Introduction
Humans are all a part of a system.
(012208 NK)
Objectives: (These are the
main topics of this topic, you should be able to answer detailed questions on
these topics)
1. List some features that distinguish between living and nonliving. hint
2. What is the interdependency between organisms? hint
3. Does nature recycle? hint
4. List the steps of the scientific method of inquiry. Give an example. hint
5. What is a theory to a scientist? Would you stake your life on a theory? hint
6. What is meant by alternative hypotheses? hint
7. Why are single variables and control groups important in scientific experimentation? hint
8. Why does your instructor consider a Human Biology Class different from a Health class? hint
9. How do humans differ from other animals? Hint
10. What are some of the characteristics of critical thinkers? hint
11. What are some of the roles of Science in our Society? hint
(The notes will be written in the form of an outline. They will roughly correlate with your text
chapters and with the lecture notes, although these notes are probably more
detailed than what I will give in the PowerPoint lectures)
1. Start off with 3 definitions, and a fileing system
1) Bacteria: or Eubacteria or True bacteria are what cause infections and rot our foods. In the past these were called Monerans.
2) Archaea: or ancient bacteria, these organisms live in very extreme environments of chemical and physical properties. We think these are the closest to what early life was like
3) Eukarya: Have a nucleus
a. Fungi: decomposers and absorbers
b. Plants: photosynthesis, these guys make their own food
c. Animals: ingest other living things
d. Protists: can absorb, make their own food and ingest, their diversity and single celled lifestyle make them good candidates for the first Eukarya
2. Life can sometimes be compared to good art. You can't really define it but you know it when you see it. In the following statements we will try and define life as a scientist sees it.
1) Living things are made up of subunits that obey specific rules. (DNA, Proteins, Carbohydrates, Carbon ect…..) Some of these molecules are unique to living things.
2) Living things require raw materials and energy from their environment.
3) Living things are composed of cells. ( viruses?)
4) Living things sense and respond to their external environment.
5) Living things reproduce, grow and develop.
6) Living things evolve, that is the populations change over time.
7) Living things maintain homeostasis.
3. All living things are part of a natural world where
all of life is interdependent.
1) Producers like corn are green plants and can photosynthesize sugars from carbon dioxide, water and sunlight.
2) Humans are consumers and need to eat producer organisms in order to use the energy that these organisms captured from the sun.
1) Producers require carbon dioxide which are released by the exhalations of humans. If humans were not present the producers would convert all of the available carbon dioxide into sugars and then would stop because they ran out of the materials required to make more sugars.
2) We consumers require sugars from other organisms. When we break these sugars down to make energy we release Carbon Dioxide, which the producers require.
3) Nature has been recycling long before we humans came on the scene.
Nonliving subcellular componentsà cells à tissues à organs à organ systems à organism à population à Community à Ecosystemà Biosphereà
Every living thing needs
another living entity in order to survive.
We humans need other humans to make us and take care of us until we can
survive on our own. However we are not
on our own, we need to eat other organisms, house ourselves (the wood ECT
needed for our houses) and cloth ourselves (the cotton and leather that you are
wearing). In turn those living things
require other living things. So all of
life is one big web.
1) living components (cells and above are converted back to nonliving subcellular components by consumers and decomposers in essence the molecules that make up your body can be recycled through plants to make someone else's body. Neat huh)
4. The Scientific Method
A. Biology is a dynamic study of life in which methodical inquiries into the function of life are still being performed.
1) The scientific method is a way to provide explanations.
a) A scientist observe and identify a problem or question.
b) A scientist develops a hypotheses using all known information.
c) A scientist makes a prediction of what the outcome would be if the hypothesis is valid (deductive if-then reasoning)
d) A scientist will test the predictions by experiments (using control groups and single variables)
e) Repeat the test for consistency
f) Report objectively on the tests and conclusions. (this is important good scientists are also good communicators)
2) In order to perform the scientific method the hypotheses must be testable. (so science cannot answer the question does god exist, why am I not dating a super model)
a) When the hypotheses are supported by overwhelming evidence it then becomes a theory.
b) A theory has a broader application than a specific hypothesis. (it generally explains what is happening)
c) While a theory is not an “absolute truth” scientists are relatively certain about their outcome and so my even stake their lives on it. (vaccinating themselves with an experimental vaccine for instance)
d) That theories change over time is a strength not a weakness, because this continual change makes sure that scientists will obtain the truth sooner or later.
· Alternative hypotheses are what allows science to progress. If there is more than one explanation for a result then more than one hypothesis can exist. Sometimes scientists will take opposing hypothesis and fight to see which is correct.
3) Science has the same drawback and limits that human have, because it is created by humans.
a) Science is susceptible to the failures that we have as humans.
b) A good scientist is a good communicator.
c) Some people just don’t listen, even with loads of evidence. (some believe the earth is flat)
d) Sometimes it is not good to do nothing.
1) In order to test a specific hypothesis a scientist must study the effect of a single variable. If you have more than one, variable you have more than one possible result.
2)
Example if you are testing to see if a drug will
cure cancer you need to test two groups of people. Both of which are exactly the same. Some you treat with your new drug (the variable)
some of which you do not treat with the drug.
This group is called the Control group
a) The control group will usually be treated with a Placebo or literally "false treatment" because the actual treating of a patient or giving the patient a pill can sometimes have an effect easily enough called the "placebo effect".
C. How scientists distribute their information and where you can find this information
1) If a scientist makes a great discovery and does not tell anyone about it, then when the scientist dies the discovery dies as well. Patent laws are designed to protect scientific knowledge (so that companies can make a profit) while letting society at large gain this information.
2) Most good science is published in Peer-reviewed journals not just on the Net or in your local newspaper.
a) in peer reviewed journals other experts in the field read the information and if the agree or are convinced by the data will let the paper be published.
D. Where science is published
1) peer reviewed journals such as science and Nature (Discover is not peer reviewed)
2) While daily papers and weekly newspapers will publish hot topics, this is usually after or right before the publishing of the info in a Peer reviewed journal, however you should read the original article.
3) Web pretences.
a) Know who the publisher is. Most Universities are reliable publishers and their pages in .edu However these may be a researchers views and may not be Peer reviewed.
b) Most companies pages end in .com remember they are trying to sell you something and they may be biased.
c) government agencies and nonprofit organizations end in .org
d) remember the easier it is to publish things probably the more suspect it is.
E. A good scientist is a critical thinker and
1) is skeptical they ask Who, What, Qualifications, Evidence, bias
2) Can appreciate the value and the downfalls of statistical data
3) Knows how to read graphs
4) Can distinguish anecdotal form scientific evidence.
5) can separate facts form conclusions
6) Can understand and differentiate between correlation and causation
7) Can spot the problems of a conflict of interest
.
5. The difference between Biology
and health.
1) Biology
is the study of living organisms. In
human
2) Health can be termed loosely as a state of well being. A person with maximal health will not only have a long life but they will enjoy life.
3) This is not a health class, but it is the idea of this instructor to give you the tools and the basic knowledge so that you can hopefully have a healthy life, and if not so that you can at least understand you or your families diseased state.
4) Most
importantly the instructor would like you to think like a scientist. Many our current health issues have not been
resolved. Alternate hypothesis exist for
many of our problems (Headlines that read eat more eggs
they are healthy, and other headlines that read eat less eggs they are killing
you, which voice should you listen to?) which of these you listen to
will depend on your basic knowledge of how the body works, and hence this
science class Human Biology.
A. While we humans are not the largest, fastest or furriest animals, we do have some characteristics that are unique to us and make us human. Some of these characteristics include
1) Bipedalism
a) We humans are the only mammals that stands upright and walks on two legs. This means that our hands are free to carry things.
2) Opposable thumbs
a) Yes while chimpanzees do have opposable thumbs, ours are better. We can pick up small objects between the thumb and the tip of either index or second finger. The muscles of our thumbs are also more developed. (while a chimp would beat you at a game of arm wrestling, you'd wup the simian in a thumb wrestling event)
3) Large brains
a) I don’t have to say much more, this gives us the capacity for speech and complex behavioral patterns that allow our naked, small clawed dull teethed selves to be the baddest animal on the planet.
7. A role of
science for our society
A. The application of science which is called technology
a. These applications have lead to increases of human productivity and prosperity.
b. It has reduced deaths from natural predators.
c. It has increased the amounts of food that humans produce
d. It has also lead to a number of problems that were not imaginable a short wile ago.
B. Science has its limits
a. It cannot always provide us with the ":right" answers to political, economic, social, legal or ethical dilemmas.
b. We do not experiment on ourselves usually.
C. Making an informed choice
a. You are constantly making choices.
b. Be being aware of some typical scientific principals you can make the choice that is best for you.
D. The amount of knowledge is constantly increasing and your choices for your knowledge include many easily accessible resources who do you believe?
a.
Some web sites to visit that are related to this topic.
Interesting sight on health from catholic health care http://yourhealth.catholichealthcarewest.org/home/home.cfm
An interesting page that give some pictures and definitions of
what those picture are. Is a good way to
show how interactive the net can be http://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html
A hypertexted
A discussion of the
scientific process http://teacher.nsrl.rochester.edu/phy_labs/AppendixE/AppendixE.html
History of science
society http://depts.washington.edu/hssexec/
The Story of Viagra http://pubs.acs.org/hotartcl/mdd/98/novdec/viagra.html
Books to read fro Skyline
library
Body by Design. R. nagel and B. Chenes Ed’s. 2000 Gale group.
QP36.N33 2000
|
TX652.W643 2002 |
What Einstein told his cook |
Robert Wolke |
Kitchen Science Explained. Go over this for human bio class. |