/figures
o X-axis, y-axis
o What part of the figure represents the independent vs. dependent variable - Ans✅✅✅
independent = x axis
dependent = y axis
What is empirical? How is science empirical and how does it differ from other ways of
knowing - Ans✅✅✅ Empirical evidence is information acquired by observation or experimentation.
What is the difference between evolution and natural selection? - Ans✅✅✅ -Evolution is a gradual
change in the inherited traits of a population over many generations.
-Natural selection is a mechanism where the members of a population best suited to their environment
have the best chance of surviving to pass on their genes.
PUTNEY 2026/2027
Criteria used to define/recognize science/scientific statements and examples - Ans✅✅✅
Hypotheses - Ans✅✅✅ Developed from a research question.
A tentative biological explanation for an observed natural phenomenon.
Needs to generate specific, testable predictions.
Theories - Ans✅✅✅ A well-substantiated explanation.
Supported by a large body of evidence.
Explains why a phenomenon occurs/exists.
Laws - Ans✅✅✅ A DESCRIPTIVE generalization of the natural world behaving under certain
circumstances.
Describes a phenomenon.
Distinguish between hypotheses and predictions - Ans✅✅✅ A hypothesis is an explanation for an
observation.
A prediction is the outcome if the hypothesis is correct.
What is science and how do we do it? - Ans✅✅✅ CONPTTF
- consistent
- observable
- natural
- predictable
, - testable
- tentative
- falsifiable
Why should you not say prove/disprove when talking about science? - Ans✅✅✅ Science is always
changing and new facts and evidence is always arising that could change pre-existing ideas about
science.
What is the importance of a control treatment (or standard for comparison) in an
experiment? - Ans✅✅✅ You need to have a group that is unaffected so you can see exactly where
the change occurs and what caused it.
Independent variables
o Be able to describe what the independent variable in an experiment is
o Be able to distinguish between experimental and control treatments within the ind.
var - Ans✅✅✅ Independent variable- what you change
Dependent variable- what changes in response to the independent variable
Reading and interpreting graphs/figures
o X-axis, y-axis
o What part of the figure represents the independent vs. dependent variable - Ans✅✅✅
independent = x axis
dependent = y axis
What is empirical? How is science empirical and how does it differ from other ways of
knowing - Ans✅✅✅ Empirical evidence is information acquired by observation or experimentation.
What is the difference between evolution and natural selection? - Ans✅✅✅ -Evolution is a gradual
change in the inherited traits of a population over many generations.
-Natural selection is a mechanism where the members of a population best suited to their environment
have the best chance of surviving to pass on their genes.
