Chapter Introduction to Biology
Course Learning Objectives:
Identify and explain how the key characteristics of all living things are essential to
life.
Gather and evaluate information to analyze contemporary issues in science.
Chapter Specific Objectives:
List levels of biological organization
Define the properties of life
List the taxonomic levels from the largest to the smallest.
Explain the hierarchical system of classification
List the steps of the scientific method in the correct order.
Formulate a scientific hypothesis
Distinguish between hypotheses and theories
Apply the scientific method to design an experiment
Evaluate the quality of different types of scientific information
Section 1.1Themes and Concepts of Biology
a. Name and provide examples of five functional traits of life.
b. Imagine that you are a security guard on night shift. On your rounds of your
warehouse your flashlight reveals a human form lying motionless on the floor. Q:
What can you do to tell if the human form is alive, dead, or non-living?
c. List the levels of organization of living things from molecules to the biosphere in
increasing order of size.
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d. Which scientist invented the system used to classify and name organisms? List the
taxonomic levels from the largest to the smallest.
e. Name and describe each of the three domains of life. Provide a named example of
an organisms from each domain.
f. What are the advantages of using scientific names of organisms to communicate?
Discuss the rules of writing scientific names. Provide an example of a correctly
written scientific name of an organism of your choice.
g. What information is presented in a phylogenetic tree? What information from
organisms is used as the basis for constructing a phylogenetic tree? What did Carl
Woese do in his research in the 1970s that lead to a new understanding of how
organisms should be organized into groups?
Section 1.2 The Process of Science
a. Provide definitions for the following pairs of terms; qualitative and quantitative,
inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning, descriptive science and hypothesis-
based science.
b. List the steps of the scientific method in the correct order.
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c. What is a hypothesis? Describe the 2 conditions of a hypothesis. Distinguish
between a hypothesis and a prediction.
d. Provide definitions for the following variables: independent, dependent,
standardized. In an experiment what is a control? What is the purpose of including
a control in an experiment?
e. Describe the process for reporting scientific work. Which step is the equivalent of
‘quality control’, why is this an important barrier on the way to publication of
research?
f. Describe how the quality of science information in websites can be evaluated.
g. Uncle Dylan only buys organic produce, which he believes to be healthier than
non-organic produce. Uncle Andrew argues that organic produce is a marketing
con and is not healthier than produce grown traditionally using non-organic
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methods. Uncle Dylan shows you a website from Organic Consumer magazine to
back up his claim, whereas Uncle Andrew send you a link to a San Jose Mercury
News article citing a peer reviewed study published in the Journal of Nutritional
Science. Which uncle to you agree with and why?
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