Concept preview

What you will be able to do

1. 01Describe the steps of the scientific method and how they connect in a cycle.
2. 02Identify the independent variable, dependent variable and controlled variables in an experiment.
3. 03Explain the purpose of a control group and of repeating trials.
4. 04Distinguish a hypothesis from a theory and an observation from an inference.

Biology is not a list of facts to memorise; it is a method for testing ideas against reality. The scientific method is that method — a repeatable cycle that turns a curious observation into reliable, evidence-based knowledge. It matters because our intuitions are often wrong: for centuries people were certain that maggots appeared spontaneously from rotting meat. Only a carefully designed experiment settled it. Learning the method is what lets you tell the difference between something that is true and something that merely sounds true — the single most useful skill this whole course can give you.