Describe steps involved in solving biological problem taking malaria as example.
Answers
Malaria is a common but highly dangerous disease in various countries including Pakistan. The people killed by disease of Malaria are in greater number than the people killed by any other disease.
1. History of Malaria: More than 2000 years ago, physicians were familiar with malaria. They would call it as a “disease of chills and fevers”with recurring attacks.
Naming of MaIaria: Old physicians carried out analysis and declared that the disease was more common amongst communities living in low marshy areas. It was considered that the stagnant water of marshes/ponds etc poisoned the air and as a result of breathing in this “bad air”, people got malaria.
This belief led to the name of the disease. In the dictionary of languages, the word “malaria” is the combination of two Italian words:
“mala” means “bad”
“aria” means “air”
As a proof to their above mentioned belief, they made few volunteers to drink the stagnant water from these marshes. However, they did not develop malaria.
2. Discovery of Quinine: In the seventeenth century, the New World (America) was discovered. Many plants from America were sent back to Europe to be used as medicines. The bark of a tree known as Quina quina was very suitable for curing fevers. It was so beneficial that soon it was impossible to carry enough bark to Europe. Some dishonest merchants began to substitute the bark of another tree, the Cinchona which closely resembled Quina quina. This dishonesty proved much profitable for mankind. The Cinchona bark was found to be excellent for treating malaria as its bark contains quinine that is effective in treating the disease.
3. Discovery of Plasmodium: At that time physicians treated malaria with Cinchona without understanding the cause of malaria. Two hundred years later, it was found that some diseases are caused by tiny living organisms. After this discovery, it also became a belief that malaria, too, might be caused by some microorganism.
In 1878 a French army physicians Laveran began to search for the “cause” of malaria. He took a small amount of blood from a malarial patient and examined it under microscope. He noticed some tiny living creatures. His discovery was not believed by other scientists but two years later another physician saw the same creatures in in the blood of another malarial patient. Three years later after the second discovery the same creatures were observed for third time. The organism was given a name “malarial parasite” and then Plasmodium.
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Answer:
The steps involved in Biological method are:
1. Recognition of Biological Problem
Biologists go for adopting biological method when they encounter some biological problem. A biological problem is a question related to living organism that is either asked by someone or comes in biologist’s mind by himself. Malaria is a biological problem as it is a disease that spreads in living organisms.
2. Observations
As the first step in solving a biological problem, biologists recall his/her previous observations or make new ones. Observations are made with five senses of vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Some of the observations made were that
Malaria and marshy areas have some connection.
Quinine is an effective drug for treating malaria.
Drinking the water of marshes does not cause malaria.
People who slept outdoors were more likely to get malaria than those who slept indoors.
People who slept who slept under fine nets were less likely to get malaria than people who did not use such nets.
Individuals who slept near a smoky fire usually did not get malaria.
3. Formulation of Hypothesis
Observations do not become scientific observations until they are organized and related to a question. Biologists organize his/her and other’s observations into data form and construct a statement that may prove to be the answer of the biological problem under study. The tentative explanation of observations is called hypothesis. The hypothesis made for the spread of malaria was that, “Mosquitoes transmit Plasmodium and so are involved in the spread of malaria”.
4. Deductions
Biologists draw deductions from hypotheses. Deductions are the logical consequences of hypotheses. For this purpose, the hypothesis is taken as true and expected results (deductions) are drawn from it. This involves the use of “if-then” logic. Following deductions were made considering the hypothesis as true i.e. if mosquitoes are involved in the spread of malaria then;
“Plasmodium should be present in mosquitoes.”
“A mosquito can get Plasmodium by biting a malarial patient.”
5. Experimentation
The most basic step of Biological method is experimentation. Biologists perform experiments to see if hypotheses are true or not. The deductions which are drawn from hypotheses are subjected to rigorous testing. Through experimentation, biologist learns which hypothesis is correct. The incorrect hypotheses are rejected and one which proves correct is accepted. The experiments done during malaria were the testing of Plasmodium in 100 healthy persons and 100 malarial patients and sparrows to be bitten by mosquitoes that had already bitten a malarial patient.
6. Summarization of Results
Biologists gather actual, quantitative data from experiments. Data for each of the group are then averaged and compared statistically. To draw conclusions, biologists also use Statistical analysis. When scientists experimentally observed that a mosquito that had bitten a malarial patient bites a healthy man who later becomes ill with malaria, they came to know that mosquitoes transmit malaria.
7. Reporting the Results
Biologists publish their findings in scientific journals and books, in talks at national and international meetings and in seminars at colleges and universities. Publishing of results is an important part of scientific method. It allows other people to verify the results or apply the knowledge to solve other problems.