Question

A : Experiment Analysis : BeriBeri

Directions : Read the enclosed case study of BeriBeri and respond to the questions below. Use your knowledge of scientific method and what facts are required for a study to be valuable and valid. Place the letter of the correct answer in the spaces provided.

The Problem : In 1887 a strange nerve disease attacked the people of the Dutch East Indies. The disease was beriberi. Symptoms of the disease included weakness and loss of appetite and victims often died of heart disease. Scientists thought the disease might be caused by bacteria. They injected chickens with bacteria from the blood of patients with beriberi. The injected chickens became sick. However, so did a group of chickens that were not injected with bacteria.

One of the scientists, Dr. Eljkman, noticed something. Before the experiment, all the chickens had eaten whole grain rice, but during the experiment, the chickens were fed polished rice. Dr. Elijkman researched this interesting case and found that polished rice lacked thiamine, a vitamin necessary for good health.

1.What was the hypothesis?

A. Thiamine deficiency caused the disease.

B. Beriberi was caused by bacteria.

C. Chickens can get heart failure.

D. Blood was really not contaminated

2. Did Dr. Elijkman use scientific method to provethiamine caused beriberi?

a. Yes                  b. NO

3. Should the original hypothesis be accepted or ejected?

A. Accepted       b. Rejected

4. What was the actual problem?

A. Determining if thiamine is important.   

B. How to inject the chickens

C. Curing the chickens

D. Finding the cause of beriberi

5. An experiment (and this one), should be a test of a valid hypothesis.

(TRUE OR FALSE)

Answer 1

Please find the answers below:

Answer 1: Choice A (Since the observation was that polished rice caused beri-beri, the hypothesis was that thiamine deficiency led to the disease)

Answer 2: Yes (in the later phases of development, it was shown by Dr. Elijkman experimentally proved that thiamine deficiency caused the disease)

Answer 3: Choice A (Since there is no causative realtionship between the two observations i.e. bacterial infection and the disease, the null hypothesis is accepted)

Answer 4: Choice D (The primary aim of this experimental set and observations was to identify the cause of beriberi in humans)