What is Biological Method?

The biological method, also known as the scientific method, is a systematic approach used by scientists to study living organisms and their interactions with the environment. It involves making observations, formulating hypotheses, testing those hypotheses through experiments or further observations, and drawing conclusions based on the results. The biological method is used to answer questions and gain a deeper understanding of the natural world, from the behavior of cells and molecules to the ecology of ecosystems and the evolution of species.

The biologists employ an approach for solving a biological problem known as scientific method the basic scientific method consists of the following steps.

Determination of the problems: A scientist first selects an issue or problem on which he wants to work. Data is the collection of information pertaining to the problem. On the basis of the data scientist formulates a tentative statement called hypothesis (Greek, hypothesis, assumption).

Scientists follow various pathways of thinking to develop hypotheses, and one of the ways they do this is through inductive reasoning, which involves deriving generalizations from specific instances. Prior to formulating a hypothesis, a scientist may search scientific literature to gather information and synthesize their findings. Based on the observations of specific instances of a phenomenon, the scientist develops a generalized statement in an "if...then" format. For instance, a hypothesis may be formulated as "if plasmodium is the cause of malaria, then individuals with malaria should have plasmodium in their blood."

Another method for developing a hypothesis involves the use of deduction or a deductive reasoning. It moves from general to specific. Deduction begins with a general statement.

Hypothesis: Mosquitoes transmit Plasmodium the causes of malaria.

The following deductions can be made from the above hypothesis.

1. Plasmodium should occur in mosquitoes.

2. A mosquito can acquire Plasmodium by biting a person ill with malaria.

3. If a person is bitten by a mosquito infected with Plasmodium he should develop malaria.

Testing hypothesis: Scientists develop hypothesis, predictions and explanations about the observed phenomena in many ways and test them many ways also. Testing a hypothesis involves producing data or evidence that either supports or refutes the predictions made in the hypothesis. Many scientists test hypothesis by means of experiments.

Experiment: Ronald Ross allowed a female Anopheles mosquito to bite a person ill with malaria. He kept these mosquitoes for few days so that plasmodium may multiply and reproduce inside the mosquito. He found plasmodium multiplying in the stomach of the mosquito. The next phase of the experiment was performed by Ross on sparrows. He allowed the gray mosquito Culex to feed on them. He killed some mosquitoes from time to time and found the Plasmodium. He allowed some of the infected mosquitoes to bite a healthy sparrow. After a few days the sparrow was suffering from malaria. Ross examined the blood of the sparrow.

Result: Plasmodium, the malarial parasite, was seen in the blood of sparrow.

Conclusion: Mosquito transmits Plasmodium, the causes of malaria. The conclusion either supports or rejects the hypothesis, because hypotheses are always subjected to modification.

Theory building: As scientists repeat, or replicate each other’s works, their data may uphold a hypothesis again and again. The hypothesis upheld by overwhelming evidence is called a theory. As scientific knowledge grows and changes and new data are collected analyzed, a theory can be modified or replaced by new theory. Scientific theories, usually never become scientific laws. Scientific laws describe natural phenomenon, for example the Mendel’s laws of inheritance.