DOCSLIB.ORG

Chapter 1: Introduction to Biology Lesson 1.1: What Is Science?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Chapter 1: Introduction to Biology Lesson 1.1: What Is Science? Chapter 1: Introduction to Biology Lesson 1.1: What is Science? Lesson Objectives ● Identify the goal of science. ● Describe the basic principles of science. ● Describe the branches of science. ● State the four unifying principles of biology. Vocabulary ● biology ● observation ● principle ● science WHAT IS SCIENCE? Have you ever wondered why giraffes have such long necks or how birds learn to sing their special songs? If you’ve ever asked questions such as these about the natural world, then you were thinking like a scientist. As a young child, you probably asked “Why?” and “How?” questions constantly. You may not realize it, but you were performing experiments all the time. For example, if you wanted to see if your plants would grow better with fertilizer, then you would set up a group of plants, keep all other conditions the same, but give a certain number of them fertilizer. You would periodically measure the height of each plant and eventually, after looking at the data, you would decide if plants do indeed grow better with fertilizer. The word science comes from a Latin word that means ‘‘knowledge.” Often, science is ​ ​ considered something that we study. However, it is so much more. Science is a distinctive way of gaining ​ ​ knowledge about the natural world that starts with a question, tries to answer the question with evidence and logic, and finally ends with discovery. Science is an exciting exploration of all the whys and hows that any curious person might have about the world. Besides your curiosity, all you need is a basic understanding of how scientists think and how science is done, starting with the goal of science. THE GOAL OF SCIENCE The goal of science is to understand the natural world. To achieve this goal, scientists make certain assumptions. They assume that: ● Nature can be understood through systematic study. ● Scientific ideas are open to revision. ● Sound scientific ideas withstand the test of time. ● Science cannot provide answers to all questions. There are many different areas of science, or scientific disciplines, but all scientific study involves: ​ ​ asking questions, making observations, relying on evidence to form conclusions, and being skeptical about ideas or results. Skepticism is an attitude of doubt about the truthfulness of claims that lack empirical evidence. Scientific skepticism, also referred to as skeptical inquiry, questions claims based on their scientific verifiability rather than accepting claims based on faith alone. Chapter 1: What is Science? 1 Nature Can Be Understood Scientists think of nature as a single system controlled by natural laws. By discovering natural laws, scientists strive to increase their understanding of the natural world. Laws of nature are expressed as scientific laws. A scientific law is a statement that describes what ​ always happens under certain conditions in nature. Scientific Ideas Can Change Science is more of a process than a set body of knowledge. Scientists are always testing and revising their ideas, and as new observations are made, existing ideas may be challenged. Ideas may be replaced with new ideas that better fit the facts, but more often existing ideas are simply revised. In this way, scientists gradually build an increasingly accurate and detailed understanding of the natural world. Scientific Knowledge Can Withstand the Test of Time Many scientific ideas have withstood the test of time. For example, about 200 years ago, the scientist John Dalton proposed the atomic theory—the theory that all matter is made of tiny particles called atoms. This theory is still valid today. There are many other examples of basic science ideas that have been tested repeatedly and found to be true. You will learn about many of them as you study biology. Science Cannot Answer All Questions Science rests on evidence and logic, so it deals only with things that can be observed. Things that cannot be observed or measured by current means—such as supernatural beings or events—are outside the bounds of science. Consider these two questions about life on Earth: ● Did life on Earth evolve over time? ● Was life on Earth created through another method? The first question can be answered by science on the basis of scientific evidence and logic. The second question could be a matter of belief. Therefore, it is outside the realm of science. Chapter 1: What is Science? 2 Figure 1 (Wysession, 2004): Science covers as broad range of topics and is split into different branches. BRANCHES OF SCIENCE The ideas that science covers are extremely vast. Due to this, science is often broken down into different branches and even further to specific areas of study. The three main branches of science include physical science, earth and space science, and biology. Biology is the study of life, so it covers the chemistry, physics, origins, behavior, and classification of all living things. Biology has many areas of study. Zoology is the study of animals. ​ ​ Botany is the study of plants. Genetics is the study of DNA and heredity. These are just a few examples ​ ​ ​ of the areas one can study under biology. Physical science covers matter and primarily non living things. The two areas within physical science are chemistry and physics. Chemistry is the study of matter. Physics is the study of energy. ​ ​ ​ ​ Earth and space science includes any ideas that cover the study of the earth. For example, geology is one of the main areas of earth and space science. Geology is the study of the structure of the ​ ​ earth. This includes study earth's rocks and many of the systems such as nutrient cycling. Another core area of study within earth and space science is astronomy. Astronomy is the study of the universe ​ ​ beyond earth, including the planets, sun, moon, stars, and universe. Splitting science up into different branches and areas creates problems as well. Many times scientist from one area will end up studying similar ideas as a scientist from another area. This overlap is caused because there is often a grey area as to what one should study. Many times these sciences are combined as seen with biochemistry and biophysics. WHAT IS BIOLOGY? “Biology” refers to the study of life. The Greek the word “bios” means “life”, and -logy means “study of”. Today, biology is referred to as the study of living things. You may think that this is the ​ ​ study of plants, animals, and microorganism, but it also so much more. Biologist’s study ALL aspects of living things. This includes cells, reproduction, genetics, growth and development, obtaining minerals and energy, responses to environment, maintaining a stable internal environment, how groups change over time, and relationships between species. In general, four unifying principles, or ‘big ideas’, form the basis of biology. These include: 1. Evolution - evolution drives the diversity and unity of life ​ 2. Free Energy - energy/materials are used for growth, organism create an internal balance ​ 3. Information - living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information ​ 4. Systems - biological systems interact, these systems/interactions possess complex properties ​ Chapter 1: What is Science? 3 Lesson Summary ● The goal of science is to understand the natural world through systematic study. Scientific knowledge is based on evidence and logic. ● The idea of science includes two core ideas: 1) scientific knowledge. 2) scientific process ● Scientific knowledge and study can be split up into different branches. These include physical science, earth and space science, and biology. ● Four underlying principles form the basis of biology. They are evolution, free energy, information, and systems. References/ Multimedia Resources Wysession, Michael, David V. Frank, and Sophia Yancopoulos. Prentice Hall Physical Science: Concepts ​ in Action: With Earth and Space Science. Needham, MA: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004. Print. ​ Textbook resource granted through licensure agreement with the CK-12 Foundation at www.ck-12.org CK-12 Foundation 3430 W. Bayshore Rd., Suite 101 Palo Alto, CA 94303 USA http://www.ck12.org/saythanks Except as otherwise noted, all CK-12 Content (including CK-12 Curriculum Material) is made available to Users in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution/Non-Commercial/Share Alike 3.0 Unported (CC-by-NC-SA) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/), as amended and ​ ​ updated by Creative Commons from time to time (the “CC License”), which is incorporated herein by this reference. Complete terms can be found at http://www.ck12.org/terms. ​ ​ Chapter 1: What is Science? 4 .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Social Sciences—How Scientific Are They?
    31 The Social Sciences—How Scientifi c Are They? Manas Sarma or Madame Curie. That is, he social sciences are a very important and amazing in their own way. fi eld of study. A division of science, social sciences Tembrace a wide variety of topics from anthropology A better example of a social to sociology. The social sciences cover a wide range of science than law may be topics that are crucial for understanding human experience/ economics. economics behavior in groups or as individuals. is, in a word, fi nances. Economics is the study By defi nition, social science is the branch of science that deals of how money changes, the rate at which it changes, and with the human facets of the natural world (the other two how it potentially could change and the rate at which it branches of science are natural science and formal science). would. Even though economics does not deal with science Some social sciences are law, economics, and psychology, to directly, it is defi nitely equally scientifi c. About 50-60% of name a few. The social sciences have existed since the time colleges require calculus to study business or economics. of the ancient Greeks, and have evolved ever since. Over Calculus is also required in some science fi elds, like physics time, social sciences have grown and gained a big following. or chemistry. Since economics and science both require Some colleges, like Yale University, have chosen to focus calculus, economics is still a science. more on the social sciences than other subjects. The social sciences are more based on qualitative data and not as Perhaps the most scientifi c of the social sciences is black-and-white as the other sciences, so even though they psychology.
    [Show full text]
  • A Comprehensive Framework to Reinforce Evidence Synthesis Features in Cloud-Based Systematic Review Tools
    applied sciences Article A Comprehensive Framework to Reinforce Evidence Synthesis Features in Cloud-Based Systematic Review Tools Tatiana Person 1,* , Iván Ruiz-Rube 1 , José Miguel Mota 1 , Manuel Jesús Cobo 1 , Alexey Tselykh 2 and Juan Manuel Dodero 1 1 Department of Informatics Engineering, University of Cadiz, 11519 Puerto Real, Spain; [email protected] (I.R.-R.); [email protected] (J.M.M.); [email protected] (M.J.C.); [email protected] (J.M.D.) 2 Department of Information and Analytical Security Systems, Institute of Computer Technologies and Information Security, Southern Federal University, 347922 Taganrog, Russia; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Systematic reviews are powerful methods used to determine the state-of-the-art in a given field from existing studies and literature. They are critical but time-consuming in research and decision making for various disciplines. When conducting a review, a large volume of data is usually generated from relevant studies. Computer-based tools are often used to manage such data and to support the systematic review process. This paper describes a comprehensive analysis to gather the required features of a systematic review tool, in order to support the complete evidence synthesis process. We propose a framework, elaborated by consulting experts in different knowledge areas, to evaluate significant features and thus reinforce existing tool capabilities. The framework will be used to enhance the currently available functionality of CloudSERA, a cloud-based systematic review Citation: Person, T.; Ruiz-Rube, I.; Mota, J.M.; Cobo, M.J.; Tselykh, A.; tool focused on Computer Science, to implement evidence-based systematic review processes in Dodero, J.M.
    [Show full text]
  • Molecular Biology for Computer Scientists
    CHAPTER 1 Molecular Biology for Computer Scientists Lawrence Hunter “Computers are to biology what mathematics is to physics.” — Harold Morowitz One of the major challenges for computer scientists who wish to work in the domain of molecular biology is becoming conversant with the daunting intri- cacies of existing biological knowledge and its extensive technical vocabu- lary. Questions about the origin, function, and structure of living systems have been pursued by nearly all cultures throughout history, and the work of the last two generations has been particularly fruitful. The knowledge of liv- ing systems resulting from this research is far too detailed and complex for any one human to comprehend. An entire scientific career can be based in the study of a single biomolecule. Nevertheless, in the following pages, I attempt to provide enough background for a computer scientist to understand much of the biology discussed in this book. This chapter provides the briefest of overviews; I can only begin to convey the depth, variety, complexity and stunning beauty of the universe of living things. Much of what follows is not about molecular biology per se. In order to 2ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY explain what the molecules are doing, it is often necessary to use concepts involving, for example, cells, embryological development, or evolution. Bi- ology is frustratingly holistic. Events at one level can effect and be affected by events at very different levels of scale or time. Digesting a survey of the basic background material is a prerequisite for understanding the significance of the molecular biology that is described elsewhere in the book.
    [Show full text]
  • Outline of Science
    Outline of science The following outline is provided as a topical overview of • Empirical method – science: • Experimental method – The steps involved in order Science – systematic effort of acquiring knowledge— to produce a reliable and logical conclusion include: through observation and experimentation coupled with logic and reasoning to find out what can be proved or 1. Asking a question about a natural phenomenon not proved—and the knowledge thus acquired. The word 2. Making observations of the phenomenon “science” comes from the Latin word “scientia” mean- 3. Forming a hypothesis – proposed explanation ing knowledge. A practitioner of science is called a for a phenomenon. For a hypothesis to be a "scientist". Modern science respects objective logical rea- scientific hypothesis, the scientific method re- soning, and follows a set of core procedures or rules in or- quires that one can test it. Scientists generally der to determine the nature and underlying natural laws of base scientific hypotheses on previous obser- the universe and everything in it. Some scientists do not vations that cannot satisfactorily be explained know of the rules themselves, but follow them through with the available scientific theories. research policies. These procedures are known as the 4. Predicting a logical consequence of the hy- scientific method. pothesis 5. Testing the hypothesis through an experiment – methodical procedure carried out with the 1 Essence of science goal of verifying, falsifying, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis. The 3 types of
    [Show full text]
  • Principal Scientist, Pharmacology (DMPK) at Entrada Therapeutics Full-Time Opportunity in Boston, MA
    Principal Scientist, Pharmacology (DMPK) at Entrada Therapeutics Full-Time Opportunity in Boston, MA Company Overview Entrada Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to transforming the treatment of devastating diseases through the intracellular delivery of biologics. Entrada’s technology enables the efficient intracellular delivery of proteins, peptides and nucleic acids, thus allowing for the development of programs across several intracellular target classes. The Company’s novel approach addresses current challenges associated with both large and small molecule therapeutics and represents a fundamental advancement in the delivery of molecules into the cytosol. Entrada is comprised of experts and leaders in both biologics development and the rare disease space. In December 2018, Entrada closed a $59 million Series A from 5AM Ventures, MPM Capital, Roche Venture Fund, MRL Ventures Fund and Agent Capital. Position Summary Entrada is hiring for a highly motivated, collaborative and innovative Principal Scientist, specializing in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology to join the Company’s intracellular biologics discovery and development efforts. The candidate will work with a world-class, multidisciplinary team of drug discovery scientists and lead the in vitro and in vivo ADME, PK, PD and toxicokinetic efforts. Specifically, the candidate will design, manage and execute in vitro and in vivo programs both in- house and at contract research organizations. The candidate will also be responsible for analyzing, interpreting and modeling
    [Show full text]
  • How Science Works
    PB 1 How science works The Scientific Method is traditionally presented in the first chapter of science text- books as a simple recipe for performing scientific investigations. Though many use- ful points are embodied in this method, it can easily be misinterpreted as linear and “cookbook”: pull a problem off the shelf, throw in an observation, mix in a few ques- tions, sprinkle on a hypothesis, put the whole mixture into a 350° experiment—and voila, 50 minutes later you’ll be pulling a conclusion out of the oven! That might work if science were like Hamburger Helper®, but science is complex and cannot be re- duced to a single, prepackaged recipe. The linear, stepwise representation of the process of science is simplified, but it does get at least one thing right. It captures the core logic of science: testing ideas with evidence. However, this version of the scientific method is so simplified and rigid that it fails to accurately portray how real science works. It more accurately describes how science is summarized after the fact—in textbooks and journal articles—than how sci- ence is actually done. The simplified, linear scientific method implies that scientific studies follow an unvarying, linear recipe. But in reality, in their work, scientists engage in many different activities in many different sequences. Scientific investigations often involve repeating the same steps many times to account for new information and ideas. The simplified, linear scientific method implies that science is done by individual scientists working through these steps in isolation. But in reality, science depends on interactions within the scientific community.
    [Show full text]
  • Internationalizing the University Curricula Through Communication
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 428 409 CS 510 027 AUTHOR Oseguera, A. Anthony Lopez TITLE Internationalizing the University Curricula through Communication: A Comparative Analysis among Nation States as Matrix for the Promulgation of Internationalism, through the Theoretical Influence of Communication Rhetors and International Educators, Viewed within the Arena of Political-Economy. PUB DATE 1998-12-00 NOTE 55p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Speech Communication Association of Puerto Rico (18th, San Juan, Puerto Rico, December 4-5, 1998). PUB TYPE Reports Research (143) Speeches/Meeting Papers (150) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC03 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *College Curriculum; *Communication (Thought Transfer); Comparative Analysis; *Educational Change; Educational Research; Foreign Countries; Global Approach; Higher Education; *International Education IDENTIFIERS *Internationalism ABSTRACT This paper surveys the current situation of internationalism among the various nation states by a comparative analysis, as matrix, to promulgate the internationalizing process, as a worthwhile goal, within and without the college and university curricula; the theoretical influence and contributions of scholars in communication, international education, and political-economy, moreover, become allies toward this endeavor. The paper calls for the promulgation of a new and more effective educational paradigm; in this respect, helping the movement toward the creation of new and better schools for the next millennium. The paper profiles "poorer nations" and "richer nations" and then views the United States, with its enormous wealth, leading technology, vast educational infrastructure, and its respect for democratic principles, as an agent with agencies that can effect positive consequences to ameliorating the status quo. The paper presents two hypotheses: the malaise of the current educational paradigm is real, and the "abertura" (opening) toward a better paradigmatic, educational pathway is advisable and feasible.
    [Show full text]
  • A Very Useful Guide to Understanding STEM
    A Very Useful Guide to Understanding STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) By Delphine Ryan Version 2.0 Enquiries: [email protected] 1 © 2018 Delphine Ryan – A very useful guide to understanding STEM INTRODUCTION Imagine a tree with many branches representing human knowledge. We could say that this knowledge may be split into two large branches, with one branch being science and the other being the humanities. From these two large branches, lots of smaller branches have grown, and each represent a specific subject, but are still connected to the larger branches in some way. What do we mean by the humanities? The humanities refers to the learning concerned with human culture, such as literature, languages, history, art, music, geography and so on, as opposed to science. A science is an organised collection of facts about something which have been found by individuals and groups of individuals looking into such things as how birds fly, or why different substances react with each other, or what causes the seasons of the year (different temperatures, amount of daylight, etc.). More on this will be discussed in this booklet. In the following section, I aim to give you a balanced explanation of what we call the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in order to help you decide which career path would be best for you: a career in the sciences or in the humanities. I will also talk about art and its relationship to STEM subjects. And finally, I aim to give you a balanced view of the relationship between the sciences and the humanities, and to demonstrate to you, in the final section, how these two large branches of human knowledge work together, always.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to the History of Science
    Intro duc tion to the His to ry of Scien ce . Vol. I, from Homer to Omar Khayyam. By George Sarton, Associate in the History of Science, Carnegie Institution, Washington, D. C. Pub- lished for the Carnegie Institution. Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins Company, 1927. In the introductory chapter to this truly magnificent volume Dr. Sarton, the author, who has already done so much for the history of science by his able editorship of Isis, states that his purpose is to explain briefly, yet as com- pletely as possible, “the development of science, that is of systematized positive knowledge.” He is careful to state that his work will contain but few references to political or economic history, nor to the history of art, not because of any lack of appreciation of their great importance but because there already exist many excellent books dealing with them. On the other hand he does devote much space to the history of religion because we cannot understand the intellectual background of a people without a study of its religious problems and ideas. This is obvious to the most superficial observer if he considers the way in which medieval thought was completely dominated by theological conceptions; “Theol- ogy was at once the core of science and the prop of religion.” Although music is now more generally con- sidered as an art than a science yet Sarton finds it is necessary to incorporate some material concerning its history, recalling that it was one of the main divisions of the quadrivium which dominated medieval education. Much impor- tance is also due to the early history of philology.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecology: Definition, Scope and Relationship with Other Sciences
    Ecology: Definition, Scope and Relationship with other sciences By Shalinder Kaur Department of Botany P.G.G.C.G. – 11 Chandigarh The word "ecology" ("oekologie") (coined by German scientist Ernst Haeckel,1866) was derived from the Greek ―oikos” meaning "household" and logos meaning "science:" the "study of the household of nature." Ecology is not synonymous with environment, environmentalism, or environmental science. Ecology is closely related to physiology, evolutionary biology, genetics and ethology. An understanding of how biodiversity affects ecological function is an important focus area in ecological studies. Ecology: branch of science that deals with interaction between living organisms with each other and their surroundings. Ecological systems are studied at several different levels from individuals and populations to ecosystems and biosphere level. Ecology is a multi-disciplinary science, drawing on many other branches of science. Applied ecology is the practice of employing ecological principles and understanding to solve real world problems. E.g. calculating fish population, measuring environmental impact from construction or logging, building a case for the conservation of a species, and determining the most effective way to protect a species. In a broader sense, ecology can also mean: Natural environment: using the principles and methods of ecology. Human Ecology: looks at humans and their interactions with the natural environment. Scope of Ecology Ecology can be studied at several levels, from proteins and nucleic acids (in biochemistry and molecular biology), cells (in cellular biology), organisms (in botany, zoology, and other similar disciplines), and finally at the level of populations, communities, and ecosystems — which are the subjects of ecology. Because of its focus on the broadest level of life and on the interrelations between living beings and their environment, ecology draws heavily on other branches of science, such as geology and geography, meteorology, pedology, chemistry, and physics.
    [Show full text]
  • Application Scientist (M/F/D) Biophysical Methods
    CAREERS JOIN OUR TEAM Application Scientist (m/f/d) Biophysical Methods Munich, Germany We are a growing provider of scientific instruments for the analysis of molecular interactions and are seeking highly motivated individuals to join our team as Application Scientists for our innovative heliX® biosensors. We welcome applications from high-potentials who want to use their innovative minds to realize novel biophysical assays and to push the limits of what is possible in biosensing. If you like: • applied science and collaborating with scientists, technical sales, software developers and engineers • advanced scientific instruments for high-end research challenges in academia and industry • conformational changes, molecular interactions and investigating binding kinetics, affinities, enzymatic activity, and thermodynamics of biomolecules • advancing a pioneering biosensing technology (switchSENSE®), developing new biophysical assays to fight cancer and other diseases, and being embedded at the forefront of next-generation drug development • being a technical expert who enjoys providing advice, training, and hands-on support • traveling and an international work environment And if you have: • a friendly personality with great team spirit • training in biophysics, physics, biochemistry, chemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology, or similar (MSc, or PhD level) • a positive, hands-on attitude combined with a relentless will to get things to work • excellent communication and presentation skills • the ability to manage several projects simultaneously
    [Show full text]
  • Branches of Science Biology
    Branches of Science Biology • The study of life. • Biology is concerned with the characteristics, classification, and behaviors of organisms, how species come into existence, and the interactions they have with each other and with the natural environment. Paleontology • Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of the history and development of life on Earth, including that of ancient plants and animals, based on the fossil record. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks, burrows, cast-off parts, fossilized feces and chemical residues. Paleontology Ecology • Ecology, is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of living organisms and how the distribution and abundance are affected by interactions between the organisms and their environment. The environment of an organism includes physical properties like sunlight, climate, and geology, as well as the other organisms that share its habitat. Ecology: The study of the household of nature Entomology • Entomology is the scientific study of insects. Insects have many kinds of interactions with humans and other forms of life on earth, so it is an important specialty within biology. Entomology Mammalogy • The study of mammals Zoology • Zoology is the biological discipline which involves the study of non-human animals. Botany • Botany is the scientific study of plantlife. Botany covers a wide range of scientific disciplines that study the structure, growth, reproduction, metabolism, development and diseases of plants. The study of plants and botany began with tribal lore, used to identify edible, medicinal and poisonous plants, making botany one of the oldest sciences. Botany Ichthyology • Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish.
    [Show full text]