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1: Scientific Inquiry - Concept and Laboratory Practice

Integrated Human Anatomy and Physiology Lab Manual I: Fundamentals of Structure and Movement · LibreTexts

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY-NC 4.0, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

    Introduction

    In this lab we will learn about a process called the Scientific inquiry investigation that involves a series of logical steps that supports the data's validity, reliability to arrive at explanations for various biological phenomena.

    The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) defines scientific inquiry: "Applies knowledge of the scientific process to integrate and synthesize information, solve problems, and formulate research questions and hypotheses; is facile in the language of the sciences and uses it to participate in the discourse of science and explain how scientific knowledge is discovered and validated."

    Homeostasis means to maintain body functions within specific livable ranges, adjusting to internal and external changes. Homeo means resembling or of the same kind and stasis means standing still. Temperature, nutrient concentration, acidity, water, sodium, calcium, oxygen, as well as blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate are some of the internal body variables that must remain within a certain range. When the body fails to maintain internal body variables within a certain range, normal function is interrupted, and disease or illness may result.

    The infusion of inquiry-based approaches into the undergraduate biology and allied health pre-requisite curriculum is especially important in laboratory courses or within the laboratory component of a course, because students are applying the process of science in these courses and are learning to write in an inquiry-based way. Scientific inquiry is a key part of allied health anatomy and physiology courses, which help students develop an understanding of human body's structure and function. Students in these courses learn to apply scientific methods to analyze and interpret data, and to communicate biological concepts using scientific terminology.

    Learning Objectives
    1. Apply and evaluate inquiry skills to critically analyze and address scientific problems.
    2. Demonstrate understanding and apply scientific inquiry processes and apply these concepts to real-world contexts.
    3. Conduct scientific investigations collaboratively to answer biological questions using hypotheses, variables, measurement, data, charts, graphs, interpretation, and effectively communicate their findings.
    4. Critically analyze the nature of science and evaluate the role of science in societal contexts and its implications.
    5. Examine the role of scientific data in formulating public policy and substantiate the claim that scientific knowledge evolves over time as previous understandings are revised with new evidence and perspectives.

    • 1.1: Background Information
      This page covers the concept of scientific inquiry as outlined by the National Research Council, detailing its systematic approach to studying the natural world through observations, questions, hypotheses, experiments, data analysis, and conclusions. It highlights the distinction between good and poor hypotheses and discusses experimental errors, including selection and measurement biases, as well as the impact of random errors.
    • 1.2: Pre-Lab Activity
      This page explores the interpretation of research articles in popular media, using "The Strange Case of BeriBeri" to highlight the iterative nature of scientific inquiry. It provides historical context on beriberi and details Dr. Eijkman's experiments on rice types affecting chickens. The page emphasizes key scientific method components, such as hypotheses and control groups, promoting critical thinking and curiosity.
    • 1.3: Activity 1
      This page highlights the importance of anthropometry in health and nutrition assessments, focusing on measuring body height and arm span. It describes an experiment where students measure upper limb length to investigate its expected correlation with height, hypothesizing that upper limb length is about 40% of height.
    • 1.4: Activity 2
      This page describes an experiment to investigate homeostasis by examining how light and moderate exercise affect vital signs like body temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure. Through scientific inquiry, students will collect and analyze data on pulse and breathing rates at different exercise levels, comparing the results to baseline measurements to understand the body's response to varying conditions.
    • 1.5: Glossary
      This page covers essential research methodology concepts, including data interpretation and the role of bias. It defines key experimental elements like independent and dependent variables, control groups, and qualitative versus quantitative observations. Ethics in research, drawing conclusions, and understanding hypotheses are highlighted.

    Thumbnail: The Science Flow Chart. (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 ; Susmita Sengupta via Understanding Evolution).

    This page titled 1: Scientific Inquiry - Concept and Laboratory Practice was last modified on Tue, 01 Sep 2026 01:45:29 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lakshmikanta Sengupta and Susmita Sengupta.