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The Role of Science:
- Gaining knowledge about our world and how it changes.
- -changes in the world and changes in science
- -science is a process that changes our understanding of the world.
- -science involves technology and technology evolves
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Scientific method:
- observation
- question
- hypothesis (es)
- predictions
- experiment
- analysis
- modify and or develop new hypothesis
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Observation:
examining something such as a behavior or a phenomenon (an observed pattern)
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Question:
Form a question about what you observed.
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Hypothesis:
A possible or tentative answer to your question (why?)
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Prediction:
If/then statements (if the hypothesis is true then you observe your predictiona)
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Experiment:
Design an experiment that will TEST your predictions.
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Analysis:
look at data from experiment
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Population biology:
- •Population:
- A group of organisms of the same species that interbreed and live in the same place at the same time .
- •Thomas Malthus -1798 British Economist
- Observed populations do not grow indefinitely or unchecked.
- Limiting factors:
- –Food, space, disease, predation, climate,
- human factors, etc.
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Model organism - flour beetle
- •Flour beetle (Tribolium confusum)
- –Small size
- –Quick reproductive time (~100 days)
- –Analyze life stages
- •Eggs hatch in 5-12 days
- •Larval stage lasts for 22-100 days
- •Pupal stage lasts ~ 8 days
- •Reach adulthood in 7-12 weeks
- –Life expectancy ~ 200 days
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Populatin experiment:
- Observation: population growth is limited
- Question: what limits population growth
- Hypotheses: RH1: Food is limiting factor for pop. growth.
- RH2: Space is a limiting factor for pop. growth.
- Predictions: P1: if amount of food is limited, then population growth will be limited.
- P2: if amount of space is limited, then population growth will be limited.
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Experiment design:
- Volume of food (95% flour/5% brewer's yeast) and space (flour/yeast and vermiculite) expressed in cc.

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Sections of the scientific paper:
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Materials and Methods
- Results
- Discussion
- Literature Cited
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Abstract:
short section (one paragraph) summarize
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Introduction:
- Foundation
- a) give conceptual basis (motivation for study)
- b) bring non-specialists knowledge up to a point
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Material and Methods:
Explain what was done and how it was done.
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Results:
Describe the observed results. (no discussion)
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Discussion:
- a) evaluates the results
- b) puts results in context of previous work.
- c) limitations
- d) next step
- e) significance of study
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Literature cited:
cite works used in paper
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