Summary Biology 102 - Exam 1 Study guide

Biol 102
Spring 2021
Exam 1 Study Guide & Review Sheet

EXAM REVIEW SHEET:
At the end of these units, you should be able to fully answer and explain the following …
The Process of Science
 Science as a way of knowing.
o What types of questions can science be used to explore?
o What types of questions cannot be explored using scientific methods?
o Science is based on the process of hypothesis testing. What is a hypothesis?
 Informed, logical and plausible explanation for observations of the natural world.
o Science is limited to hypotheses that can be falsified. What does this mean?
 It must make predictions that can be clearly determined to be true or false, right or wrong.
o Hypothesis testing yields the facts of science. What is a scientific fact?
 A direct and repeatable observation of any aspect of the natural world.
o Ultimately, science seeks to develop theories. What is a “theory” in science?
 A hypothesis, or group of related hypotheses that has received substantial confirmation
through diverse lines of investigation by independent researchers.
o Why does science never claim to have proven a hypothesis? What language do they used when the
data indicate their hypothesis is true?
 It can never be completely proven, so they reject or accept hypothesis, or modify it.
o When scientists draw conclusions from their evidence, they must be careful to distinguish
between correlation and causation. Define each of these terms.
 Correlation: Two or more aspects of the natural world behave in a interrelated
manner.
 Causation: Change in one aspect causes change in another.
o What are the limits of science?
 Only can be applied to observable and measurable natural world
 Cannot tell us what to with the information it uncovers
 Provide no help as to what is morally or ethically right or wrong
 Does not provide insight into life experiences of those different from ourselves
 The scientific method
o Distinguish between types of Treatments: Experimental Treatment (called the “treatment group”
in the PowerPoint & textbook) and Control Treatment.
 Experimental treatment: Those exposed to the independent variable
 Control Treatment: Those who experience everything except the variable
being tested. Serves as the benchmark for outcome without the treatment
o What is the role of each component of a scientific experiment?
o Independent vs dependent variables vs-controlled variables
 Independent: A single variable that is manipulated
 Dependent: Any variable that responds or could potentially respond to the
changes in the independent variable
 Control: maintained under a standard set of conditions with no change in
the independent variable
o Predictions
 ??
o Know the experiments you did in lab – what were the dependent and independent variables in
your heart rate experiments? What variables did you control in the experiments?
 Independent: Mouth breathing or nose breathing

,  Dependent: Heart rate
 Control variables: breathing time, when you measured your heart rate

o What is peer-review? What does it accomplish?
 Found in scientific journals that publish original research after it has passed
the scrutiny of experts who have no direct involvement in the research
under review.
o Drawing conclusions based on data can be challenging. What are some pitfalls that can lead to
wrong conclusions?
 ??
o What is the role of statistics in science?
 Helps use the proper methods to collect data, employ the correct analyses
and effectively present the results.
o Do cell phones cause brain cancer? Explain…
 No, there is no direct correlation/causation that cell phones cause brain
cancer

 Know the textbook story of how researchers explored white-nose syndrome in bats
o What observations did the scientists make?
 The sick bats not only had white noses, but also had depleted fat reserves,
meaning they did have enough stored energy to get through the winter.
o What were the two main hypotheses they proposed to explain the dead bats?
 The fungus was the primary cause of death in bats
 The fungus was the secondary effect of an underlying condition, such as a viral
infection
 An environmental contaminant, such as a pesticide was the cause of death
o What were the 4 groups of Blehert’s experiment? See Figure 1.6.
 Control group
 Airborne exposure
 Contact exposure
 Fungus applied to wings
o What question was each group designed to answer?
 Is WNS caused by contact with the fungus Geomyces destructans? (Hypothesis
was supported, only those who came in contact with Geomyces destructans
contracted WNS).

 Pseudoscience
o What is pseudo-science?
 Scientific-sounding statements, beliefs, or practices that are not actually
based on the scientific method.
o What sorts of things can you look for in a study to help determine whether the methods are
truly scientific?
 Observable or quantifiable?
 Clear and measurable?
 Testable and falsifiable?
 Carefully designed and reproducible?
 Logically follow?
 Review from practicing scientists?