Chapter 1-Working scientifically and depth studies

• Questioning and predicting


  Develops and evaluates questions and hypotheses for scientific investigation
• Planning investigations


  Designs and evaluates investigations in order to obtain primary and secondary data and information
• Conducting investigations


  Conducts investigations to collect valid and reliable primary and secondary data and information
• Processing data and information

  Selects and processes appropriate qualitative and quantitative data and information using a range of appropriate media
• Analysing data and information


  Analyses and evaluates primary and secondary data and information
• Problem solving


  Solves scientific problems using primary and secondary data, critical thinking skills and scientific processes
• Communicating


  Communicates scientific understanding using suitable language and terminology for a specific audience or purpose
• Science is the systematic study, by observation and experiment, of the natural and physical world
• Science is characterised by a way of thinking and working, and, most fundamentally, by questioning
• The knowledge and understanding that arise from this questioning are not in themselves science. They are the products of science, as is the technology that arises from this knowledge and understanding
• Science is empirical, which means that when scientists ask questions, they seek to answer them by using evidence, in particular observational and experimental evidence
• Biology


  The field of study named in the 19th century that arose from the studies of medicine and natural history, both of which date back to ancient times
• Fields of interest in biology

  • Structure and functioning of living things
  • How and why they have changed over time and continue to change
  • Their interactions with each other and the environment
  • Biodiversity and the continuity of life - looking at heredity and variation
• For a theory to be considered scientific, it must be possible to test it and, most importantly, to test whether it is not true. This is what falsifiable means: 'able to be disproved'
• Scientists never talk about proving a theory, but rather about providing evidence to support a theory
• When a large enough amount of evidence has been gathered that supports a theory, then that theory is accepted by the scientific community
• No matter how much evidence you gather supporting a theory, it takes only one experiment that disagrees to disprove a theory
• There are many examples of theories and hypotheses in biology that were proposed and later rejected or changed when new evidence came to light
• The scientific method is the process of systematically gathering information and data by observation and measurement, and using the information and data to formulate and test hypotheses
• Hypothesis


  A tentative answer to a question
• Progress in scientific investigations is often not a straight line, from one point to the next, but a series of progressions that sometimes veer off the original path
• If the results of an experiment agree with the prediction, then the hypothesis is supported. Note that it is not proved, only supported
• Valid experiment


  An experiment that tests the hypothesis that was intended to be tested and gets consistent and accurate results when repeated
• Reliable experiment


  An experiment that can be repeated to give the same results and random error is eliminated or minimised
• Accurate experiment


  An experiment whose measurements are close to the true value, with the risk of error in measurement kept to a minimum
• Reproducibility and peer review are important aspects of science
• Before a scientific paper is published, it is reviewed by other scientists - experts in the particular area - who evaluate it
• The scientific method may be a bit messy and not follow the steps in order in practice
• Biologists find that questions may be answered by looking at the morphology and functioning of living organisms, how they reproduce and are adapted for survival, their origin, distribution and interactions, as well as inheritance patterns and increases in diversity
• Biological studies ask questions at various levels - macroscopic, microscopic and molecular
• Developments in technology and advances in knowledge and understanding in biology progress hand in hand, with each one assisting the other
• Models in biology have two important purposes - to explain how things work, and to predict what will happen
• A model that does not accurately predict the results of an experiment will generally be revised or replaced
• Model selection is important to get valid and reliable results
• Mendelian (autosomal recessive) inheritance and non-Mendelian inheritance are two models that can both be used to describe and analyse the pattern of inheritance of genetic traits
• Biology uses models


  • Physical, mathematical and conceptual models to describe biological systems and to make and test predictions
  • Models are constantly being refined as we learn more
• Mendelian genetics model assumptions
• Exceptions to Mendelian genetics model
• Non-Mendelian models


  Sex-linkage, co-dominance or incomplete dominance used to analyse patterns of inheritance, taking the additional complexities into account
• Mendelian inheritance is the basic model, but other inheritance models may need to be applied to take into account further complexities in inheritance patterns