Word Roots and Scientific
Method
The Science of Biology
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Word Roots
 Word
roots are usually based in
Greek or Latin
 They are the backbone of many
words we use
 If you know word roots they can be
valuable
 You can break a word down to
determine it’s meaning
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Word Root
a or an
endo
aero
anti
aqua
arthro
auto
bi
bio
chloro
cyto
genesis
herba
hetero
homo
hydro
Meaning
not or non
inner, inside
needing oxygen or air
against
water
joint
self
two, twice, double
life, living
green
cell
origin, beginning
plants
different
alike, similar
water
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Word Root
hemo
intra
logy
mono
micro
macro
multi
phobia
philia
photo
poly
sub
troph
tri
zoo, zoa
Inter
Meaning
blood
within, inside
study of
one, single
small
large
many
dislike, fear
like
light
many
lesser, below
eat, consume
three
animal
between
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What is Science?
Science--organized way
of using evidence to
learn about the natural
world
 Goals:

– Investigate and
understand natural world
to explain events.
– Use explanations to make
useful predictions
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Studying Life

Biology is the study of living
things
– “Bio” – life; “ology” – study
– Is it Alive?
– What were some
characteristics you
determined from the video?
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Characteristics of Living Things
Nonliving things share some characteristics
with living things, but not all
 5 characteristics of living things
– 1. Made up of cells
– 2. Reproduce
– 3. Based on genetic code (i.e. DNA)

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Characteristics of Living Things
– 4. Metabolism—use energy to build up
and break down materials for life
Eating
Growing
Producing waste
– 5. Homeostasis—maintain stable
internal conditions
 Respond to environment
i.e. maintain body temperature

MUST have ALL 5 characteristics to be
considered a LIVING thing
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Scientist Specialization
 Biologists
 Ecologists
 Population
biologists
 Zoologists
 Cellular
biologists
 Molecular biologists
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Scientific Method

An organized way of solving
problems
– 1.Observations and
questions
– 2.Hypothesis
– 3.Experimental procedure
– 4.Record results
– 5.Draw conclusions
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1. Observations and Questions
 What
you see
– Inferences are your logical
interpretations of what you see.
– Questions then arise…….
– Why should I care?
 Observe that plants near my
neighbors yard grow bigger than
the others in my yard.
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2. Hypothesis

Hypothesis-scientific and
testable explanation for
observations
 “If……then……”

If I put fertilizer on my plants,
then they will grow bigger
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3. Experimental Procedure
Experimental procedure- designed to test
hypothesis
 Split subjects you are testing into groups:
#1 Experimental Group-given the
experimental factor or changed in some way
#2 Control Group:-NOT changed

Experimental Group
Fertilizer
Control Group
No Fertilizer
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Variable-factor in experiment that is
subject to change.
– Independent variable- factor in
experiment that’s changed purposely
and independently—fertilizer
– Dependent variable —factor that a
scientist observes and that depends
on what they scientist did in the
procedure—plant height and ?
 Only test ONE independent variable
while having many constants.

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
Must be a controlled, reproducible
procedure
Testing effects of
only ONE manipulated
Independent variable
while having MANY
constants!!!
Other scientists
need to be able to
reproduce it and
find same results.
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EXPERIMENT
EXPERIMENTAL
GROUP
Check the results
in time
Difference is the
independent variable
Compare the
dependent variable
CONTROL
GROUP
Check the results
in time
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4. Results
 Record
data
– Qualitative data -physical traits
(qualities) that can be described
– Quantitative data -measurements
(quantities) that can be taken
– Pictures, tables, graphs
– Trends noticed
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Qualitative?
Experimental Group
fertilizer
Quantitative?
Control Group
no fertilizer
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
Science has a common
measurement system
– Metric system or (SI)- a
measurement system used
worldwide by scientists
based on multiples of 10
Mass-grams (g)
Volume-liters (L)
Distance-meters (m)
Temperature- Kelvin (K)
or Celsius (OC)
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5. Drawing Conclusions
Hypothesis is either supported or rejected.
NEVER “PROVEN!”
– If supported further testing
– If rejected hypothesis changed and
tested again
– Can be partly true
– Findings always useful!!!
 Conclusion?

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Overview
Section 1-2
State the Question or Problem
Draw a Conclusion
Form a Hypothesis
Publish Results
Set Up a Controlled Experiment
Record Results
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Limitations

When experiments are
not possible
– Animals in natural
habitat
– Ethical concerns
– Current lack of
technology needed
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Scientific Theory

Theory-a well-supported explanation of some
aspect of the natural world
– It’s the closest you can get to scientific fact
– It’s a hypothesis than has been tested and
supported many times
– Used to make future predictions
– Not “a hunch” like it means in everyday language
– If contradictory evidence found, theory revised
– There is no evidence against them

A hypothesis is a POSSIBLE explanation,
whereas a theory IS an explanation
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