Scientific Method & Important Scientists

Scientific Method Observation: gathering information Hypothesis: proposed scientific explanation Experiment: controlled activity to test the hypothesis by changing one variable at a time Manipulated Variable – deliberately changed Responding Variable – observed to change in response to the manipulated variable

Sci. Method Cont. Data – information gathered from the experiment Quantitative: things that can be counted; M-n-M’s Qualitative: descriptions; blue people, red sky Theory: well tested explanation for an observation

Important Scientists Redi – disproved spontaneous generation Life cannot arise from nonliving matter Experiment: flies produce maggots Leeuwenhoek: created the simple microscope Saw microorganisms in pond water

Imp. Scientists Cont. Needham – spontaneous generation could occur under the right conditions – heated and sealed gravy and saw activity (incorrect) Spallanzani: microorganism need air to grow Experiment: boiled & sealed gravy

Imp. Scientists Cont. Pasteur - all living things come from other living things Experiment: crocked neck flask Disproved the idea that air is a life force Showed infectious diseases were the result of microorganisms entering the body developed vaccine against anthrax

Imp. Scientists Cont. Watson & Crick: structure of DNA Nobel Prize 1962 Darwin – Father of Evolution Published On Origin of the Species