Jonathan Wood 10W 10th; Biology; Notes; Lesson 1

Chapter 1: The Study of Life

Section 1.1 Introduction to Biology

As we study biology this year it is important to know what branch of the natural sciences it belongs to. The
branches of natural science are as follows:

I. Classification of the Natural Sciences

A. The Physical Sciences
1. Physics: The study of matter and energy and the interactions between them. Physicists
study such subjects as gravity, light, and time.
2. Chemistry: The science that deals with the composition, properties, reactions, and the
structure of matter.
B. The Earth Sciences
1. Geology: The science of the origin, history, and structure of the Earth, and the
physical, chemical, and biological changes that it has experienced or is experiencing.
2. Oceanography: The exploration and study of the ocean.
3. Paleontology: The science of the forms of life that existed in prehistoric or geologic
periods.
4. Meteorology: The science that deals with the atmosphere and its phenomena, such as
weather and climate.
5. Astronomy: The study of the universe beyond the Earth's atmosphere.
C. The Life Sciences (Biology)
1. Botany: The study of plants.
2. Zoology: The science that covers animals and animal life.
3. Genetics: The study of heredity.
4. Medicine: The science of diagnosing, treating, and preventing illness, disease, and
injury.
5. Ecology: The science that studies the interactions between the living and nonliving
parts of the environment.
II. Why is the study of biology important?
1. Genesis 1:28-30. ( Creation Mandate) God commands us to subdue the Earth. In order
to do that effectively and be good stewards of God’s Creation we need to know how
things work.
2. Psalm 19: 1-3. When we study God’s creation it gives us a sense of marvel and awe at
God’s awesome power.
3. Romans 1:20. Studying creation brings us closer to our Creator as we can see his
qualities reflected in His creation.

In addition to these Biblical reasons to study Biology, we can list some more reasons the
study of biology is important.

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4. Biological knowledge helps us fight diseases and illnesses.

5. Biological knowledge helps us understand, prevent and cure genetic disorders.
6. Biological knowledge helps us make informed choices that directly impact our lives.
7. Biological knowledge is used to feed a hungry world.
8. Biological knowledge is used to preserve our environment for future generations.

III. The Characteristics of Life

1. Made up of one or more cells – All organisms are made up of one or more cells.
Ex. Paramecium(unicellular) , elephant ( multicellular)
2. Displays organization – They have organized structures.
Ex. cells→tissues→ organs→organ system→ organism.
3. Grows and develops- Growth is the addition of mass to an organism. Ex. Baby
elephant to adult elephant. Development is the process of natural changes that
take place during the life of an organism. Ex. Tadpole to frog
4. Reproduces- not an essential characteristic but at least some members of the
species will need to reproduce in order to perpetuate the species
5. Responds to stimuli- A stimulus is anything that causes a reaction in an organism,
and the reaction is called a response. Being able to respond to a stimulus is critical
for an organism’s survival and safety. Ex.
6. Requires energy –Living things need sources of energy to fuel their life functions
7. Maintains homeostasis- Regulation of an organisms internal conditions to
maintain life is called homeostasis. If anything happens to an organism that
disturbs its normal state it must be corrected. If homeostasis is not restored,
death might occur. Ex. Sweating
8. Adaptations evolve over time –An adaptation is any inherited characteristic that
results from changes to a species over time. Adaptations enable species to survive
and therefore pass their genes to their offspring.

Section 1.2 The Nature of Science

• Science is the asking and answering of questions in order to satisfy curiosity about the
natural world.

• A scientist is a person who is curious about the natural world. Professional scientists are
trained in certain techniques and methods.

• Science can also be divided into two categories: pure science and applied science
(technology)

• Technology is the use of knowledge and innovations to solve practical problems

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• A scientific theory is a general statement of why things work based on hypotheses that
have been tested many times. It is an explanation of natural phenomena.

• A scientific law is a statement of what happens in a certain event based on verified

observations and experiments. It describes relationships under certain conditions in
nature.

• What is peer review and why is it important in science? Peer review is a process by
which the procedures and results of an experiment are evaluated by others who are in the
same field or who are conducting similar research. It is important because it gives
credibility to research papers and prevents false information from being printed in
scientific journals.

• What does it mean to be scientifically literate and why is it important? A person who is
scientifically literate combines a basic understanding of science and its processes with
reasoning and thinking skills. In order to evaluate all the amount of information available
in the world you must be scientifically literate. This way you can participate in discussions
about important issues and support policies that reflect your views.

• A lot of issues our world faces everyday involve science and ethics. Ex. Euthanasia, stem
cell research, abortion, genetic engineering. Ethics is a set of moral principles or values.
Ethic issues must be aggressed by society based on the values it holds important.

• The limitations of science

• Science can only provide approximate descriptions of how the world works. Although God
has created the universe to follow certain scientific laws he has chosen to hide these laws
from mankind (Prov. 25:2) so that as we seek them out, we will be awed by His wisdom
and power. But we must be aware that our knowledge has limits. (Isaiah 55:9,I Cor. 13:12)

• The scope of science is limited to the study of matter and energy in the present. Science
cannot study God or explain man’s soul, human behavior, or the difference between right
and wrong.

• Since science is performed by humans and human nature is essentially flawed and this
leads to errors. Bias is an inherent part of human nature. Because of bias a scientist may
incorrectly interpret the results of an experiment.

• Science relies on assumptions. Although scientist generally try to avoid making unproven
assumptions, it is originally required. If the assumptions are correct then the conclusions
are correct, but if the assumptions are wrong, then the conclusion is wrong.

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Section 1.3 The Method of Science

What is the scientific method?

• It is a series of steps that scientists use to answer questions and solve problems.

• It is not a rigid procedure; scientists may use all or just some of the steps.

• The goal of the scientific method is to come up with reliable answers and solutions.

The six steps of the scientific method

1. Ask a Question

2. Form a Hypothesis

3. Test the Hypothesis

4. Analyze the Results

5. Draw Conclusions

6. Communicate Results

Ask a question

• Good questions come from careful observations. You make observations by using your
senses to gather information. Sometimes you may use some instruments such as
microscopes and telescopes, to extend the range of your senses. As you observe the
natural world, you will discover that you have many more questions than answers. These
questions drive the scientific method

• Questions beginning with what, why, how, and when are very important in focusing an
investigation, and they often lead to hypothesis.

Form a Hypothesis

• After you come up with an investigative question you need to turn the question into a
hypothesis.

• A hypothesis is a clear statement of what you expect the answer to your question to be.
Your hypothesis will represent your best “educated” guess based on your observations
and on what you already know.

• A good hypothesis is testable. If observations and information cannot be gathered or if an

experiment cannot be designed to test your hypothesis, it is untestable, and the
investigation can go no further.

• Notice that the hypothesis provides some specifics that lead to the methods of testing.
The hypothesis can also lead to predictions.

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Test the Hypothesis

• After you have formed a hypothesis, you should test your hypothesis.

• There are different ways to do this .One way is through a controlled experiment. An
experiment is a when you investigate a phenomena in a controlled setting to test a
hypothesis.

• A controlled experiment is an experiment in which you test only one factor at a time.

• A controlled experiment has a control group and one or more experimental groups.

• After you have formed a hypothesis and made a prediction, you should test your
hypothesis.

• There are different ways to do this .One way is through a controlled experiment.

Analyze the Results

• Data is the information gathered from observations. It can be quantitative or qualitative.

• To make communication easier all scientist use the metric system when collecting data
and experiments. This system is known as the SI system.

• After you have completed your experiments, made your observations, and collected your
data, you must analyze all the information you have gathered.

• Tables and graphs are often used in this step to organize data.

Draw Conclusions

• Based on the analysis of the data, you should conclude whether or not your results
support your hypothesis.

• If your hypothesis is supported, you might want to repeat the observations or experiments
to verify your results.

• If your hypothesis is not supported by the data, you might have to check your procedure
for errors. You might even have to reject your hypothesis and make a new one.

• If you cannot draw a conclusion from your results, you might have to try the investigation
again or carry our further observations or experiments.

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Communicate Results

• After any scientific investigation, you should report your results.

• By doing a written or oral report, you should let others know what you have learned.

• They might want to repeat your investigation to see if they get the same results.

• Your report may even lead to another question, which in turn may lead to another
investigation.

Vocabulary

• A hypothesis is a possible explanation for an observable event. It is a statement that can

be tested by observation or a controlled experiment.

• An observation is any information about the physical world that we gather by using our
senses. There are two kinds: quantitative observations and qualitative observations.

• An inference is an idea, suggested by observations, that attempts to explain an occurrence

in nature.

• A control group is the part of an experiment that serves as a standard to which variables
are compared.

• An experimental group is the part of an experiment in which the variable is tested.

• A variable is any factor in an experiment that could affect the results and is therefore
tested separately.

• A constant is a factor that remains fixed during an experiment while the independent and
dependent variable change.

• Independent variable is the variable that is varied or manipulated by the researcher.

An independent variable is the presumed cause.

• Dependent variable is the response that is measured. The dependent variable is the
presumed effect.

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