What does studying Biology with AI have to do with marketing you might ask? That will be revealed further down the line as this progresses and gets updated.
Simply put however, my objective to be more involved in sustainable marketing projects and I want to understand the subject better. I hope a better understanding of biology will one day make those projects more effective.
Getting Started
There are many websites that are dedicated to learning, such as the Khan Academy, which you should definitely look at, but this method is somewhat a bit more active.
Four tasks were given to chatGPT:
- Correct the Galician for instructions and answers
- Provide simple biology subjects to begin study
- Provide five questions for each subject to answer
- Suggest activities to support study based on an example
Chat GPT suggested the subjects of cells, living things, DNA & genetics and Ecology. Afterwards, a bit of research suggested that marine biology and geology would be good topics to include.
Learning Biology
The answers below are from ChatGPT. Mine were deemed to be only good enough for a score 87.5% due to a lack of detail in some parts.
Does that mean that all of the below is 100% accurate? No, but if research from google matches the AI’s responses, it at least implies that the resources match up.
Cells
What is a cell?
The cell is the basic component of all living things. It provides structure to the body, absorbs nutrients from foods and converts it to energy and performs specialised functions.
What is the function of the plasmatic membrane?
The plasmatic membrane is a layer or bilayer of lipids or phospholipids that delimit the cell. It also regulates the coming and going of substances in and out of the cell and gives the cell form.
What structure contains the genetic material in eukaryotic cells?
The nucleus contains the genetic material of eukaryotic cells.
What is cytoplasm?
Cytoplasm is the gelatinous liquid inside a cell that houses the cellular organelles, also it is where many of the metabolic reactions of the cell take place.
What is the main difference between eukaryotic cells and procaryotic cells?
A eukaryotic cell has a nucleus that is surrounded by a membrane, a prokaryotic cell on the other hand doesn’t have a defined nucleus.
Living Things
What are the five kingdoms of living things?
The five kingdoms of living things are animals, plants, funghi, protoctists and monera.
Name two common characteristics of living things
Reproduction and nutrition are two of the seven possible functions of living things.
What is nutrition?
Nutrition doesn’t just include the consumption of substances, but also the assimilation and metabolism of substances for energy, growth and repairing cells.
What is the function of reproduction?
Reproduction serves to produce new generations and ensure a species endures.
What type of relationships can organisms have with their environment?
A living thing can have a relationship of symbiosis, competition, predation, mutualism, parasitism or commensalism.
DNA & Genetics
What are chromosomes?
Chromosomes are structures in the nucleus of a cell that contain DNA and carry genetic information.
How do cells duplicate via mitosis?
In mitosis a cell divides in two replicating genetic information and creates two daughter cells.
What is meiosis and how does it differ to mitosis?
In meiosis the cell divides into four cells that contains half of the genetic information.
What role do alleles play in genetic inheritance?
Alleles are different forms of the same gene that can influence characteristics such as eye colour or disposition towards particular diseases.
What is a genetic mutation and how can it affect an organism?
A mutation is a change in the DNA that can cause a permanent change in a living thing. Some can be neutral, others can cause illnesses while others can cause an evolutionary advantage.
Ecology
What is a habitat and how does it differ from an ecosystem?
A habitat is a physical environment where a species lives while and eco-system refers to the habitat and the interactions that occur between the organisms that inhabit it.
What is an endemic spiecies?
An endemic species is restricted to a geographic area and that you can’t find in other parts of the world.
How does deforestation affect biodiversity?
It can result in the loss of habitats, affect biodiversity, have a negative impact on the food chain and the quality of the soil.
What are the primary and secondary consumers in a food chain?
Primary consumers are usually herbivores, while secondary consumers are normally carnivores.
How does human activity influence climate change?
Human activity such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation or contamination contribute to climate change provoking extreme meteorlogical events, having a negative impact on biodiversity and the health of eco-systems.
Marine Biology
What is phytoplankton and what role does it play in the marine ecosystem?
A category of micorscopic organisms such as bacteria a protoctistas. They form the base of the marine food chain and produce oxygen via photosynthesis
What difference is there between a coral reef and a barrier?
A coral reef grows on the coast, whereas a coral barrier has a lagoon or an extension of water separating it from the coast.
What type of adaptations do fish from the deepest part of the sea have to survive in extreme conditions?
They have slower metabolic activity due to the lack of food, less bones and muscles that can tolerate the greater amount of pressure and some have developed bioluminescence to see or attract prey
Why are sea meadows important for sealife?
What are purple tides and how do they affect marine ecosystems?
Geology
What is a mineral and how does it differ from a rock?
A mineral is a natural substance with distinctive physical and chemical properties, while a rock is composed of two or more minerals formed by geological processes.
What are tectonic plates and how do they affect the formation of mountains?
Tectonica plates are large sections of the earths crust or mantel, when they collide they crumple forcing rock to ascend and form mountains
What is the difference between an active volcano, dormant volcano and extinct volcano?
- An active volcano has erupted recently and will possibly erupt again soon.
- An inactive volcano hasn’t erupted for a while but may well do so in the future.
- An extinct volcano is not expected to erupt at any moment in time.
What are fossils and what information do they provide scientists?
Fossils are animal and plant remaints that over a long period of time have become petrified. They can provide information about changes in the geological environment, such as demonstrating how continents were once connected, as well as providing evidence of the evolution and adaption of plants and animals in their environment.
What is the rock cycle and what are its main processes?
The rock cycle refers to the formation of rocks through the following physical changes:
- Melting
- Freezing
- Erosion
- Compaction
- Deformation
Scoring
So far the easiest way to get a grade from chatGPT is to start by providing the questions and asking how it would answer them, export them into an excel sheet.
Next, put your answers side by side then ask chatGPT to give you a score based on how your information compares under the conditions that:
- We assume ChatGPT’s answers are 100% correct
- That you only score for information explicitly mentioned
ChatGPT sometimes provides scores based on implicit information, when said information does not exist. Therefore it’s logical to ask for a result that is based on explicit information.
If you are marked down, it likely means you just lacked detail. Obviously as the AI’s disclaimer says, it can make mistakes so it’s always worth double checking things.