Chapter 1 Science In Our World

Lesson 1.1 What Is Science?

● Science - The word science comes from the Latin word scientia,
which means “to know”. Science is the way of learning how things
work. It employs skills such as measuring, analyzing, observing, and
experimenting.
● Objective - It refers to the manner by which knowledge is obtained.
● Experiment - It can be repeated by others and still obtain the same
result.

Science is classified into pure science, applied science and

technology.

● Pure science - It involves gathering information through

experimentation, which is mainly done for the pursuit of knowledge. It
also includes life science, physical science and earth science.
● Applied science - Deals with the search for practical uses of scientific
knowledge and scientific laws.
● Technology - It comes from the Greek word techne, which means
“art, craft or skill’ And word logia, which means “word or expression”.
It is defined as the
application of science that improves the quality of human life.
Lesson 1.2 Branches Of Science
Before science became the science known today, natural phenomena
were explained based only on personal observations and understanding.
During the time of Greek mathematician Pythagoras, arithmetic, geometry,
music, and astronomy were recognized as sciences. However, by the
nineteenth century, scientists finally recognized that pure mathematics was
not science because it was that a series of logical relations did not depend
on the laws of nature. But since mathematics is often used in the study of
science, it is now considered an allied field. Mathematics is referred to as
the language of science because it is used to communicate the results
obtained in scientific works.

Life science, also referred to as biology, studies all aspects of living

things. It studies the behavior, history, and development of living
organisms. The life sciences include the following:

● Botany - is the study of plants.

● Zoology - is the study of animals.

● Genetics - is the study of heredity, specifically the function and

behavior of genes.

The life sciences may be subdivided according to units of study: molecule,

cell, organism, or even population. The following are the divisions of life
sciences developed through the years:
● Molecular biology - studies the structure and function of
macromolecules, such as proteins and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA),
and how these molecules are essential for biological functions.

● Cellular biology - sometimes referred to as cell biology, aims to

understand the properties, structure, activities, and functions of the
cell of simple and complex organisms.

● Developmental biology - is the study of the growth and development

of organisms. It deals with life processes, which are studied by
biologists in two ways. One way is by studying the metabolic
pathways in a cell (in vivo) and the other is by studying isolated
portions of the cell and simulating the normal environment of the cell
(in vitro).

● Embryology - deals with the study of embryo development.

● Histology - is the study of tissues.

● Physiology - deals with the functions and activities of life and living
matter.

● Biomedicine - is the application of biological knowledge to human

health.

● Ecology - is the study of how living things interact with one another
and with their environment.

● Physical science - deals with matter and energy.

● Physics - is the study of the interaction between matter and energy.

● Chemistry - is the study of the composition of matter and the changes

it undergoes.
 ● Astronomy - is the study of heavenly bodies and their interactions in
space beyond the atmosphere of Earth.

Earth science, also known as geoscience, is the study of Earth. It

used to be a part of the physical sciences. Now, it stands apart as Earth
faces more critical problems. Earth science is further subdivided into
specific fields of study, some of which are the following:

● Geology - is the study of the history and structure of Earth.

● Paleontology - is the study of prehistoric life through fossil remains.

● Oceanography - is the study of the physical, chemical, and biological

aspects of the oceans and the ocean floor, and it involves mapping
and measuring Earth's surface underwater.

● Meteorology - is the study of Earth's atmosphere and its processes

and phenomena.

● Petrology - is the study of rocks.

Lesson 1.3 Specializations In Science

Science has become highly specialized, with scientists focusing on a
particular area in their field.
In biology-marine biologists specialize in marine organisms and their
interaction with the environment. Phycologist - specialize in algae.

In chemistry - there are organic chemists, inorganic chemists, analytical

chemists, polymer chemists, quality control chemists, and forensic
chemists, among others.

In physics - there are nuclear physicists, geophysicists, and astrophysicists,

and the like.

While the basic sciences can be studied separately and independently of

one another, the sciences can also cut across disciplines. Because of this,
science has become interdisciplinary. As scientists in various fields work as
a team, they integrate all their research findings to have a broader
perspective of the study and to improve the quality of life. Biologists, for
example, have realized that knowledge about chemistry can better explain
the chemical process in living organisms. Likewise, chemists see the need
for a deeper understanding of biology to explain how an organ will respond
to chemical changes when a drug is introduced into the body. The
integration of biology and chemistry has given birth to the field of
biochemistry.

Other fields in the life sciences that combine different areas of knowledge
include bioengineering, biostatistics, bioinformatics, and biomimetics.

Bioengineering - is the application of the principles of engineering on living

organisms. It involves the creation of artificial limbs, development of
imaging machines such as ultrasound, and use of engineered organisms
for manufacturing pharmaceuticals.

Biostatistics - application of statistical methods in designing experiments in

biology.
Bioinformatics - application of statistics, mathematics, information
technology, and computer science in solving problems in biology. such as
creating computer-generated models of molecular structures.

Biomimetics - also referred to as "biomimicry", is the science of looking to

nature for inspiration and imitating life in order to design or innovate
products and systems for humans to use. The term "biomimetics" from the
Greek words bio meaning "life" and mimesis meaning "to imitate".

The application of science leads to the development of technology.

Technology has improved the quality of life in many ways. The science
concepts behind DNA analysis are now packaged into technologies that
solve crimes, confirm one's identity, or establish paternity.
● Nuclear research has brought about technologies for treating cancer,
preserving food, and providing energy. Harnessing energy from the
sun has brought about solar-powered batteries for calculators and
watches.
● And there are many more reasons on how technology has improved
the quality of life. However, there is always a downside to everything.
Technological advancement has adverse effects.
● For example, the burning of fossil fuels, which primarily supplies
energy to the modern world, has degraded the quality of air and
caused harmful effects on human health and the environment which
causes global warming and climate change. Currently, scientist
continuously search for alternative sources of energy and other ways
to reduce the adverse effects of technology on the environment

Lesson 1.4 Science Breakthroughs

A scientific breakthrough is a significant moment that reveals an idea or
even an accidental answer to a need or problem.
Many scientific breakthroughs were developed into technologies that
helped improve the quality of life.
● Cure to diseases
● Increasing food production
● Improving procedures for solving crimes
● Developing machines that do work more efficiently.

Some scientific breakthroughs were discovered accidentally and led to

other breakthroughs, while others were made through the perseverance of
scientists.

In 1928, Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming (1881-1955) left petri

dishes containing cultured bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, before going
on a two-week vacation. Upon returning to his laboratory, he sorted through
the stack of discarded petri dishes and was surprised to observe that a
mold had contaminated his culture. However, this mold produced penicillin,
which inhibited the growth of harmful S. aureus, practically wiping the dish
clean even without the aid of a disinfectant. The medical community did not
readily accept Fleming's new discovery. Scientists during that time believed
that once bacteria entered the body, there was nothing that could be done.
Penicillin was seen as insignificant and of no scientific interest. Fleming
was not a chemist and so he could not isolate the active ingredient; neither
could he keep the penicillin long enough for human use.

Lesson 1.5 The Value Of Science

Fertilizing an ovum outside the mother's womb gives new hope to many couples who cannot
have a child through natural means. In
● vitro fertilization (IVF) is one of the breakthroughs that is part of what is known as
"assisted reproductive therapy" (ART), which treats infertility of a woman to get
pregnant.

● In vitro fertilization involves taking an egg cell from the mother's ovary and fertilizing it in
a test tube with the father's sperm cell. The fertilized ovum will then be implanted into the
mother's or another woman's womb where it can grow and develop.
 ● Many ethical and moral issues have emerged regarding test-tube babies, especially
when the fertilized egg is implanted in another woman's womb. Another and even more
serious is the fate of other embryos that are produced but not implanted into a womb.

For science to serve humanity, scientific knowledge must be applied for the common good. If
the use of science has a good side, it also has a bad side. It all depends on how people use it.
There are some instances in which the value of a particular technology was challenged by moral
and ethical considerations.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

In 1921, based on Einstein's equation, it was predicted that a huge amount of energy could be
released if matter was transformed into energy. This energy may be harnessed to heal cancer
or generate enough electricity to power up cities or even countries. However, Einstein's
equation was used to create atomic bombs.

● In August 1945 during World War II, two atomic bombs name 'Little Boy" (uranium
bomb) and "Fat Man" (plutonium bomb) were dropped in Japan to destroy the cities of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively.

In Einstein's biography written by Ronald Clark, it I stated that five months before his death,
Einstein revealed his feelings about his role in the creation of the atomic bombs:
● "I made one great mistake in my life - when I signed the letter to President Roosevelt
recommending that atom bombs be made; but there was justification - the danger that
germans would make them. Reproductive cloning - used to generate an animal that has
the same nuclear DNA as another currently or previously existing animal.

Therapeutic cloning - also called "embryo cloning", is the production of human embryos for use
in biomedical research.

DNA cloning - used to generate copies of the DNA of interest.

The goal of the process is to harvest stem cells that can be used to study human development
and treat diseases. It is hoped that this technology may be used to produce whole organs from
a single cell or produce healthy cells to replace damaged cells, such as those people with
Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases.

Cloning - is a process of artificially creating identical organisms. There are three types of
cloning: DNA cloning, reproductive cloning, and therapeutic cloning.

DNA cloning, reproductive cloning, and DNA cloning is used to generate copies of the DNA of
interest, while reproductive cloning is to generate an animal that has the same nuclear DNA as
another currently or previously existing animal.
 ● The sheep Dolly, the first cloned mammal, was produced using this technology.
● Therapeutic cloning, also called embryo cloning, is the production of human embryos for
use in biomedical research.

This process is to harvest stem cells that can be used to study human development and
treat diseases. It is hoped that this technology may be used to produce whole organs from a
single cell or produce healthy cells to replace damaged cells, such as those in people with
Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases.