BIOLOGY AS A

SCIENCE
LESSON 2
 Specific Learning Outcomes

At the end of the session, I should be able to:

• distinguish basic from applied science;
• determine how biologist study life;
• differentiate hypothesis, theory, and ; and
• identify some limitations of scientific inquiry.
 Think this one out before we proceed…

How would you design an experiment to test

the hypothesis
“Eating chocolates causes zits (pimples).”
BASIC vs. APPLIED
SCIENCE
 BASIC SCIENCE

> PURE SCIENCE

> Seeks to expand

knowledge.

“The goal is knowledge and for the sake of

acquiring knowledge.”
 APPLIED SCIENCE

> TECHNOLOGY
> Uses science to
solve real world
problems.

“Applied science converts abstract scientific knowledge

into the technology”.
-Joseph West, SCIENCING 2017
Issues
“Understanding how something
works makes it easier to fix
when it fails”.
-adopted by Boford P. Borres, RN
 How do biologist study life?

SCIENTIFIC
• body of techniques for investigating phenomena,
acquiring newMETHOD
knowledge, or correcting and integrating
previous knowledge.
• to be termed scientific, a method of inquiry is commonly
based on empirical or measurable evidence subject to
specific principles of reasoning.
 How do biologist study life?

Scientific Scientific
Questions
Method Knowledge
 Scenario
Rotavirus is common and causes serious illness. It is the most common
cause of diarrhoeal disease among infants and young children.
Vaccines are often cost-effective ways to prevent illness.
 Observations and Questions
• may rely on what we can see, hear touch, taste and smell or may be
based on existing knowledge and experimental results.
• How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where?
 Observations and Questions
CONSULT PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
 Hypothesis and Prediction
A hypothesis is a potential answer to the question, one
The vaccine will stimulate the
that can somehow be tested.
immune
Interestingly, system
no hypothesis andtrue,
can be proven will because
therefore
future discoveries maybe associated
contradict with
today’s results.
A reduced
hypothesis is a incidence
general statementof
thatrotavirus
should lead to
specific prediction.
illness.
 Hypothesis and Prediction

AIfprediction
the vaccine is effective,
is written then
as an if-then
vaccinated children should
statement.
have lower incidence of
rotavirus illness than children
receiving placebo
 Data Collection

Discovery Experimental
Approach Approach
 Data Collection

Discovery
Approach
• Data comes
from careful
observation of
the natural
world.
 Data Collection

Experimental
Approach
• the hypothesis is
tested under
controlled
conditions
 EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Sample size Variables Control

• The number of subjects in a • Dependent Variable • Basis for comparison to
treatment group or control • Independent Variable treatment groups(s); control
group. • Standardized variable subjects may remain untreated
or receive placebo.
Independent variable
• A variable that an investigator
manipulates to determine whether it
influences the dependent variable.
Dependent variable
• A variable that an investigator
measures whether it is affected by
the independent variable
Standardized variable
• Any variable that an investigator
intentionally holds constant for all
subjects in an experiment, including
the control group.
 Analysis and Peer Review

the investigator compiles the data and decides

whether the results support the hypothesis and
makes conclusion

Once the scientist has enough evidence to support or reject

the hypothesis, they may write and publish their work in the
scientific journal. In the process called peer review, other
scientist can independently evaluate the validity of, the
methods, data and conclusion.
 Make an OBSERVATION
and ASK a QUESTION
Consult Prior
Knowledge
Formulate your
HYPOTHESIS and make a
PREDICTION

Experimental
Discovery Approach
Approach

Plan the Experimental

Design

Collection of data Collection of data

Consult Prior
Knowledge
Analysis of Data

Drawing of
Peer Review Publish
Conclusion
Hypothesis vs. Theory vs. Law

How will you distinguish

hypothesis, theory and law
from one another?
 HYPOTHESIS THEORY LAW

A tentative, falsifiable A falsifiable, A repeatable

explanation for one or comprehensive observation that
more observations. If explanation for a everyone can agree on.
tests support a natural phenomenon, Non scientists view it
hypothesis, it may be typically backed with as the only reliable
incorporated into many lines of presentation of reality.
broader theories. evidences.
It has the ability to
predict not only
phenomenon which are
existing but also
suggest prediction on
phenomenon which
have yet to be
observed
 Limitation of Scientific Inquiry

•Controlled Experiments
Complex natural processes
cannot be controlled nor
replicated in the laboratory
 Limitation of Scientific Inquiry

•Isolation of Factors
Nature is complex
Scientists may isolate a single factor
and study it in a laboratory. This does
not provide the whole picture.
 Limitation of Scientific Inquiry

•Time Factor
 Limitation of Scientific Inquiry

•Objective Approach
They don't make any value judgments
about whether an outcome is good or
bad, beautiful or ugly. Thus, scientific
inquiry is not a panacea.
PRACTICE TEST
Try to analyse each experimental set-up
 You think that a special juice will increase the
productivity of workers. You created two groups of 50
workers each and assigns each group the same task (in
this case, they're supposed to staple a set of papers).
Group A is given the special juice to drink while they
work. Group B is not given the special juice. After an
hour, you counted how many stacks of papers each
group has made. Group A made 1,587 stacks, Group B
made 2,113 stacks.
Identify the:
1. Control Group
2. Independent (Manipulated) Variable
3. Dependent (Responding) Variable
4. What should your conclusion be?
You noticed that your shower is covered in a strange green
slime. your friend Barney tells you that coconut juice will
get rid of the green slime. You decided to check this this out
by spraying half of the shower with coconut juice. You
spray the other half of the shower with water. After 3 days
of "treatment" there is no change in the appearance of the
green slime on either side of the shower.
What was the initial observation?
Identify the-
1. Control Group
2. Independent (Manipulated) Variable
3. Dependent (Responding) Variable
4. What should your conclusion be?
Bart believes that mice exposed to radio waves will become extra
strong (maybe he's been reading too much Radioactive Man). He
decides to perform this experiment by placing 10 mice near a
radio for 5 hours. He compared these 10 mice to another 10 mice
that had not been exposed. His test consisted of a heavy block of
wood that blocked the mouse food. he found that 8 out of 10 of
the radio waved mice were able to push the block away. 7 out of
10 of the other mice were able to do the same.
Identify the:
1. Control group
2. Independent (Manipulated) Variable
3. Dependent (Responding) Variable
4. What should Bart's conclusion be?
5. How could Bart's experiment be improved?
Kristy was told that a certain itching powder was the newest
best thing on the market, it even claims to cause 50% longer
lasting itches. Interested in this product, she buys the itching
powder and compares it to her usual product. One test subject
(A) is sprinkled with the original itching powder, and another
test subject (B) was sprinkled with the Experimental itching
powder. Subject A reported having itches for 30 minutes.
Subject B reported to have itches for 45 minutes.
Identify the-
1. Control Group
2. Independent (Manipulated) Variable
3. Dependent (Responding) Variable
4. Explain whether the data supports the advertisements
claims about its product.
• ICV
• Faith: Justice
• Social Integration
• Philippine Justice System
• Lesson Across Discipline
• Any discipline which requires systematic inquiry in analysing
and troubleshooting problems.
 BIBLE PASSAGE
Proverbs 28:5
Evildoers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the
LORD understand it fully.
Let’s go back to our initial hypothesis

How would you test the hypothesis

“Eating chocolates causes zits (pimples).”
SUMMARY
Assignments