Lecture 1

Biology SCIENCE AND BIOLOGY

What are we doing when we study biology?

Properties of Life
Living organisms share several basic properties 1. Order and Cellular Organization

Properties of Life
4. Growth, and development and reproduction

2. Metabolism/Energy Utilization

5. Heredity

3. Regulation and Homeostasis

6. Response to the environment

7. Evolve

Hierarchy of Life

Biological Science
was founded with the development of
biology is organized into a hierarchy of levels

1) CELL THEORY:

each higher level contains

novel properties not present at the simpler level of organization

Cells

L. Pasteur showed that cells do not arise by spontaneous generation

cell highly structured compartment .

Biological Science
Because all cells come from preexisting cells, single-

2) THEORY OF EVOLUTION BY NATURAL SELECTION:

celled organisms in a population are related to a single common ancestor, and all cells in a multicellular organism also descend from a single ancestral cell

- characteristics of species change

through time.why?

- evolution occurs when heritable

variation leads to differential reproductive success

Biology is a Science
1858: Darwin and Wallace proposed that

Science:

all species are related by descent from a common ancestor Species are related to one another, but change over time Natural selection explains how this occurs

Stages of a Scientific Investigation

The scientific process can be divided into several stages: biologists test ideas about how the natural world

works by evaluating predictions made by hypotheses

carefully designed experiments are an important

1. Observations 2. Generating a hypothesis

tool for hypothesis testing

3. Prediction 4. Experimentation/Testing 5. Conclusion

Hypothesis Testing
Hypothesis
- hunch or educated guess in which researcher integrates all knowledge

Hypothesis (that is testable and fasifiable) Consuming vitamin C reduces the risk of catching a cold. If people who take vitamin C suffer fewer colds than those who do not. . . If people who take vitamin C suffer the same number of colds or more than those who do not. . . Conclude that prediction is false

Make prediction If vitamin C decreases the risk of catching a cold, then people who take vitamin C supplements will experience fewer colds than people who do not. Conclude that prediction is true

Do not reject the hypothesis Test prediction Conduct experiment or survey to compare number of colds in people who do and do not take vitamin C supplements. Conduct additional tests

Reject the hypothesis

Consider alternative hypotheses

How Scientists Think

The Logic of Hypothesis Tests:
A hypothesis that fails our test is rejected and considered

Experimentation
Experiments: are contrived situations Variables: factors that can change in value under different

disproven A hypothesis that passes is supported, but not proven

a null hypothesis expresses no difference Why not proven?

conditions
Independent variables: can be manipulated by the scientist Dependent variables: not changed by the researcher

Experimentation
Controlled Experiments
Controlled experiment: tests the effect of a variable Control: a subject who is? Differences can be attributed to the experimental treatment

Scientific Method
1) observation: my flashlight doesnt work 2) question: 3) hypothesis: 4) experiment: 5) conclusion:

Science and the Scientific Method

1. observations and measurements that .. 2. ideas/hypotheses are testable by experiments that others .

Science
Can science answer all questions?
limited to organisms and processes that ?

What about supernatural and religious phenomena?

Food Competition Hypothesis:

Simmons and Scheepers tested the:
Food competition hypothesis:

giraffes evolved long necks by natural selection because those with long necks reach food unavailable to others
Prediction: giraffes feed high in

trees
Observe and test predictions

Food Competition Hypothesis: Prediction and Tests

prediction does not hold true alternative hypotheses?

Alternative Hypothesis
Sexual competition

Observation: chili peppers are hot Ques. Why are chili peppers hot?

hypothesis
giraffes evolved long necks

because males with longer necks win more fights than shorter-necked giraffes, thus father more offspring

Data support this hypothesis

STUDY OF EVOLUTION
initiated scientific study of evolution approach to evolution based on hypotheses

Darwins theory of evolution was based on the following hypotheses

1) earth is very old - organisms have been changing throughout the history of life 2) all organisms are descendants of a single common ancestor

Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

Darwins theory of evolution was based on the following hypotheses

3) species multiply by splitting into daughter species 4) evolution proceeds via gradual changes in populations 5) the major agent of evolutionary change is natural selection

Theory and Certainty

to scientists, a theory represents . to the general public, a theory represents ..

Theory and Certainty

From Hypothesis to Theory:
powerful, broad explanations of natural phenomena as a result of extensive and

Theory of Evolution
Is a scientific theory because:
of its broad application

reproducible observations
rests on many hypotheses that have been tested is comprehensive and only becomes widely accepted only if supported by

has been validated by continuous scientific

observations and experiments worldwide

extensive accumulation of evidence: indicates a high degree of certainty

however, there is no absolute truth in science