The Science of Biology

Science as Inquiry

• How is biology defined?• The scientific study of life.• Inquiry is at the heart of science.• Scientific inquiry also includes methods of

investigation to answer questions

Observation and Data

• How is observation defined?• Observation is the use of the senses such as

vision or hearing to gather information about structures or processes

• What is the definition of data?• Recorded observations

• What is quantitative data?• Observations recorded as measurements.

Involves numbers.• Example: a growth chart• What is qualitative data?• The use of description. Descriptive words.• Example: Describing the actions of

chimpanzees

What is Discovery Science?

• How is discovery science defined?• Discovery science describes natural structures

or processes as accurately as possible through careful observation and data collection

• Example: Collecting and identifying organisms in a river

Inferences in Science

• How is inference defined?• An inference is a logical conclusion based on

observations • Example: Mold kills nearby bacteria• How is infer defined?• To make a logical conclusion based on an

observation.

• Why are inferences important in science?• They help refine general questions into

specific questions that can be explored further.

• How is skeptical defined?• The quality of being inclined to doubt.• Scientists should be skeptical of inferences

that stretch beyond data.

Generalizations in Discovery Science

• Some of the biggest breakthroughs in discovery science come when scientists put together many specific observations to reach a general conclusion, or generalization.