1. What is the process used to study life? The Scientific Method

2. What is the Scientific Method? The Scientific Method is a series of steps used by scientists and everyday people to solve any kind of problem.

3. What are the steps of the Scientific Method? 1) Ask a question 2) Research your topic 3) Form a hypothesis 4) Test hypothesis by setting up experiment 5) Collect and analyze data 6) Form a conclusion 7) Report data

4. 1. Ask a question The scientific method starts when you ask a question about something that you observe: How, What, When, Who, Why, or Where? It must be about something that you can measure. Example Does putting aspirin in the soil make flowers more colorful?

5. 2. Research topic Use the library or internet find information about your topic. Helps avoid mistakes made in the past by others. Easier than starting from scratch. Example: Research flowers and aspirin.

6. 3. Form hypothesis Hypothesis: an educated guess about how about the outcome of the experiment. You are guessing the answer to your question in step 1. The hypothesis is never in the form of a question.

7. It is usually stated in an “if…. then….” format. Ex. If aspirin is in the soil, then the flowers will be more colorful. It is a cause and effect relationship. If I do this, then that will be the result.

8. 4. Test hypothesis: set up experiment You are trying to prove or disprove your hypothesis. There must be at least two groups 1.Control group 2.Experimental group

9. The control group is identical to the experimental group except for one thing. The experimental group has one extra variable that the control group does not have. That variable is what you are testing (independent variable). variable is something that can be changed during an experiment.

10. There are three types of variables in any experiment: 1. Controlled variables 2. Independent variable 3. Dependent variable

11. 1.Controlled Variable: Variables that are kept the same between the control and experimental group Example: Same temperature, same amount of water, same type of flowers, same sunlight, etc. The only thing that is different is one group gets aspirin and one does not.

12. 2. Independent variable: The variable you are testing. The independent variable is something in the experiment that is going to be changed It’s the only difference between the control and experimental groups. This is why its called the independent variable, it stands alone.

13. The independent variable is always in the experimental group. It’s the “If” part of the hypothesis: If we put aspirin in the soil then……… Example: The aspirin is the independent variable. It’s the only difference between the experimental and control group.

14. 3. Dependent variable: The way you choose to measure the results of the experiment. The dependent variable is called this because it depends on independent variable. The independent variable effects the dependent variable. It’s a Cause-effect relationship.

15. The dependent variable is the “THEN” part of the hypothesis. If we put aspirin in the soil…. then the flowers will be more colorful. What are we going to measure in this experiment? Color change in the flowers.

16. Reminder: The control group and experimental group are identical except for one thing The experimental group has the independent variable: variable you are testing. This is called a controlled experiment. You control every variable of the experiment.

17. Example: If we put aspirin in the soil, then the flowers will be more colorful. Independent variable: aspirin Control group does not get aspirin Experiment group does get aspirin.

18. 5. Collect and analyze data Conduct the experiment with the control group and experimental groups Take measurements and collect data throughout The data is organized in charts and graphs to make it visual

19. 6. Form a Conclusion The measurements of the control group are compared to the measurements of the experimental group. Any difference was caused by the independent variable since it’s the only difference between the control and experimental groups.

20. Use the data you’ve collected, what you already know about the topic (about aspirin and flowers), and research of other scientists to make an inference. Inference is a conclusion based on what you have observed and what you already know.

21. After comparing the data, you must reject or accept your hypothesis. To increase validity of an experiment you need 2 things –Repeat experiment –Use more test subjects

22. Life Processes Digestion breakdown of food to simpler molecules which can enter the cells Circulation the movement of materials within an organism or its cells Movement (locomotion)change in position by a living thing Excretion removal of waste products by an organism (wastes may include carbon dioxide, water, and urea in urine and sweat) Respiration process which converts the energy in food to ATP (the form of energy which can be used by the cells) Reproduction the making of more organisms of one's own kind -- not needed by an individual living thing but is needed by its species Immunity the ability of an organism to resist disease causing organisms and foreign invaders Coordination the control of the various activities of an organism (mostly involves the nervous system and endocrine glands in complex animals) Synthesis the production of more complex substances by combining two or more simpler substances

23. LEVEL 1 - Cells Are the basic unit of structure and function in living things May serve a specific function within the organism Examples- blood cells, nerve cells, bone cells, etc. LEVEL 2 - Tissues Made up of cells that are similar in structure and function and which work together to perform a specific activity Examples - blood, nervous, bone, etc. Humans have 4 basic tissues: connective, epithelial, muscle, and nerve. LEVEL 3 - Organs Made up of tissues that work together to perform a specific activity Examples - heart, brain, skin, etc. LEVEL4 - Organ Systems Groups of two or more tissues that work together to perform a specific function for the organism. Examples - circulatory system, nervous system, skeletal system, etc. The Human body has 11 organ systems - circulatory, digestive, endocrine, excretory (urinary), immune(lymphatic), integumentary, muscular, nervous, reproductive, respiratory, and skeletal. LEVEL 5 - Organisms Entire living things that can carry out all basic life processes. Meaning they can take in materials, release energy from food, release wastes, grow, respond to the environment, and reproduce. Usually made up of organ systems, but an organism may be made up of only one cell such as bacteria or protist. Examples - bacteria, amoeba, mushroom, sunflower, human

24. THE MAJOR TAXONOMIC LEVELS ARE: -Kingdom -Phylum -Class -Order -Family -Genus -Species

25. Organic vs inorganic Organic molecules have carbon and hydrogen together in a formula Example: proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, simple sugars, DNA, RNA, amino acids, fatty acids and glycerol, nucleotides, C 6 H 12 O 6 Inorganic can have carbon, or hydrogen, or neither in a formula Water, H 2 O, Carbon dioxide, CO 2, Oxygen, O 2, minerals, vitamins All living things are made up of the elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen (CHON) Autotrophs like plants make organic compounds from inorganic compounds Organic compounds that are essential to living things are proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, carbohydrates

26. Carbohydrates Made up of simple sugars Examples: glucose C 6H H 12 O 6 Examples of carbohydrates include: pasta, bread, sugar, soda, sweets Dehydration synthesis – building molecules from smaller molecules Hydrolysis – breaking down large molecules into smaller ones Complex carbohydrates (long chains) include starch, glycogen, cellulose Lipids Made up of 3 fatty acids and 1 glycerol Fats like oil and butter Lipids are hydrophobic – water fearing – don’t mix with water

27. Nucleic acids Made up of nucleotides Example are DNA and RNA Store genetic materials Proteins Made up of amino acids Found in meat Examples include: enzymes, hormones

28. Enzymes Speed up chemical reactions in our body They are organic catalysts – speeds up chemical reactions Enzymes help in digestion, synthesis, photosynthesis, cell respiration Substrate- substances that bind to enzymes Active Site- is the place on the enzyme where the substrates bind Enzyme substrate complex - Is formed when the substrate is bound to the enzyme Like a lock and key model Enzymes are specific to their enzymes The sequence (order) of amino acids in a protein determine its shape The shape of a protein determines its function Enzymes don’t change they can be reused If you increase concentration of enzymes and substrates, that will speed up chemical reaction more Heat and temperature affects the rate of enzymes Enzymes change shape if temperature or pH is too high, become denatured Denatured- change shape Optimal pH for human enzymes is 7 Optimal temperature for human enzymes is 37 degrees Celsius Pepsin- enzyme in stomach, functions at low pH (acidic) Trypsin – enzyme in intestine, functions at high pH (basic) Pepsin and trypsin help to hydrolyze (break down) proteins to amino acids