Chapter 1: Introduction to Biology

Lesson 1.1: What is Science?

Lesson Objectives
● Identify the goal of science.
● Describe the basic principles of science.
● Describe the branches of science.
● State the four unifying principles of biology.

Vocabulary
● biology
● observation
● principle
● science

WHAT IS SCIENCE?

Have you ever wondered why giraffes have such long necks or how birds learn to sing their
special songs? If you’ve ever asked questions such as these about the natural world, then you were
thinking like a scientist. As a young child, you probably asked “Why?” and “How?” questions constantly.
You may not realize it, but you were performing experiments all the time. For example, if you wanted to
see if your plants would grow better with fertilizer, then you would set up a group of plants, keep all
other conditions the same, but give a certain number of them fertilizer. You would periodically measure
the height of each plant and eventually, after looking at the data, you would decide if plants do indeed
grow better with fertilizer.
The word ​science ​comes from a Latin word that means ‘‘knowledge.” Often, science is
considered something that we study. However, it is so much more. ​Science ​is a distinctive way of gaining
knowledge about the natural world that starts with a question, tries to answer the question with
evidence and logic, and finally ends with discovery. Science is an exciting exploration of all the whys and
hows that any curious person might have about the world. Besides your curiosity, all you need is a basic
understanding of how scientists think and how science is done, starting with the goal of science.

THE GOAL OF SCIENCE

The goal of science is to understand the natural world. To achieve this goal, scientists make
certain assumptions. They assume that:

● Nature can be understood through systematic study.

● Scientific ideas are open to revision.
● Sound scientific ideas withstand the test of time.
● Science cannot provide answers to all questions.

There are many different areas of science, or ​scientific disciplines​, but all scientific study involves:
asking questions, making observations, relying on evidence to form conclusions, and being skeptical
about ideas or results. Skepticism is an attitude of doubt about the truthfulness of claims that lack
empirical evidence. Scientific skepticism, also referred to as skeptical inquiry, questions claims based on
their scientific verifiability rather than accepting claims based on faith alone.

Chapter 1: What is Science? 1

Nature Can Be Understood
Scientists think of nature as a single
system controlled by natural laws. By discovering
natural laws, scientists strive to increase their
understanding of the natural world. Laws of
nature are expressed as scientific laws. A
scientific law ​is a statement that describes what
always happens under certain conditions in
nature.

Scientific Ideas Can Change

Science is more of a process than a set
body of knowledge. Scientists are always testing
and revising their ideas, and as new observations
are made, existing ideas may be challenged. Ideas
may be replaced with new ideas that better fit
the facts, but more often existing ideas are simply
revised. In this way, scientists gradually build an increasingly accurate and detailed understanding of the
natural world.

Scientific Knowledge Can Withstand the Test of Time

Many scientific ideas have withstood the test of time. For example, about 200 years ago, the
scientist John Dalton proposed the atomic theory—the theory that all matter is made of tiny particles
called atoms. This theory is still valid today. There are many other examples of basic science ideas that
have been tested repeatedly and found to be true. You will learn about many of them as you study
biology.

Science Cannot Answer All Questions

Science rests on evidence and logic, so it deals only with
things that can be observed. Things that cannot be observed
or measured by current means—such as supernatural
beings or events—are outside the bounds of science.
Consider these two questions about life on Earth:

● Did life on Earth evolve over time?

● Was life on Earth created through another method?

The first question can be answered by science on the basis

of scientific evidence and logic. The second question could
be a matter of belief. Therefore, it is outside the realm of
science.

Chapter 1: What is Science? 2

 Figure 1 (Wysession, 2004): Science covers as broad range of topics and is split into different branches.

BRANCHES OF SCIENCE
The ideas that science covers are extremely vast. Due to this, science is often broken down into
different branches and even further to specific areas of study. The three main branches of science
include physical science, earth and space science, and biology.
Biology is the study of life, so it covers the chemistry, physics, origins, behavior, and
classification of all living things. Biology has many areas of study. ​Zoology ​is the study of animals.
Botany ​is the study of plants. ​Genetics ​is the study of DNA and heredity. These are just a few examples
of the areas one can study under biology.
Physical science covers matter and primarily non living things. The two areas within physical
science are chemistry and physics. ​Chemistry i​ s the study of matter. ​Physics ​is the study of energy.
Earth and space science includes any ideas that cover the study of the earth. For example,
geology is one of the main areas of earth and space science. ​Geology ​is the study of the structure of the
earth. This includes study earth's rocks and many of the systems such as nutrient cycling. Another core
area of study within earth and space science is astronomy. ​Astronomy ​is the study of the universe
beyond earth, including the planets, sun, moon, stars, and universe.
Splitting science up into different branches and areas creates problems as well. Many times
scientist from one area will end up studying similar ideas as a scientist from another area. This overlap is
caused because there is often a grey area as to what one should study. Many times these sciences are
combined as seen with biochemistry and biophysics.

WHAT IS BIOLOGY?
“Biology” refers to the study of life. The Greek the word “bios” means “life”, and -logy means
“study of”. Today, ​biology ​is referred to as the study of living things. You may think that this is the
study of plants, animals, and microorganism, but it also so much more. Biologist’s study ALL aspects of
living things. This includes cells, reproduction, genetics, growth and development, obtaining minerals
and energy, responses to environment, maintaining a stable internal environment, how groups change
over time, and relationships between species.
In general, four unifying principles, or ‘big ideas’, form the basis of biology. These include:
1. Evolution - ​evolution drives the diversity and unity of life
2. Free Energy - ​energy/materials are used for growth, organism create an internal balance
3. Information - ​living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information
4. Systems - ​biological systems interact, these systems/interactions possess complex properties
Chapter 1: What is Science? 3
Lesson Summary

● The goal of science is to understand the natural world through systematic study. Scientific
knowledge is based on evidence and logic.
● The idea of science includes two core ideas: 1) scientific knowledge. 2) scientific process
● Scientific knowledge and study can be split up into different branches. These include physical
science, earth and space science, and biology.
● Four underlying principles form the basis of biology. They are evolution, free energy,
information, and systems.

References/ Multimedia Resources

Wysession, Michael, David V. Frank, and Sophia Yancopoulos. ​Prentice Hall Physical Science: Concepts
in Action: With Earth and Space Science​. Needham, MA: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004. Print.

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Chapter 1: What is Science? 4