CHP 1

• Biology


  Detailed study of living things in the natural environment
• Branches of biology


  • Botany
  • Physiology
  • Genetics
  • Microbiology
  • Ecology
• Applications of biology


  • Medical
  • Food production
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Agriculture
• Emergency shower station


  • Used when chemicals or hazardous substances come into contact with the skin
• Fume hood


  • To avoid breathing in hazardous gases like chlorine, bromine and nitrogen dioxide
• Eye wash station


  • Used to wash the eyes when exposed to chemicals or hazardous substances
• Laminar flow cabinet


  • Provides a flow of filtered air for a clean work area
• Biological safety cabinet


  • Provides an enclosed work space to study materials that have been contaminated by pathogens
• Chemicals allowed in the lab


  • Chemicals with pH values between 5-9
  • Harmless low concentration liquids and solutions (sucrose solution, dye solution, distilled water)
• Chemicals not allowed in the lab

  • Organic solvents (acetone, alcohol, benzene)
  • Substances with pH values < 5 or > 9
  • Chemicals (acids, greases, oils)
  • Solid waste (glass, rubber)
  • Heavy metals (mercury)
  • Volatile substances
  • Toxic substances
  • Organic waste (microorganisms, carcases)
  • Reactive substances
  • Radioactive substances
• Types of biological waste

  • Sharp wastes (syringes, needles, glass, scalpel)
  • Non-sharp wastes (gloves, tissue papers, petri dishes, plastic culture containers and hardened agar)
  • Animal carcases (animal carcases, organs and tissues)
  • Liquids (broth culture, blood)
• Steps to handle general chemical spills

  1. Inform your teacher

  2. Declare the spill area as a restricted zone

  3. Prevent the chemical spill from spreading using sand

  4. Scoop up the chemical spill using appropriate equipment

  5. Dispose it safely
• Steps to handle mercury spills

  1. Inform your teacher

  2. Declare the spill area as a restricted zone

  3. Sprinkle sulphur to cover the mercury spills

  4. Call the fire and rescue department
• Clothing ethics


  • Use a lab coat, gloves, safety shoes and goggles when appropriate
• Laboratory safety rules


  • Do not work alone in the lab without supervision
  • Wash your hands before and after conducting experiment
  • Do not bring irrelevant item in
  • Clean your workstation using disinfectant
  • Disposed wastes according to SOP
  • Do not eat and drink
  • Identify all safety symbols before use
• Safety measures for fire

  1. Stop work immediately, switch off all nearby power sources and unplug all appliances

  2. Exit the lab according to the emergency exit plan

  3. Call the fire and rescue department

  4. Do no panic and stay calm

  5. Do not recollect your belongings

  6. Assembly at the assembly point
• Handling glass and chemicals

  • Be cautious when handling hot glassware
  • Report any damaged equipment to teachers immediately
  • Keep flammable substances away from fire sources
  • Do not touch, taste and smell chemicals directly
• Handling live specimens


  • Use appropriate gloves when handling biological specimens
  • Harmless specimens that have been dissected should be buried or frozen
  • Wash hands with antiseptic detergents before and after experiment
  • All workstations should be cleaned and disinfectant before leaving
• Emergency help


  1. Inform your teacher

  2. Call the fire and rescue department

  3. Remove the victim from the scene

  4. Give emergency treatment

  5. Make the place of accident as a restricted area
• Graph


  Used to record and present data, allows you to organise data systematically
• Manipulated variable


  The variable that is changed or controlled in a scientific experiment
• Responding variable


  The variable that is measured or observed in a scientific experiment
• Types of graphs


  • Line graph
  • Bar chart
  • Histogram
• General method of drawing a graph

  1. The responding variable is represented by the vertical axis (y-axis)

  2. The manipulated variable is represented by the horizontal axis (x-axis)

  3. The scaling must be uniform

  4. Mark the points with an appropriate symbol

  5. The title: (responding variable) versus (manipulated variable)
• General method of drawing a bar chart

  1. Draw two axes, the x-axis to represent the manipulated variable and the y-axis to represent the responding variable

  2. Each width needs to be uniform

  3. The bar height depends on the frequency of the data

  4. Bar chart are used to make comparisons between two or more items at a time
• General method of drawing a histogram

  1. Draw two axes where the x-axis represents the data that has been divided into groups according to the appropriate range while the y-axis shows the frequency

  2. Insert labels and units on the axes

  3. The size or width must be the same for all class gap with no spacing between bars
• Characteristics of biological drawings

  • Large and accurate
  • Not shaded artistically
  • Line drawn must be clear, clean and continuous
  • Drawings must be labelled
  • Drawings must have titles
  • Each structure must be placed in the correct position
  • Each size of the structure should be proportionate to the rest of the structures
  • A plan drawing is line drawing that shows the outline of a structure
  • A detailed drawing shows the cells in a structure
  • The magnification factor of a drawing must be stated
• Planes


  • Sagittal plane
  • Frontal plane
  • Horizontal plane
• Sections


  • Cross section
  • Longitudinal section
• Directions


  • Superior
  • Lateral
  • Inferior
  • Ventral
  • Dorsal
  • Anterior
  • Posterior
• Steps of scientific investigation

  1. Identifying problems that can be tested using a scientific investigation

  2. Forming a hypothesis

  3. Identifying and controlling variables and data collection method

  4. Planning and carrying out a scientific investigation

  5. Collecting data

  6. Interpreting data and results through scientific reasoning

  7. Forming a conclusion

  8. Writing a report