Exam 1: The Nature of Science

Your friend says to you,"You do not need to understand evolution to understand biology because evolution is just a theory." How would you explain to your friend that a "theory" in science is not "just a theory"?

In science,when a hypothesis or group of hypotheses supported by repeated experimental evidence holds true through time,it can be developed into a ________.It is not a guess.It is not static.It is tentative and dynamic and can be adjusted when new,compelling evidence is discovered.It is typically an overarching explanation that best fits all of the available information or evidence.

Match the correct term(s) with the sentence. -________ your hypothesis,predictions,or test according to the results.

Scientists are human beings and are,like all human beings,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

You often experience numbness and pain in the thumb and first two fingers on your right hand.You go 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 your arm.The doctor's preliminary diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome is a(n)

Organize the following concepts in order of most exclusive to most inclusive and give a brief explanation of the concepts: biome,biosphere,community,ecosystem,organism,and population.

Experimental studies are an effective way of establishing a ________ relationship between two or more aspects of the natural world because they provide a way of testing predicted interaction(s).

The genetic material used for reproduction by those organisms conventionally considered to be living is ________.

The claim has been made that women may be able to achieve significant improvements in memory by taking Gingko biloba supplements.To determine if the claim is fraudulent and prior to accepting this claim,what type of evidence would you like to see? Provide brief details of an investigative design.

A researcher wanted to determine if consuming diet sodas causes diabetes.He conducted a study in which subjects were asked to recall how many diet sodas they drank each day,on average;the subjects' blood sugar levels were then measured.The average blood sugar levels were determined in the test subjects.Each group included an equal number of male and female participants and the groups were standardized for average weight and age.Which of these statements most accurately describes what is seen in the graph?

What characteristic is NOT shared by all living organisms?

Which of the following statements is true?

A way to visualize the breadth and scope of life,from the smallest structures of atoms and cells to the broadest interactions between living and nonliving systems that we can comprehend,is typically referred to as the ________.

Is it important for scientists to communicate their results to fellow scientists?

Observational studies typically point out correlations between aspects of the natural world,but they do not establish solid ________ relationships.

Which of these characteristics of living organisms are present in viruses?

Whenever we ________,we are proceeding scientifically.

Recently,beekeepers have noticed an alarming and sudden disappearance of honeybees from their hives.Some beekeepers and environmentalists worry that crops genetically engineered to contain the gene for the 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?

Match the correct term(s) with the sentence. -________ the results.

New medications undergo extensive human testing before receiving FDA approval.These tests represent an experiment and variations in the dosage given to participants represents the