1. Characteristics of Organisms
Biology
Textbook Reference:
Pages 6 - 9

2. Cellular Organization
All living things are made of one or more cells

3. Reproduction All living things can reproduce
Because no organism can live forever, reproduction is essential to the survival of a species!

4. Metabolism
All organisms carry out many chemical reactions in order to obtain and utilize energy for all life processes
Metabolism = the sum of all chemical rxns

5. Homeostasis
All organisms must maintain a stable internal environment in order to function properly

6. Heredity
All living things are able to pass on their traits to their offspring (via genes)

7. Responsiveness
All living things respond to stimuli – meaning, they react to change around them

8. Growth and Development
All living things undergo growth and development

9. Can you make up an acronym to remember the 7 characteristics of living things?

10. Textbook Reference Pages 14 - 20
Scientific Processes
Textbook Reference
Pages

11. Hypothesis What is a hypothesis?
A statement that can be tested by additional observations or experimentation
An “If-then statement”
Example: If the body’s internal temperature falls below 95 degrees Celsius, then the body will go into shock.

12. Prediction What is a prediction?
The expected outcome of a test, assuming that the hypothesis is correct
Example: I think it will take two hours of extremely cold temperatures to induce shock in the human body.

13. Experiment What is an experiment?
A planned procedure to test a hypothesis

14. Control Group What is a control group?
A group in the experiment that receives no experimental treatment
Designed to be identical to the experimental group except for ONE factor (or variable)

15. Independent Variable What is an independent variable?
The variable that is changed in the experiment

16. Dependent Variable What is a dependent variable?
The variable that is measured in the experiment

17. Theory
What is a theory?
A set of related hypotheses that have been tested and confirmed many times by many scientists
Unites and explains a broad range of observations
Examples: The Theory of Evolution, Cell Theory, Global Warming, Theory of Relativity

18. Hypothetical Experiment Design
Lisa Simpson is working on a science project. Her task is to answer the question: “Does Roogooti (a commercial hair product) affect the speed of hair growth?” Her family is willing to volunteer for the experiment.

19. A Simplified Example (from Wikipedia…)
The independent variable is typically the variable being manipulated or changed, and the dependent variable is the observed result of the independent variable being manipulated.
For example concerning nutrition, the independent variable of your daily vitamin C intake can determine the dependent variable of your life span

20. A Simplified Example…
Scientists will manipulate the vitamin C intake in a group of lets say 100 people who are over the age of 65. Half of the group, 50 people will be given a daily high dose of vitamin C (maybe 2000 mg) and 50 people will be given a placebo pill (no vitamin C dose or a pill with zero vitamin C) over a period of 25 years.
The scientists will log the life span of the 100 people to see if there is any statistically significant change in the life span of the people who took the high dose and those who took the placebo (no dose).

21. Goal of Experiment:
The goal is to see if the independent variable of high vitamin C dosage affects the dependent variable of people's life span.