Exam 1: The Nature of Science

David Blehert and his research team captured 117 healthy bats to study in the laboratory and divided them into four groups.Group 1 was housed in an area free from the fungus Geomyces destructans.Group 2 was housed in an area that shared the same air as bats infected with WNS,but these bats did not have direct contact with the infected bats.Group 3 was housed in direct contact with other bats infected with WNS.Bats in group 4 were directly exposed to Geomyces destructans when it was applied to their wings.During the study period the bats were monitored for signs of WNS.Which group is the control group?

The roots of a sunflower plant growing downward while the shoot grows upward and the flower turns toward the sun are examples of what characteristic of all living organisms?

In science,when a hypothesis or group of hypotheses supported by repeated experimental evidence holds true through time,it can be developed into a

Victoria,who is 10 years old,wants to be a zoologist when she grows up because she loves animals.So,she decided to begin her training by "doing something scientific." Specifically,she weighed and measured the lengths of all the earthworms she could find in her yard and recorded the data in a notebook.She then made a graph showing the maximum,minimum,and average weights and heights of the earthworms.Was she doing something scientific?

After observing that students who regularly attend class appear to be making good grades,I propose the hypothesis that regular class attendance increases the probability that students earn higher grades.If I attend classes regularly this semester,I should make higher grades than I did last semester when I often missed class.This is a ________.

A patient often experiences numbness and pain in the thumb and first two fingers on his right hand.He goes to the doctor,who suspects that carpal tunnel syndrome is the reason for the numbness and pain.The doctor then orders a simple test to see how fast nerve impulses are moving up and down the patient's arm.The doctor's preliminary diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome is a(n)

A species of butterflies gradually becomes darker in color over many generations; this is an example of which characteristic of living organisms?

Which of the following would be a theory?

Scientific understanding can always be challenged,and even changed,with new ways of observing and with different interpretations.For example,new tools and techniques have resulted in new observations and the discovery of additional information.This has resulted in revised ways of understanding how molecules are moved across the plasma membrane of cells.Hence,there is no certainty in science,only degrees of probability (likelihood)and potential for change.In light of this understanding,which of the following statements is MOST meaningful?

Some questions fall outside the realm of science.Which of the following questions could NOT be answered using the scientific method?

Scientists are human beings and,like all human beings,are susceptible to personal and group biases that may influence how they interpret evidence.Before original research work is accepted and added to a growing body of scientific understanding,perhaps even contributing to our understanding of an important scientific theory,it must be scrutinized by experts in the field who have no direct connection to the research under review.The main mechanism for doing this is

Recently,beekeepers have noticed an alarming and sudden disappearance of honeybees from their hives.Some beekeepers and environmentalists worry that crops genetically engineered to produce Bt insecticidal toxin may be killing the bees.Without data from a scientific experiment,is it reasonable to state that Bt-containing crops are responsible for the loss of honeybees?

In 1890,Robert Koch developed a hypothesis regarding the cause of communicable diseases.He designed an experiment and collected data that supported his hypothesis.Later,his experiment was repeated by many other scientists who used other pathogens and documented similar results that not only supported their hypotheses but also supported Koch's original hypothesis.These many experiments that supported multiple hypotheses regarding the cause of communicable diseases contributed to the development of the

A direct and repeatable observation of any aspect of the natural world can be considered a scientific ________.

During an experimental study,a control group is maintained under a standard set of conditions with no change in the independent variable.The ________ group is maintained under the same standard set of conditions as the control group,but the independent variable is adjusted.

DNA is one of the features common to all known forms of life; it

Which of the following statements is true?

Terrance observes that tomato seeds sprouting in his fresh compost pile seem to grow at a faster rate than tomato seeds that he planted in potting soil that was previously used to grow house plants.Describe an experiment that he could use to test the hypothesis that tomato seeds grown in fresh compost grow faster than those grown in used potting soil.Include information about appropriate variables,treatments,and controls.

Which term best describes the temperate deciduous forests that cover the northeastern United States,including the Adirondack Mountains?

A patient is coughing and producing a wheezing sound as she breathes; she also has a fever.She goes to the doctor who listens to her chest,takes X-rays of her chest,and determines that she probably has something called croup.Which of the following are the facts in this scenario?