Ecology Toxicology - Short Answers View as Text Name: Ecological loxicology ESM

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Ecology Toxicology - Short Answers

View as Text Name: Ecological loxicology ESM 420/520 Midterm Exam October 18, 2017 (50 pts) The scientific method is the use of understanding of natural systems. Platt 1964 argued that the lack of progress in understanding in some scientific disciplines (such as ecosystem science) is due to a lack of application of "strong inference" in the scientific method. Ludwig contend that ecological studies are inherently more difficult than molecular studies. (10 pts) 4. reasoning and hypothesis testing for advancing the Hilborn and Do you agree with Platt's assertion or do you agree with Hilbom and Ludwig? Give your rationale and at least two reasons to support your position.

Explanation / Answer

Solution:-

A) Ecological studies:-

1) Ecological studies are studies of risk-modifying factors on health or other outcomes based on populations defined either geographically or temporally. Both risk-modifying factors and outcomes are averaged for the populations in each geographical or temporal unit and then compared using standard statistical methods.

2) Ecological studies are particularly useful for generating hypotheses since they can use existing data sets and rapidly test the hypothesis. The advantages of the ecological studies include the large number of people that can be included in the study and the large number of risk-modifying factors that can be examined

3) The term “ecological fallacy” means that risk-associations apparent between different groups of people may not accurately reflect the true association between individuals within those groups. Ecological studies should include as many known risk-modifying factors for any outcome as possible, adding others if warranted. Then the results should be evaluated by other methods, using, for example, Hill’s criteria for causality in a biological system.

4) Notable examples

a) Cholera study: - The first ecological study to solve a health issue.

b) Diet and cancer: Dietary risk factors for cancer have also been studied using both geographical and temporal ecological studies. Multi-country ecological studies of cancer incidence and mortality rates with respect to national diets have shown that some dietary factors such as animal products (meat, milk, fish and eggs), added sweeteners/sugar, and some fats appear to be risk factors for many types of cancer, while cereals/grains and vegetable products as a whole appear to be risk reduction factors for many types of cancer.. Temporal changes in Japan in the types of cancer common in Western developed countries have been linked to the nutrition transition to the Western diet.

b) Molecular studies:-

1) Molecular genetics is the field of biology that studies the structure and function of genes at a molecular level and thus employs methods of both molecular biology and genetics. The study of chromosomes and gene expression of an organism can give insight into heredity, genetic variation, and mutations.

2) Molecular medicine involves the identification of the alterations in DNA, RNA and proteins which underlie the cause and the development of diseases. This not only enables more precise diagnosis and prognosis, but also allows for treatments to be personalized, and consequently result more successful.

Coclusion:-

So, we can say ecological studies are more difficult than molecular studies because ecological related to environment, as we know everything related to environment ,so its study is very wide ,actually we can't whole environment but molecular study is lesser thar environmental studies.

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