Lab reports are an integral part of biological studies where aspiring professionals in the discipline identify significant evidence and observations made. It is evident that they play a critical role in the scientific research process. Therefore, understanding how to appropriately write a lab report is essential as it helps in the development of skills associated with scientific inquiry, the thinking involved, communication of information, and methodology involved. All the above are necessary in the scientific research process. The following paper will critique two scientific paper that will help model appropriate lab report writing.
Major Hypotheses
The review article discusses the various ways biologists have come up with as a measure of identifying an organism’s ageing phenomena (Speakman 2005). However, with multiple theoretical approaches provided, the author identified significant hypotheses that would help prove which is the most appropriate. The free-radical theory seems to present an effective notion to the testing as the oxygen free radicals form as byproducts of the oxidative phosphorylation linking metabolism and the aging phenomena (Speakman 2005). The rate of living theory is then disputed due to several problems included in establishing the relationship including resting metabolic rate (RMR), maximum longevity measure, and the constancy test for lifetime expenditure of energy per gram of tissue (Speakman 2005). All the above show significant limitations in identifying the phenomena of human ageing and death. The research paper offers insight to proper development of a scientific process through clear identification of a hypothesis. Glazier (2008) incorporates the metabolic-level boundaries hypothesis as a measure of explaining observations of deviations in different taxa of organisms where metabolic rate to scale with body mass to the ¾ power law. The hypotheses is applied to birds and mammals whose metabolic scaling data is available (Glazier 2008).
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Methods
The methodological section is another important aspect of developing data for a lab report. As shown in both articles, it plays an integral part of the scientific process as it demonstrates how the experiment will be conducted and assures the audience of their validity. The review paper reviews the historical exploration of an explanation for the human ageing and death phenomena as developed by biologists over the years (Speakman 2005). It is through these discussions that the author proposes the problematic issues evident in the rate of living theory (Speakman 2005). The research paper incorporated a quantitative research methodology. This would help calculate the metabolic-level boundaries of various organisms by making observations on metabolic scaling relationships (Glazier 2008). The comparisons made in RMR, Maximal metabolic rates (MMR), and relative metabolic rates would help identify the significance in explaining deviations evident in scaling ¾ power law (Glazier 2008).
Results
The presentation of results is another important factor to consider in a biological lab report. This aspect involves identifying various findings and observations made during and after the experiment was conducted. Speakman (2005) found that incorporating the doubly-labelled water (DLW) method as most appropriate in identifying energy emissions without restricting the subjects to a calorimetry chamber. Data was also collected on sample organisms weighing less than 4kgs and calculations would include multiplying the isotope turnover constants by single estimates to the pool size. However, despite these solutions while mammals showed a strong negative relationship between lifetime expenditure of energy per gram and body mass (Speakman 2005). On the other hand, birds showed similar relationship, but failed to reach significance. The research paper affirmed the MLB hypothesis. The metabolic scaling slopes of birds and mammals varied between ⅔ and 1 depending on the state of activity (Glazier 2008). A U-shaped relationship is evident with metabolic level whereby the metabolic scaling slope in both organisms approaches 1 at the highest and lowest metabolic levels (Glazier 2008). It would also approach ⅔ at resting and cold-exposed animals (Glazier 2008).
Conclusions
An interpretation of the results is an integral factor in the scientific process as it helps give an explanation to the various forms of data presented. As in the review paper, the author discusses the various study types that have been used to show the association between energy metabolism and ageing in species. Five different studies were found including focus on transgenic and natural mutant animals, use of different strains, environmental factor influences, individual variation within the species, and manipulating groups of animals (Speakman 2005). However, this review would only show that the the free-radical hypothesis is the more straight forward in explaining energy metabolism and the aging process (Speakman 2005). The research paper would depict a high similarity between mammals and birds as seen in the deviation of the metabolic scaling slope and metabolic level. Affirming the MLB hypothesis would show that these two classifications of animals had a convergent evolution (Glazier 2008). In both cases the scaling slope increases with significant increase in movement activity but the same is not evident in thermoregulatory demands like exposure to cold (Glazier 2008). As a result, the changes in metabolic rate and body temperature occur at different timings whereby the former increases to peak as soon as running begins, but the latter only achieves peak when running ceased.
Significance
The above scientific papers discuss the influences on theory as a measure to explain phenomena. In the review, the author shows that the free-radical position is an effective measure of identifying relationship between metabolism and ageing. This position influences the continued development of the theory to explain the phenomena. The research paper takes an alternative approach whereby an experiment is carried out to affirm the MLB hypothesis. In this case, variations in the metabolic scaling scope n different animal species is compared an explained in relevance to the metabolic level and not body temperature.
References
Glazier DS. 2008. Effects of Metabolic Level on the Body Size Scaling of Metabolic Rate in Birds and Mammals. Bio Sci. 275(1641): 1405-1411. Available from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25249672
Speakman JR. 2005. Review: Body size, energy metabolism and lifespan. J Exp Bio. 208: 1717-1730. DOI:10.1242/jeb.01556
