Q.No 10
Explain the biological method for solving a biological problem.
Answer:
BIOLOGICAL METHOD:
Science is a systematized knowledge. Like other sciences, biological sciences also have a set methodology, which is based on experimental inquiry. Different steps in the biological method of study are:
1) OBSERVATIONS
2) HYPOTHESIS
3) DEDUCTION
4) EXPERIMENT
5) THEORY
6) LAW
OBSERVATIONS:
Observations are made with five senses i.e vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch, depending upon their functional ability,
Observations can be qualitative and quantitative. Quantitative observations have accuracy over qualitative as the former invariable are measurable and are recorded in terms of numbers.
HYPOTHESIS:
An observer organizes observations into data form and gives a statement as per experience and background knowledge of the event. This statement is the hypothesis.
There are two ways of formulating hypothesis
A) . A hypothesis can be a result of deductive reasoning or
B) A hypothesis can be the consequence of inductive reasoning .
In fact sometimes scientists use other forms of hypothesis also. Other ways may include
(1) intuition or imagination (2) esthetic preference (3) religious or philosophical ideas (4) comparison and analogy with other processes (5) discovery of on thing while looking for some things. These ways can also sometime forms basis for scientific hypothesis.
Deductive Reasoning:
Deduction is reasoning from the general to the specific. Deductive logic of "if is frequently used to frame testable hypothesis.
Example: 1.
If organisms of type X require oxygen to live, this individual of type X will die if it is put in an atmosphere without oxygen.
Example: 2.
If all green plants require sunlight form photosynthesis then any green plant when put in dark would not synthesize glucose, the end product of photosynthesis.
Inductive Reasoning:
The other way of reasoning used in the formulation of hypothesis is "inductive generalization", which is reasoning from the specific to the general.
Example:
Organisms A, B, C and D of the type X die in an atmosphere devoid of oxygen, therefore all the organism of type X require oxygen to live so on so forth. The science also, therefore, uses inductive methods to generalized from specific events.
EXPERIMENTS:
The hypotheses are subjected to rigorous testing called experiments. Repeated exposure of hypothesis to possible falsification increases scientist's confidence in the hypothesis when they are not falsified. Any hypothesis that is tested again and again without even being falsified is considered well supported and is generally accepted. This may be used as the basis for formulating further hypothesis.
THEORY:
There is soon a scries of hypothesis supported by the results of many tests, which is then called a theory. A good theory is predictive and has explanatory power. One of the most important features of a good theory is that it may suggest new and different hypothesis. A theory of this kind is called productive. If a theory is not productive or if a falsification of even one of its hypothesis can lead to rejection of the theory.
LAW:
However, even in the case of productive theory the testing goes on. In fact many scientist take it as a challenge and exert even greater efforts to disprove the theory. If a theory survives this disbelieving approach and continues to be supported by experimental evidence, it becomes a scientific law. A scientific law is a uniform or constant fact of nature.
Example:
An example of biological law is the biogenesis, which means that all living things come from pre-existing living things. You can see that laws are even more general than theories and afford answers to even more complex questions. Therefore there are relatively few scientific laws.
Q No 11
What is the role of study of biology in the welfare of mankind?
BIOLOGY AT THE SERVICE OF MANKIND:
The science of biology is very help full to man in many ways.
In the Field Of Health:
It has helped man in combating fatal disease like, malaria, small pox, tuberculosis etc. It has provided cure for some disease like cancer through radiotherapy and chemotherapy. We have been able to bring epidemics under control. We have reduced infant's mortality rates etc. The science of biology is coming to our rescue by finding means to increase food production and by controlling the increase in human population through developing devices and programs for family planning.
CANCER THERAPY:
Insights into the character of DNA, its biosynthetic processes, and its role in cell growth and development have had wide application in recent cancer research. Coupled with recognition of the antimetabolite principle, these insights stand behind the development of a series of anticancer drugs that are able to check the growth of tumor cells, prolonging the lives of some patients by several years.
Cancer second only to heart condition within the mortality tables, isn't one but many diseases. Slow-growing solid tumors, like carcinoma , are extremely difficult to treat unless the tumor is localized in order that it are often removed by surgery or destroyed by irradiation. Significant progress has been made in treating by chemotherapy fast-growing tumors like leukemia or other blood or lymph cancers. Cancer of both types is characterized by abnormal, uncontrolled growth of cells. Successful therapy depends upon an understanding of the metabolism and artificial activities of these cells and rests on the principle of attacking them once they are during a vulnerable state.
The process of cell replication occurs in four stages: two pauses or resting states, a period of DNA synthesis, and one of mitosis and cell division. Different chemical agents selectively inhibit cell metabolism at different stages during this cycle and, because the cancer cells in a private aren't all synchronized—that is, they're not all in an equivalent phase at an equivalent time— judicious use of a mixture of antimetabolites is important to destroy the utmost number of tumor cells.
Folic acid is used by man as a coenzyme in the process of synthesis of DNA precursors. Therefore, it was reasoned, an antimetabolite that could disrupt this sequence would inhibit the growth of tumor cells in the DNA-synthetic phase. Of a series of structural analogs that were tested, one called methotrexate (amethopterin) is clinically useful. Its drawback is its lack of specificity; it acts against all cells within the DNA-synthetic phase, whether or not they are cancerous or not. The turnover of normal cells, however, is distinctly but that of rapidly dividing cancer cells; in weighing risk versus benefit, it had been concluded that the toxic effects of methotrexate are less than its benefits, particularly in the treatment of leukemia.
In the Field Of Agriculture:
Biology has made hydroponics possible whereby plants can be cultivated in solution or moist material containing minerals, instead of growing in soil. Biology has provided biological control for certain pest of food crops. Recently, biology has made possible the cloning, genetic engineering and integrated disease management, which increased the crop production.
In the Field Of Environmental Protection:
Biology has helped in protection and conservation of environment. provided awareness of pollution and its control.
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