The Scientific Method

Question 1

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 1

a tentative explanation that can be tested by experiments

Question 2

What makes a good hypothesis?

Answer 2

something that can be tested

Question 3

what is a theory?

Answer 3

it is something that not entirely proven but is the best explanation given our current scientific understanding

Question 3

what makes a hypothesis be considered a theory?

Answer 3

when the results of several experiments support the hypothesis

Question 3

What is a signaling cell?

Answer 3

part of a ‘cell signaling pathway’ it releases signaling molecules

Question 4

What is a responding cell?

Answer 4

part of the ‘cell-signaling pathway’ it has receptor proteins that bind to the signaling molecule

Question 5

What are the processes of a ‘cell-signaling pathway’? and explain them

Answer 5

receptor activiation - the signal binds to a receptor, which is then activated
signal transduction - the signal transmitted to the inside of the cell by a signal-transduction pathway
response - the cell responds (e.g. the cell activates an enzyme or turns on transcription of a gene)

Question 6

What are the components of an experimental design?

Answer 6

variables
- independent variable
- dependent variable
Experimental/test group
Control group
“n” (sample size or number of repetitions)