Chapter 2: solving a biological problem

B. Define the following terms

1. Biological method: The systematic procedure which is adopted by biologists to get a final answer of a
biological problem is called biological method.

2. Qualitative observations: Observations are called qualitative which deals only with qualities or
properties.

3. Deduction: Deduction is a possible specific belief about the solution of a biological problem.

4. Experimental group: Experimental group are those organisms who are used in experiments to know
the effects of different factors on them.

5. Scientific theory: when a hypothesis is proved by a series of experiments then it is called a scientific
theory.

6. Scientific law: If the productive theory satisfies the other biologists then it becomes a scientific law.
Scientific laws are also called laws of nature.

7. Meaning of malaria: The name malaria is derived from two Italian words i.e. “Mala" means bad and
“aria" means air.

8. Control group: Those organisms which are not exposed to those factors which are provided to
experimental group is called control group.

9. Ratio: Ratio indicates the comparison of relative values. Ratio may be represented in the form of
quotient (x/y) or by putting colon mark (:) between number (x:y).

10. Incubation period: The time period between the entry of parasite in host and appearance the
symptoms of disease is called incubation period.

C. Short Questions

1. Differentiate between ratio and proportion.

Ans: Ratio: Ratio indicates the comparison of relative values. Ratio may be represented in the form of
quotient (x/y) or by putting colon mark (:) between number (x:y).

Proportion: proportion is the relation between equal ratio. The proportion may be represented by two
ways i.e. w : x = y : z or w : x :: y : z.

2. Briefly describe the experiments of Ronald Ross on malaria.

Ans: Ronald Ross was a British army physician. He proved by experiments that female mosquitoes get
plasmodia from malarial patients. He also discovered that the transmission of plasmodia from patients
to healthy one is carried out by female mosquitoes.

3. Is mathematics an integral part of scientific process?

Ans: yes, mathematics is an integral part of scientific process. A perfect knowledge about biological
problem is obtained by using the applied mathematics.
4. What is the importance of data analysis.

Ans: The data analysis is necessary to check whether a hypothesis is correct or not. The acceptance or
rejection of hypothesis depends upon the analysis of data. It is done through the applications of
statistics.

D. Descriptive Questions.

1. Explain four steps (observations, hypothesis formulation, deduction and experimentation) of a

biological method to solve a biological problem.

Ans: Observations: It is the first phase to solve a biological problem. A biologists uses all the sources to
get information about the problem. The observations are of two types i.e. qualitative and quantitative.
Observations are called qualitative which deals only with qualities or properties. Observations are called
quantitative which deals with the numbers.

Hypothesis formulation: Hypothesis is a possible guess to answer a biological problem. A biologists

arranges observations in the form of data. After deep thinking, discussions and reasoning a hypothesis is
derived from this data.

Deduction: Deduction is a possible specific belief about the solution of a biological problem. The
deduction is based on “if" and “then” format e.g. “if" malaria is due to plasmodium “then" all the
malarial patients should have plasmodium in their blood.

Experimentation: The hypothesis may be true or wrong so it should be tested by experiments. Incorrect
hypothesis is rejected and a new hypothesis is selected for experiments. Only that hypothesis is
accepted which is proved by experiments. Experiments are carried out many times on a hypothesis to
get the certain conclusion of biological problem.

2. How ratio and proportion are used in appropriate situations to solve biological problems.

Ans: Biologists use ratios and proportions to get the answers of biological problems in mathematical
form.

Ratio: Ratio indicates the comparison of relative values. Ratio may be represented in the form of
quotient (x/y) or by putting colon mark (:) between number (x:y).

e.g. The ratio between 25 malarial patients and 50 healthy persons is 25/50 or 25 : 50.

Proportion: proportion is the relation between equal ratio. The proportion may be represented by two
ways i.e. w : x = y : z or w : x :: y : z. If any three values in the proportion are known then the fourth can
be calculated easily.

Example: Suppose a biologist allows infected mosquitoes to bite 40 healthy sparrows and he noted that
28 out of them got malaria. By using the proportion he can find out if he allows mosquitoes to bite 80
healthy sparrows then how much sparrows will get infected?

Healthy sparrows : Infected sparrows

40 : 28
 80 : X

40 : 80 = 28 : X

Product of extreme = product of mean

40 × X = 80 × 28

X = 80 × 28

3. Write a detailed note on the experiment of Italian scientists on human beings to find the cause of
malaria.

Ans: In 1898, the experiments were carried out by Italian biologists on human beings to find the cause of
malaria. They allowed some female Anopheles mosquitoes (who had no plasmodia ) to bite a malarial
patient (who had plasmodia in their blood). These mosquitoes were kept for some days and then
allowed to bite a healthy person ( who had no plasmodium in blood). Biologists observed that after
some days that person became a malarial patient. When the blood of patient was analysed then a large
number of plasmodia were found in his blood.