BI112 Course Description: This course is an introduction to the science of biology for students intending to take Anatomy and Physiology (BI231-233). The physical and chemical concepts as they apply to the study of life are introduced. BI112 lecture includes the principles of the scientific method, basic cell structure and function, respiration, cell division, Mendelian and non-Mendelian genetics and molecular genetics. Laboratory will require group collaboration in hands-on demonstration of the physical, chemical and genetic concepts.<\/p>\n
Like geology<\/a>, physics, and chemistry, biology<\/a> is a science that gathers knowledge about the natural world. Specifically, biology is the study of life. The discoveries of biology are made by a community of researchers who work individually and together using agreed-on methods. In this sense, biology, like all sciences is a social enterprise like politics or the arts. The methods of science include careful observation, record keeping, logical and mathematical reasoning, experimentation, and submitting conclusions to the scrutiny of others. Science also requires considerable imagination and creativity; a well-designed experiment is commonly described as elegant, or beautiful. Like politics, science has considerable practical implications and some science is dedicated to practical applications, such as the prevention of disease (see Figure 1.1). Other science proceeds largely motivated by curiosity. Whatever its goal, there is no doubt that science, including biology, has transformed human existence and will continue to do so.<\/p>\n Biology is a science, but what exactly is science? What does the study of biology share with other scientific disciplines? Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning \u201cknowledge\u201d) can be defined as knowledge about the natural world. The scientific process typically starts with an observation<\/a> (often a problem to be solved) that leads to a question. Science is very good at answering questions having to do with observations about the natural world, but is very bad at answering questions having to do with purely moral questions, aesthetic questions, personal opinions, or what can be generally categorized as spiritual questions. Science has cannot investigate these areas because they are outside the realm of material phenomena, the phenomena of matter and energy, and cannot be observed and measured.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s think about a simple problem that starts with an observation and apply the scientific method to solve the problem. Imagine that one morning when you wake up and flip a the switch to turn on your bedside lamp, the light won\u2019t turn on. That is an observation that also describes a problem: the lights won\u2019t turn on. Of course, you would next ask the question: \u201cWhy won\u2019t the light turn on?\u201d<\/p>\n hypothesis is NOT the question you are trying to answer \u2013 it is what you think the answer to the question will be and why. Several hypotheses may be proposed as answers to one question. For example, one hypothesis about the question \u201cWhy won\u2019t the light turn on?\u201d is \u201cThe light won\u2019t turn on because the bulb is burned out.\u201d There are also other possible answers to the question, and therefore other hypotheses may be proposed. A second hypothesis<\/a> is \u201cThe light won\u2019t turn on because the lamp is unplugged\u201d or \u201cThe light won\u2019t turn on because the power is out.\u201d A hypothesis should be based on credible background information. A hypothesis is NOT just a guess (not even an educated one), although it can be based on your prior experience (such as in the example where the light won\u2019t turn on). In general, hypotheses in biology should be based on a credible, referenced source of information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\nBiologists study the living world by posing questions about it and seeking science-based responses. This approach is common to other sciences as well and is often referred to as the scientific method. The scientific process was used even in ancient times<\/a>, but it was first documented by England\u2019s Sir Francis Bacon (1561\u20131626) (Figure 1), who set up inductive methods for scientific inquiry. The scientific method is not exclusively used by biologists but can be applied to almost anything as a logical problem solving method.<\/p>\nQuestion<\/h3>\n