(A) Brookers Biology 4th

AN INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY 17
1 OBSERVATIONS The leaves on maple trees fall in autumn when the days get colder and shorter.
2 HYPOTHESIS The shorter amount of daylight causes the leaves to fall.
3 EXPERIMENTATION
Small maple trees are grown in
2 greenhouses where the only
variable is the length of light.
Control group: Experimental group:

Amount of daily light remains Amount of daily light becomes
constant for 180 days. progressively shorter for 180 days.
4 THE DATA 5 CONCLUSION The hypothesis cannot be rejected.

Number of leaves dropped
200
A statistical analysis
per tree after 180 days
can determine if
the control and the
100 experimental data
Figure 1.15 The steps of the scientific method, also known as
are significantly hypothesis testing. In this example, the goal is to test the hypothesis
different. In this that maple trees drop their leaves in the autumn due to the shortening
case, they are. length of daylight.
Control Experimental Concept Check: What is the purpose of a control group in hypothesis
group group testing?
experimentation involves control and experimental groups, a common The Study of Cystic Fibrosis Provides Examples
form of analysis is to determine if the data collected from the two of Discovery-Based Science and Hypothesis
groups are truly different from each other. Biologists apply statisti-
cal analyses to their data to determine if the control and experimen-
Testing
tal groups are likely to be different from each other because of the Let’s consider how biologists made discoveries related to the disease
single variable that is different between the two groups. When they cystic fibrosis (CF), which affects about 1 in every 3,500 Americans.
are statistically significant, the differences between the control and Persons with CF produce abnormally thick and sticky mucus that
experimental data are not likely to have occurred as a matter of ran- obstructs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections. The
dom chance. thick mucus also blocks ducts in the pancreas, which prevents the
In our tree example shown in Figure 1.15, the trees in the control digestive enzymes this organ produces from reaching the intestine.
group dropped far fewer leaves than did those in the experimental Without these enzymes, the intestine cannot fully absorb amino acids
group. A statistical analysis could determine if the data collected from and fats, which can cause malnutrition. Persons with this disease may
the two greenhouses are significantly different from each other. If the also experience liver damage because the thick mucus can obstruct
two sets of data are found not to be significantly different, the hypoth- the liver. On average, people with CF in the United States currently
esis would be rejected. Alternatively, if the differences between the live into their late 30s. Fortunately, as more advances have been made
two sets of data are significant, as shown in Figure 1.15, biologists in treatment, this number has steadily increased.
would conclude that the hypothesis is consistent with the data, though Because of its medical significance, many scientists are inter-
it is not proven. A hallmark of science is that valid experiments are ested in CF and are conducting studies aimed at gaining greater
repeatable, which means that similar results are obtained when the information regarding its underlying cause. The hope is that knowing
experiment is conducted on multiple occasions. For our example more about the disease may lead to improved treatment options, and
in Figure 1.15, the data would be valid only if the experiment was perhaps even a cure. As described next, discovery-based science and
repeatable. hypothesis testing have been critical to gaining a better understanding
As described next, discovery-based science and hypothesis test- of this disease.
ing are often used together to learn more about a particular scientific
topic. As an example, let’s look at how both approaches led to suc- The CFTR Gene and Discovery-Based Science In 1935,
cesses in the study of the disease called cystic fibrosis. American physician Dorothy Andersen determined that cystic fibrosis

(A) Brookers Biology 4th

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

(A) Brookers Biology 4th

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

(A) Brookers Biology 4th

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

AN INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY 17

2 HYPOTHESIS The shorter amount of daylight causes the leaves to fall.

Control group: Experimental group:

4 THE DATA 5 CONCLUSION The hypothesis cannot be rejected.

You might also like