Instructions:
Follow the directions and answer the prompts to submit in the Assignment Submission folder.
Review the sections on characteristics of life and the scientific method in your text
Read the website: Nanobacteria and Nanobes- Are They Alive?
Respond to four prompts (1-4) in a single MS Word document, using complete sentences. Your combined response to items 1-4 should be at least 150 words for full credit. Please review the GenEd Assignment 1 rubric for detailed expectations as your responses will be evaluated for completeness, content, concept, comprehension, clarity, and citation. (see GenEd Assignment 1 rubric).
Upload your responses to the Dropbox by the due date specified in the Course Schedule section of the Syllabus. (After your assignment is submitted, you will have access to the W1: GenEd Assignment Discussion Forum.
Introduction: Nanobacteria
Nanobacteria, also called nannobacteria or nanobes, are controversial microbes that are between 25 and 200 nanometers in diameter, which is about one tenth the size of unicellular prokaryotes found in the domains Bacteria and Archaea. These potential organisms have been described as promoting rock and sediment formation in the environment. They may also be involved in the formation of kidney stones by causing calcium-containing chemicals to form crystals out of urine. Researchers are investigating whether or not these tiny membrane-surrounded structures are living organisms, and their status as a living thing is under debate and scientific investigation.
Imagine you are a researcher determining whether or not nanobacteria fit the characteristics of life. Please visit Nanobacteria and Nanobes- Are They Alive? for more information on nanobacteria and nanobes. Nanobes are also referenced in the “burning question” in your text book chapter 3.2. Refer to the information from the website and your textbook as you respond to the four questions below.
Prompts:
List the characteristics of life (consult your textbook chapter 1 for specific characteristics). Give an example of how you might observe each of these characteristics in the world.
According to the website, Nanobacteria and Nanobes- Are They Alive?, what are some known characteristics of nanobacteria? If nanobacteria are alive, what would that imply for our understanding of life?
As a researcher, what are two questions you would want to investigate to evaluate whether nanobacteria are living organisms? Explain why you believe these two questions to be the most important to influence your evaluation of nanobacteria as living organisms. (You will use this information in the discussion thread in Step 2).
Defining a question is the first step of the scientific method. What general steps of the scientific method will follow in your investigation?
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