This document provides an overview of the Biology and Life Science class for the 2012-2013 school year taught by Julie Pen. It outlines what will be studied including the scientific method, cells, genetics, evolution, and human body systems. It also discusses life on Earth, the hierarchy of life from atoms to the biosphere, and the key aspects of the scientific method including making observations and hypotheses, designing experiments, collecting data, and drawing conclusions.

1. Welcome to Biology
& Life Science
Heartlife 2012-2013
Teacher: Julie Pen
Science is Organized Knowledge

2. Biology - The Study of Life
• Greek prefix bio = "life"
• Greek suffix logy = "the study of"
• What we'll study this year:
– The Scientific Method
– Cells: structure, function and metabolism
– Cell division, DNA and RNA, Genetics
– Geology and Evolution
– Human Systems:
• Skin - Muscles - Bones
• Human Nutrition and the Digestive System
• Circulatory & Respiratory Systems
• Nervous System and Endocrine System

3. Life on Planet Earth
• 5 - 10 million different species currently exist on
Earth
• Less than 2 million identified/classified by scientists
– most undiscovered species are tiny or microscopic
– taxonomy (observing, sorting, naming and describing) helps scientists
understand how living things work and affect the world around them,
including us!
• OBSERVATION
– info-gathering
– question
• HYPOTHESIS
• EXPERIMENT
– materials &
procedures
– data collection
• CONCLUSION

4. Hierarchy of Life - zooming out
• Organism
– an individual living thing
• Population
– a group of organisms (of the same species)
living in a certain area
• Community
– a group of interdependent organisms
(different species) inhabiting the same region
and interacting with each other
• Ecosystem
– all the organisms that live in a particular
place, together with their nonliving physical
environment (air, sun, rocks, etc.)
• Biosphere
– all the ecosystems of our planet
living on earth’s crust, within its
waters and throughout the
atmosphere

5. Hierarchy of Life - zooming in
• Organism
– an individual living thing that can function
independently
• Organ systems
– groups of organs that work together to
perform a specific function (i.e. skeletal,
respiratory, or nervous systems)
• Organs
– structures made of different tissues that all
work together for a specialized purpose (i.e.
heart, kidney, brain, femur)
• Tissues
– groups of similar cells that perform a
particular function (i.e. muscle tissue)
• Cells
– basic structural and functional unit of all
organisms
• Molecules
– two or more atoms bonded together
• Atoms
– the basic unit of all matter

6. Hierarchy of Life
• Atom
• Molecule
• Cell s ye
ar
Thi
• Tissue
• Organ
• System
• Organism
• Population
ar
• Community t ye
Nex
• Ecosystem
• Biosphere

7. Week 1 Lab
Lab Safety
Lab Notebooks
The Scientific Method

8. Lab Safety
• Science labs can be dangerous - how can we
keep it safe?
– Read, listen, and follow directions carefully.
– NO gum, food or drinks during lab time.
– Proper attire (shoes, hair, protective items).
• Goggles, labs coats & gloves will be provided.
– Eyewash sink (for skin/spills, too).
– Fumes.
– Clean-up (proper disposal).
• *NOT down the drain*

9. The Scientific Method - Observation
• It starts with an OBSERVATION:
– you're on a hike with your classmates and you notice a
footprint
– you wonder, "What type
of creature made this track?"
– you're hiking near a stream,
so it's likely some sort of
aquatic bird or mammal
– looking closely at the track, you see there are
5 digits (toes or claws) which rules out birds,
and the left and right limbs seem to be
roughly 10 cm apart.
background research

10. • You snap a picture of the tracks (with
your foot in the shot for size reference)
and head home
• After a quick internet search for
"aquatic mammal tracks," you find
these pictures:
Otter Bullfrog
Lizard
Turtle
Alligator

11. The Scientific Method - Hypothesis
• Based on the information you've gathered,
what HYPOTHESIS would you make?
– The tracks found near the stream on our hike
were made by...
» An Otter
» A Lizard
» A Turtle
» A Bullfrog
» An Alligator

12. The Scientific Method - Experiment
• How are you going to TEST your hypothesis?
• You need to design an EXPERIMENT
• A good experiment always has:
– Variables
• parts of your experiment that will change
• usually just one thing changes at a time
– Controls
• parts of experiment that will stay the same every time
• gives you something to compare the changes to
• What happens if there is more than one variable?
• Three aspects of an experiment:
• Materials, Procedures, and Data Collection

13. Experiment Procedures
• To perform an experiment, you need written
procedures. Why?
– to record EXACTLY what you did
• detailed, step-by-step instructions
– so it can be repeated (by you or others)
1. Measure imprints to nearest millimeter
• size of digits, length & width
• entire foot, length & width
• distance between prints, length & width
2. Measure actual prints of hypothesized animal
• compare measurements and record differences
3. Obtain cast of viewed prints
• follow procedures at http://www.bear-tracker.com/plastertracks.html
Cast
4. Obtain mold of hypothesized animal's foot
• follow 3D casting kit procedures
• See if cast fits into mold and note any differences.
Mold

14. Experiment Materials
• There are usually supplies needed, listed in the
materials section of the experiment.
1. Lab notebook and writing instrument
2. Metric ruler
3. Gypsum plaster and water
4. Cardboard strip and paper clip
5. Containers for mixing (margarine tubs or food cartons)
6. Wooden popsicle stick
7. Alginate molding powder

15. Experiment Data Collection
• As you perform the experiment, observations and
data will be recorded.
– measurements listed in a chart
– written observations
– drawings Imprint Measurements (in mm)
– photos #1 (L) #1 (L) #2 toe #2 toe #3 toe #3 toe #4 toe #4 toe #5 toe #5 toe
toe length toe width length width length width length width length width
8 mm 4 mm 9 mm 4 mm 11 mm 5 mm 11 mm 4 mm 10 mm 4 mm
Entire print length: 35 mm Entire print width: 30 mm
Length between prints: 97 mm Width between prints: 132 mm
Hypothesized Animal Measurements
#1 (L) #1 (L) #2 toe #2 toe #3 toe #3 toe #4 toe #4 toe #5 toe #5 toe
toe length toe width length width length width length width length width
Entire print length: Entire print width:
Length between prints: Width between prints:

16. The Scientific Method - Conclusion
• After analyzing your data, you form a
CONCLUSION
– The measurements, when compared, showed an average 1.4 mm
difference in length and .7 mm difference in width.
– The cast was almost identical in shape, but did not fit into the mold of
the hypothesized animal because it was 7 mm smaller in width and 4
mm shorter.
– This supports the hypothesis that the animal tracks were made by...

17. • A baby pond turtle!

18. The Scientific Method
• If hypothesis is supported
– repeat to verify results
– share findings and let others perform the experiment
• If hypothesis is rejected
– modify and repeat
• Either way, something was learned!
– NEVER make up results simply because you think it was
“supposed” to go differently

19. State the
Problem (as a ?)
Observation
Do Background
Research
Hypothesis "Best Guess"
Solution
Revise!
Try Again
Design (Materials
& Procedures)
Experiment
Perform (Collect
& Analyze Data)
Conclusion Hypothesis is
True
Hypothesis is
False or Partly True
Report Results

20. Lab Notebooks
Always include:
• date the experiment is performed
• names of your lab partners
OBSERVATION:
The Problem: in the form of a question.
Background research: what you already know or
have learned.
HYPOTHESIS: what you think will happen.
EXPERIMENT:
Materials: a list of the needed equipment and materials.
Procedures: step-by-Step instructions to perform the experiment.
Data: measurable results (written observations, lists, charts, graphs, labeled diagrams, etc.)
CONCLUSION: how your data relates to your hypothesis.

21. Bias in Scientific Research
• Hypothesizing requires speculation
– bias is an assumed belief that affect the way you see and
understand things
– bias is always present when formulating a hypothesis
• The Scientific Method forces only the
facts to be considered
– seeks to eliminate variables that can skew
results
– encourages collaboration & accountability
• shared results, repeated studies
– still, bias is ALWAYS present & affects
research outcomes

22. Fact - Theory - Law
• Fact:
– an objective, verifiable observation of something that occurs in our
natural world
– i.e. gravity, natural selection, heat exchange
• Theory:
– an explanation of how natural occurrences work
• it can be observed, repeated, and tested with predictable results
• a hypothesis that is proven correct often explains part of theory
– i.e. Theory of Gravity, Theory of Evolution, Kinetic Theory of Matter
• Law:
– a mathematical description of observable phenomenon
– i.e. Newton's First Law of Universal Gravitation F = Gm1m2
r2