Question

1. State the cell biological question you would like to ask.

2. Formulate a hypothesis that tentatively answers your question. State your hypothesis in the form of a prediction as follows: "If I do X, then Y will happen." Remember that an hypothesis is not a random guess, nor is it a statement of certainty, but rather it is a logical, testable prediction rooted in previous knowledge. Keep it simple.
3. Write a cell biological justification for your hypothesis. (Why do you think the outcome will be as you have predicted.)
4. List the source(s) (primary, secondary, and/or tertiary) that gives important background information for your justification.
5. Define your variables.
a. What will be varied?
b. What will be kept constant?
c. How will it be varied (generally, specific numbers)?
d. What will be measured (actually, cell biologically)?
6. Define your control(s).
7. Outline the general experimental strategy you plan on using to test your hypothesis.
8. What kind(s) of results would not support your hypothesis? What kind(s) of results would support your hypothesis? (It may help to sketch a graph of your expected results.)

Answer 1

To investigate the effect of temperature on the rate of cell division in bacteria, the hypothesis suggests that if bacteria are incubated at higher temperatures, the rate of cell division will increase. This hypothesis is based on the knowledge that higher temperatures generally increase the rate of biological processes. The experimental strategy involves culturing batches of bacteria at different temperatures and measuring the rate of cell division in each group.

Step-by-step explanation:

Question: State the cell biological question you would like to ask. Formulate a hypothesis that tentatively answers your question. State your hypothesis in the form of a prediction as follows: 'If I do X, then Y will happen.' Remember that an hypothesis is not a random guess, nor is it a statement of certainty, but rather it is a logical, testable prediction rooted in previous knowledge. Keep it simple.

Answer: The cell biological question I would like to ask is: How does temperature affect the rate of cell division in bacteria? My hypothesis is: If I incubate bacteria at higher temperatures, then the rate of cell division will increase. This hypothesis is based on the knowledge that higher temperatures often increase the rate of biological processes, and cell division is a fundamental biological process.

Justification: I believe that the outcome will be as I have predicted because higher temperatures generally increase the rate of chemical reactions and enzymatic activity in cells. This can lead to faster cell division as the necessary biochemical processes are accelerated. The source that gives important background information for this justification is a primary research article on the effects of temperature on bacterial cell division.

Variables:
a. What will be varied? The temperature at which the bacteria are incubated.
b. What will be kept constant? The concentration of nutrients and other growth conditions.
c. How will it be varied? The bacteria will be incubated at different temperatures ranging from 25°C to 37°C.
d. What will be measured? The rate of cell division will be measured by counting the number of bacterial colonies formed over a fixed period of time.

Control: The control group will be a sample of bacteria incubated at the standard growth temperature of 37°C. This will provide a baseline for comparison and allow us to determine the effect of temperature on cell division.

Experimental Strategy: The general experimental strategy is to culture batches of bacteria at different temperatures and measure the rate of cell division in each group. The experiment will be repeated multiple times to ensure the reliability of the results.

Results: Results that would not support the hypothesis include no significant difference in the rate of cell division between the different temperature groups. Results that would support the hypothesis include a higher rate of cell division in the bacteria incubated at higher temperatures compared to the control group.