Biology: Chapter 1
Biology: The study of life
What do biologists study?
1. The Diversity of Life
2. Interactions between living
things and their environment:
This helps us understand that
no species lives in isolation.
The whole planet is
interconnected.
3. Biologists study problems
and propose solutions:
Medicine, Agriculture, Wild
Life preservation etc…
What is a living thing?
According to Secular Scientists
Living Things consist of the
following 6 Kingdoms:
According to God’s Word, there
was no death as a result of the
fall yet plants were eaten as
food.
Does the fact that plants died
before the fall a contradiction
in the Word of God?
God only considers the animal
kingdom and humans to be
truly alive.
According to God, the rest of the
kingdoms containing the other
biological organisms are not
truly alive including plants.
Read the following article:
http://www.icr.org/article/1099/
294/
II. Characteristics of Biological
Organisms
Organism- is anything that
possesses all of the physical
characteristics of life.
1. Cellular
Organization: All
living things are
composed of one or
more cells.
2. Growth and Development:
A. Growth: When living things
grow, their cell enlarge and
divide.
B. Development: the change
in an organism that takes
place over its life.
3. Response to a Stimulus:
Living things respond to
change in their external
environment. Any changes,
such as rise in temperature
or the presence of food is a
stimulus. Example: Waking
up.
A. Stimulus: Your alarm goes off
B. Response: You get up.
4. Homeostasis: the
maintaining of a stable,
internal environment.
Organisms must make
constant adjustments to
maintain the correct amount
of water and minerals in
their cells, the proper
internal temperature, as well
as many other things.
Examples of Homeostasis:
Getting thirsty
Shivering form being cold
**Since Energy is needed to do
all of these things, getting
hungry would also be
considered and example of
homeostasis**
5. Reproduction: All living
things produce offspring.
The offspring receive
genetic material from their
parents in the form of DNA.
A. DNA: determines the
offspring’s physical traits.
B. Species: a group of
organisms that can
interbreed and produce
fertile offspring in nature.
Scientific Method
Objectives:
1. Components of the Scientific Method
2. Utilization of the Scientific Method
3. Proper execution of an Experiment
What is the Scientific Method??
The Scientific Method is used to
approach problems in all area of
science.
 It is a step-by-step procedure to gather
information and answer questions.
 There are 8 steps involved in the
Scientific Method:

8 Steps of the Scientific Method:
1. State the Problem
2. Research
3. Hypothesis
4. Experiment
5. Collect Data
6. Analyze Data
7. Conclusion
8. Repeat
The 8 Steps include…

1. State the Problem
– “What do I want to find out??”
Observation: Information that
is gathered by using one of
the 5 senses.
B. Inference: the act or process
of deriving a conclusion based
solely on what one already
knows.
A.
The 8 Steps include…

2. Gather Research about the problem
– Find out if other scientists have done
similar experiments and what their results
show.

3. State a Hypothesis
– This is a possible explanation to the
problem, or an “educated guess”.
– The hypothesis must be able to be tested
with an experiment.
– Written most of the time in an “If, then”
format.
3. State a Hypothesis
For Example: If the time exercising
increases then your pulse rate will
increase.

3. State a Hypothesis
 A. Independent Variable- is the
variable that you are testing in the
experiment . Ex. Time exercising. It
is the If portion of the hypothesis. (xaxis)

B. Dependent Variable- is the part
of the experiment that is being
affected by the independent
variable. It is the then portion of the
hypothesis. Ex. Pulse Rate. (y-axis)

3. State a Hypothesis
 A. Independent Variable- Cause
 B. Dependent Variable- Effect

If you study (cause) then you will pass
(effect).
4. Experiment: Test the
Hypothesis.

– Create an experiment that
will verify or disprove
the hypothesis.
4. Experiment:
 Constructing a controlled
experiment:

In order for an experiment to
be considered a controlled
experiment,

A. The group that is being tested
upon must be compared to another
group under normal conditions.

4. Experiment:
 B. The experimental group is the
group that is being experimented
upon by the independent variable.
Ex. This would be the group that
would be increasing the time
exercising.


4. Experiment:
C. The control group is the
group that is used to
compare the experimental
group to. In order to limit
the variables.

Ex. This group would keep
the time exercising constant.
–

D. Experimental group and
the control group should be
identical in every way except
for the one variable that is
being tested.
E. In addition, the larger your
groups are the more
reliable the data. This
phenomenon is called
having adequate sample
size for the experiment.

5. Collect Data
– There are 2 types of data:
• Quantitative: “Quantity”; Uses Numbers
• Qualitative: “Quality”; Uses Descriptions

6. Analyze Data
– Scientists must keep accurate records so
that others can repeat the experiment
accurately.

7. Draw a Conclusion
The conclusion would include
whether or not the results of the
experiment supported the
hypothesis as well as
recommendations for any
procedural changes to retest the
hypothesis.
8. REPEAT
What’s A Theory?
Theory: An explanation of natural
phenomena that has undergone many
experimental tests and has not been
disproved.
 Theories may be disproved at a later
time (new methods, better equipment,
etc…)

The levels of scientific conclusions are all
about the probability of them being true.
1. Hypothesis: Low Probability (has not
been verified by the scientific method).
2. Scientific Theory: Moderate Probability
(has been verified by the scientific
method). Considered almost a fact
compared to the way we use the word
theory in our society.
3. Scientific Law/Principle: High
Probability (has not only been
verified by the scientific method, it
has also lasted the test of time) A
scientific law is the closest thing in
science to an absolute truth. The
problem is that due to the fact that
humans are not omniscient, even
scientific laws can be wrong.
4. The Word of God is the only
source of absolute truth. The
standard of truth itself. If a
scientific conclusion disagrees
with the Bible, the scientific
conclusion must be wrong.
5. Technology: The application
of scientific research to
society’s needs and
problems. This is applied
science. Ex. Computer,
Space Shuttle, Medicine, Air
conditioning, etc…
6. ETHICS- The MORAL
principles and values of our
society that we need to take
into account in science. Ex .
The Issue of Human Cloning,
Genetic Engineering,
Embryonic Stem Cell
Research, etc…
God’s Law is the absolute
standard for Ethics!
Data and Graphing
What is data?
• Data is observations made during
scientific investigations.
• When you collect a LOT of data, it is
important to organize it using a data table.
Data Tables
• All data tables must contain the following
information:
– A title - the title tells the reader exactly what
the data is about.
– Variables
– Units for the variables
An Example
What is a Graph?
• A graph is a visual representation or
model of a data table.
Types of Graphs
• There are three types of graphs.
1.Bar graph
2.Line graph
3.Pie/Circle graph
• The type of graph you use depends on the
data you collect.
Line graphs are used to display data or
information that changes continuously
over time.
Bar graphs are used to compare facts. The
bars provide a visual display for comparing
quantities in different categories or groups.
Circle Graphs are used to compare the
parts of a whole. Used for data that deals
with % of a whole with the entire circle
representing 100%.
Necessary Components of a
Line and Bar Graph
1. X-axis
• The horizontal axis
• Independent variable
2.
•
•
•
Y-axis
The vertical axis
Dependent variable
It is the measurement
Necessary Components of a Line
Graph
3. Title
• The title must summarize what your
graph is showing.
• A good title will include both variables in
it.
Necessary Components of a Line
Graph
4. Scale
• Each line in your graph should have the
same value and be spaced at even
distance apart.
• Be sure to use a scale that maximizes the
area of the grid.
Necessary Components of a Line
Graph
5. Units
– Both variables must include units
Include
Units
Include Units
Bar Graphs
• Used to compare distinct categories
Circle/Pie Graphs
• Used to show data as part of a whole.
• The circle represents the whole or total.
• The wedges, or segments, represent the
parts.