MTTC Integrated Science Exam Questions
With Verified Answers Graded A+
Independent Variable
The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied. Placed on the
x-axis (horizontal) on a graph.
Dependent Variable
The variable that is measured in an experiment. Placed on the y-axis (vertical) on a graph.
Scientific theory
Must be repeatable. Possible to be disproved and capable of change.
Sampling and Sample Size
Random sampling is the preferred, but isn't always possible. A large sample will yield the most
accurate information.
Manipulating Variables
Only one variable should be manipulated at a time.
Control variable
A factor that is held constant to test the relative impact of an independent variable
Response to Lab Accident
In most cases, 911 should be called immediately.
Response to Fire in a Beaker or Flask
Do not use a fire extinguisher. Just place a watch glass or wet towel over it to cut off Oxygen supply.
Guidelines for Dissections
Specimens should be rinsed before using. Latex glover preferred. Avoid use of formaldehyde/dispose
of correctly. Need to provide alternative for students with moral objections to assingment.
Storing Lab Chemicals
Store all in secured, dry area. Acids locked in separate area.
Origin of Biological Sciences
Traced back to ancient Greeks (i.e. Aristotle)
Andrea Vesalius
Dissected human bodies; created a book on anatomy
Anton van Leeuwenhoek
Father of Microscopy, first to see and describe bacteria, yeast plants, and microscopic life found in
water
,Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
Instead of a light, a beam of electrons pass through specimen. Resolution about 1,000 times greater
than light microscope. Will kill specimen though.
Robert Hooke
Famous for Hook's law describing elasticity. But called a "virtuoso", able to contribute findings to any
major field in science
Carl Von Linnaeus
Famous for binomial system of nomenclature. Each living organism has two names, a genus and
species. Considered father of modern ecology and taxonomy
Pasteur
Discovered role of microorganisms in the cause of disease, pasteurization, and rabies vaccine.
Koch's Postulates
Specific diseases caused by specific pathogens
Cell theory
Cell is the common structural unit in plants and animals. Proposed by Mattias Scheleiden and
Schwann.
Watson and Crick
Discovered the structure of DNA was a double helix (in the 1950s). Made it possible to understand
how DNA replicated and synthesized proteins
Commonalities Among all Sciences
- Systems, order, and organization
- Evidence, models, and explanation
- Constancy, change, and measurement
- Evolution and equilibrium
- Form and function
Empirical Evidence
All evidence is empirical; all evidence must be observed by the five sense.
Peer-reviewed Journals
Most accepted source for information on scientific experiments and studies
Air Pollution
Chemicals in the air; include carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's)
Water Pollution
Contaminants enter water by ground runoff or by leaching
, Thermal pollution
Factories dump water at high temperatures which increases normal water temperatures. This means
the water can hold less gas, disrupting the ecosystem
Greenhouse gasses
I.e. carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. Concentration of them is increased by burning fossil fuels. These
gasses absorb and trap heat, therefore warming the planet
Acid ran
Sulfur and nitrous oxides converted to acids and contaminate water supplies
Prokaryotes
Single-celled organisms that do not have a membrane-bound nucleus
Flagella
Appendages on bacteria cells; used for movement
Pili
Used by bacteria cells to attach to other cells
Cell Wall
a thin membrane around the cytoplasm of a cell
Cell membrane
a phospholipid layer that covers a cell's surface and acts as a barrier between the inside of a cell and
the cell's environment
Eukaryotes
organisms whose cells contain a nucleus and other membrane bound organelles
Nucleus
a part of the cell containing DNA and RNA and responsible for growth and reproduction
Nucleolus
The organelle where ribosomes are made, synthesized and partially assembled, located in the nucleus
Ribosomes
site of protein synthesis
Endoplasmic Reticulum
an internal membrane system in which components of cell membrane and some proteins are
constructed
With Verified Answers Graded A+
Independent Variable
The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied. Placed on the
x-axis (horizontal) on a graph.
Dependent Variable
The variable that is measured in an experiment. Placed on the y-axis (vertical) on a graph.
Scientific theory
Must be repeatable. Possible to be disproved and capable of change.
Sampling and Sample Size
Random sampling is the preferred, but isn't always possible. A large sample will yield the most
accurate information.
Manipulating Variables
Only one variable should be manipulated at a time.
Control variable
A factor that is held constant to test the relative impact of an independent variable
Response to Lab Accident
In most cases, 911 should be called immediately.
Response to Fire in a Beaker or Flask
Do not use a fire extinguisher. Just place a watch glass or wet towel over it to cut off Oxygen supply.
Guidelines for Dissections
Specimens should be rinsed before using. Latex glover preferred. Avoid use of formaldehyde/dispose
of correctly. Need to provide alternative for students with moral objections to assingment.
Storing Lab Chemicals
Store all in secured, dry area. Acids locked in separate area.
Origin of Biological Sciences
Traced back to ancient Greeks (i.e. Aristotle)
Andrea Vesalius
Dissected human bodies; created a book on anatomy
Anton van Leeuwenhoek
Father of Microscopy, first to see and describe bacteria, yeast plants, and microscopic life found in
water
,Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
Instead of a light, a beam of electrons pass through specimen. Resolution about 1,000 times greater
than light microscope. Will kill specimen though.
Robert Hooke
Famous for Hook's law describing elasticity. But called a "virtuoso", able to contribute findings to any
major field in science
Carl Von Linnaeus
Famous for binomial system of nomenclature. Each living organism has two names, a genus and
species. Considered father of modern ecology and taxonomy
Pasteur
Discovered role of microorganisms in the cause of disease, pasteurization, and rabies vaccine.
Koch's Postulates
Specific diseases caused by specific pathogens
Cell theory
Cell is the common structural unit in plants and animals. Proposed by Mattias Scheleiden and
Schwann.
Watson and Crick
Discovered the structure of DNA was a double helix (in the 1950s). Made it possible to understand
how DNA replicated and synthesized proteins
Commonalities Among all Sciences
- Systems, order, and organization
- Evidence, models, and explanation
- Constancy, change, and measurement
- Evolution and equilibrium
- Form and function
Empirical Evidence
All evidence is empirical; all evidence must be observed by the five sense.
Peer-reviewed Journals
Most accepted source for information on scientific experiments and studies
Air Pollution
Chemicals in the air; include carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's)
Water Pollution
Contaminants enter water by ground runoff or by leaching
, Thermal pollution
Factories dump water at high temperatures which increases normal water temperatures. This means
the water can hold less gas, disrupting the ecosystem
Greenhouse gasses
I.e. carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. Concentration of them is increased by burning fossil fuels. These
gasses absorb and trap heat, therefore warming the planet
Acid ran
Sulfur and nitrous oxides converted to acids and contaminate water supplies
Prokaryotes
Single-celled organisms that do not have a membrane-bound nucleus
Flagella
Appendages on bacteria cells; used for movement
Pili
Used by bacteria cells to attach to other cells
Cell Wall
a thin membrane around the cytoplasm of a cell
Cell membrane
a phospholipid layer that covers a cell's surface and acts as a barrier between the inside of a cell and
the cell's environment
Eukaryotes
organisms whose cells contain a nucleus and other membrane bound organelles
Nucleus
a part of the cell containing DNA and RNA and responsible for growth and reproduction
Nucleolus
The organelle where ribosomes are made, synthesized and partially assembled, located in the nucleus
Ribosomes
site of protein synthesis
Endoplasmic Reticulum
an internal membrane system in which components of cell membrane and some proteins are
constructed
