Critical Thinking Questions
16. Although the scientific method is used by most of the sciences, it can also be applied to everyday situations. Think about a problem that you may have at home, at school, or with your car, and apply the scientific method to solve it.
17. Give an example of how applied science has had a direct effect on your daily life.
18. Name two topics that are likely to be studied by biologists, and two areas of scientific study that would fall outside the realm of biology.
19. Thinking about the topic of cancer, write a basic science question and an applied science question that a researcher interested in this topic might ask.
20. Select two items that biologists agree are necessary in order to consider an organism “alive.” For each, give an example of a nonliving object that otherwise fits the definition of “alive.”
21. Consider the levels of organization of the biological world, and place each of these items in order from smallest level of organization to most encompassing: skin cell, elephant, water molecule, planet Earth, tropical rainforest, hydrogen atom, wolf pack, liver.
22. You go for a long walk on a hot day. Give an example of a way in which homeostasis keeps your body healthy.
23. Using examples, explain how biology can be studied from a microscopic approach to a global approach.