Biological Science: BIOL 1003

Dr. David F. Gilmore LSE 418 Phone: Office hours: Tuesday & Thursday 9:30- 11; Friday 8: And by appointment WEB SITE:

Lecture Text: Asking About Life 3 rd edition Tobin and Dusheck The following good advice slides courtesy of Dr. Diane Gilmore

Cramming is a sure path to failure ! Read ahead Attend class and pay attention!! Review within 24 hours Study a little at a time Study often “Do something” with the material : make flashcards, draw diagrams, make up songs.

Come out of your shell and ask questions!

“Ferret” out the information to the study guide.

Find a “Study Buddy” !

Think! Don’t just “parrot” back the information!

Where to look for help Use the study guides and on line helps Tutoring center LSE 203 Form a study group Counseling center Disability Services Ask your teacher !

Classroom Etiquette Turn off pagers and cell phones ! No tobacco use of any kind Be considerate of others: Take out what you bring in. Talk to me, NOT your neighbor! Do not ask for grades over the phone or internet.

Academic Integrity  Use Professional ethics  NO:  Plagiarism  Cheating  Allowing others to copy from you  Penalties can be severe !!

Why are you here? (no not in the cosmic sense, in this class) Biology recognized as a fundamental discipline  A subject by which you can learn about science  1800s were the Age of Chemistry; 1900s were the age of Physics; 21 st Century: the Age of Biology

You are Immersed in Biology; You ARE Biology in a biological world Outside: trees, grass, birds, bugs  How do they all stay alive and in balance? You are an amazing biological machine  Complex organ systems maintain function  You are host to millions of bacteria &viruses Understanding these things keeps us alive  Sewage treatment responsible for long life

Biology is in the news constantly Disease outbreaks Stem cell research Cloning Drug lawsuits How do we evaluate and understand these issues? Only with an understanding of Biology.

Biology is the Science of Life Knowledge of biology is obtained using the scientific method  This applies to our current body of knowledge and the knowledge we are currently gathering The scientific method is used in Chemistry, physics, and in day to day life.

What is Science? Science is a method of obtaining information about nature. Scientists use a technique called the scientific method to gather information and test ideas.

Hypothesis rejected Experimental Plan Hypothesis a plausible explanation Hypothesis supported A Question A Natural Phenomena Experiment With control group Comparison Predicted result To test the hypothesis Simplistic Form of Scientific Inquiry Observation Of predicted and actual results Conclusion

What is Science? Science is a method of obtaining information about nature. Scientists use a technique called the scientific method to gather information and test ideas. Hypothesis – a possible answer to a question based on observations and research - reasonable explanation for observed events Hypothesis must be testable.

A control Most Experiments require what is called a control The Control forms the basis of comparison to what is being tested. –Without the comparison, no conclusion can be reached. –When the TV commercial shouts “50% more!”, you should ask “more than what?”

Weasel Commercials Kendall Motor Oil Piston rings made of gold (a soft metal) and used in a car with Kendall Motor Oil. After a certain number of miles, piston rings examined: they look great! What’s wrong with this “experiment”? No Control! Other brand of motor oil would have same results! So BIG DEAL.

What is a Theory? A theory explains some aspect of nature and is supported by experimentation and observation. Theories explain and predict. Scientific Theories The Atomic Theory Kinetic Molecular Theory of Matter The Germ Theory of Disease The Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection Theory of Relativity

Statistics: a powerful tool One positive result could be a coincidence E.g. Cold fusion Multiple replications of an experiment, using large numbers of samples, allow statistical analysis to be used Increases the reliability of the conclusions

Causation and Correlation Causation: cause and effect Apply an electric current to a muscle, it contracts. Repeat: get same result every time. One thing causes the other. In causation, a likely explanation usually accompanies the observation.

Causation and Correlation Older woman taking estrogen replacement therapy: at greater risk of cancer: Correlation Large numbers of individuals analyzed for greater than normal occurrences of side-effects. No evidence that one directly causes the other. Cigarette smoking not “proved” to cause cancer.

Philosophies of science: reductionism and emergent properties Reductionism: the attempt to explain something by taking it apart and studying the compenents. Molecular biology: the attempt to explain all of nature by studying the DNA. Emergent Properties: the whole greater than the sum of the parts The whole has properties not predicted by looking at the parts. Ecology. Behavior.