LIFESCI 2A03 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Zygote, Trophoblast, Tissue Culture
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12 Oct 2018
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Department
Course
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LIFESCI 2A03
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
RESEARCH METHODS IN LIFE SCIENCE
LIFESCI 2A03 FALL 2018
INTRODUCTORY LECTURE
Aim: to explore the scientific method
• Check course outline for course details
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Describe and differentiate the different steps of the scientific method
Effectively postulate hypotheses, predictions and experiments to test
them
Critically analyze and interpret experimental results
Present and describe data and interpretation in an oral and written
formal
TOPIC: STEM CELL RESEARCH
• Hot topic due too public and media attention via political and ethical
discussions
• Innovative techniques used
REGENERATION:
• Mythology vs real life
o An old fashioned idea seen in Greek mythology
o Octopi have the ability to regenerate limbs, extra tentacle = a result
of abnormal regeneration?
• Regeneration in lower vertebrates
o Lizards and salamanders can regenerate lost tails and appendages
• Regeneration in invertebrates
o Planarian: flatworms with a remarkable ability to regenerate
o Each cut piece will regenerate into an entire flatworm
• Regeneration in humans
o The livers ability to regenerate seems to have been known since
ancient times
ROLE OF STEM CELLS IN CANCER & AGING
• The ability of resident stem cells to maintain and repair organs
diminishes with age, whereas paradoxically the risk of cancer increases
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
MODULE 1: THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
LECTURE 1
WHAT IS SCIENCE
• Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the
natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on
evidence
o Science is about ideas and because the unifying ideas of science are in
constant need of revision as new facts come to light and the insight of new
ideas redefines the implications of the old knowledge, we can never know
enough
▪ Science is always changing as it is a dynamic process
CHARACTERISTICS OF SCIENCE
1) Based on EMPIRICAL KNOWLEDGE
o Knowledge derived from observation or experimentation
▪ Data collection (measurements can be qualitative or quantitative)
o Observations are often the starting point of a scientific investigation
2) Provides RATIONAL/NATURAL EXPLANATIONS for phenomena
o Seeking explanations in terms of rational/natural causes
o Very few questions are off limits in science but the answers science can
provide are limited to the natural world → supernatural causes are not used
in science
▪ Regeneration is not miraculous as it is a biological explanation and a
phenomenon that can be studied
3) REPEATABLE & REPRODUCIBLE & reliable
o Scientific results are always subject to confirmation by the original or other
investigators
▪ Repeatable: if same scientist can repeat experiment to produce
same results
▪ Reproducible: if another scientist can repeat experiment to produce
same results
o More power is given to the finding if the experiment can be
repeated/reproduced via a reliable method/procedure → confirmation →
reliable findings
o Sometimes due to impracticality, temporal difficulties or expense, its not
possible to repeat/reproduce experiments
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com