Wednesday, March 18, 2015
BIOLOGICAL METHOD
Science is a systematized knowledge. Like other sciences, biological sciences also have a set methodology. It is based on experimental inquiry. It always begins with chance observation. Observations are made with five senses viz, vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch, depending upon their functional ability. Observations can both be qualitative and quantitative. Quantitative observations have accuracy over qualitative as in the former variables are measurable and are recorded in terms of numbers. 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, which is tentative explanation of observations. At this stage you should look at the ways of devising hypothesis. There are two ways of formulating hypothesis. A hypothesis can be the result of deductive reasoning or it can be the consequence of inductive reasoning.
Deductive Reasoning:
Deductive reasoning moves from the general to the specific. It involves drawing specific conclusion from some general principle/assumptions. Deductive logic of "if then" is frequently used to frame testable hypothesis. For example, if we accept that all birds have wings (premise # 1), and that sparrows are birds (premise # 2), then we conclude that sparrows have wings. If all green plants require sunlight for photosynthesis, then any green plant when placed in dark would not synthesize glucose, the end product of photosynthesis. The other way of reasoning used in the formulation of hypothesis is inductive reasoning which is reasoning from the specific to the general. It begins with specific observations, and leads to the formation of general principle. For instance, if we know that sparrows have wings and are birds, and we know that eagle, parrot, hawk, crow are birds, then we induce (draw conclusion) that all birds have wings. The science also, therefore, uses inductive methods to generalize from specific events. In fact sometimes scientists also use other ways to form a hypothesis which may include:
- (1) Intuition or imagination.
- (2) Esthetic preference.
- (3) Religious or philosophical ideas.
- (4) Comparison and analogy with other processes.
- (5) Discovery of one thing while looking for some other thing.
These ways can also sometimes form basis for scientific hypothesis. Hypotheses as you already know are subjected to rigorous testing.
Repeated exposure of a hypothesis to possible falsification increases scientists confidence in the hypothesis when it is not falsified. Any hypothesis that is tested again and again without ever being falsified is considered well supported and is generally accepted. This may be used as the basis for formulating further hypothesis. So there is soon a series of hypotheses 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 hypotheses. A theory of this kind is called Productive.
However, even in the case of productive theory the testing goes on. In fact many scientists take it as a challenge and exert even greater efforts to disprove the theory. If a theory survives this skeptical approach and continues to be supported by experimental, it becomes a scientific law. A scientific law is a uniform or constant fact of nature.
Examples of biological laws are Hardy-Weinberg law and Mendle’s law of inheritance.
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