CHAPTER # 2

SOLVING A BIOLOGICAL PROBLEM

Biological Method:

A Biological method is a scientific approach used to resolve a Biological problem related to living organisms. It consists of the following steps.

1. Observation:

Most of the Biological investigation starts with an observation. After selecting, specific Biological problems, observations are made to collect relevant information.

Example

In 1878, a French physician, Laveran, studies the blood sample of malaria patients under a microscope and observed tiny creatures (plasmodium) in it.

2) Hypothesis:

An intelligent guess in a  form of a statement is called Hypothesis.

Example

Plasmodium is the cause of malaria.

3) Reasoning:

Biologist collects all the necessary information about the problem and formulates the Hypothesis by reasoning method. It has two types.

Inductive reasoning

The inductive reasoning moves from the specific to general e-g Shark is a fish.

Example

All fishes have scales that's why sharks also have scales.

Deductive Reasoning

It is based on if and then. Deductive Reasoning can be verified and tested by experiments.

Example

If plasmodium is caused by malaria then all that malaria patients should have plasmodium in their blood.

4) Experiments:

Experiments are performed to test each deduction ( prediction ) practically to find out whether or not the Hypothesis is correct. In testing the deduction we actually test a Hypothesis.

5) Result:

Results verify the deduction and finally the Hypothesis.

Example

It was found that all the malaria patients have plasmodium in their blood where's blood samples of healthy persons were free from plasmodium.

6) Conclusion:

A conclusion is a set of scientific assumptions consistent with one another and supporting evidence, but not fully proved.

Example

Plasmodium is the cause of malaria.

7) Scientific Law:

A theory that is tested again and again and found to fit the fact, from which valid prediction can be made is then known as scientific law.