A Level Biology Practice Exam

Which term describes a result that does not fit the expected trend?

1. Variation

2. Outlier

3. Anomaly

4. Normal distribution

The correct answer is: Anomaly

The correct term to describe a result that does not fit the expected trend is an anomaly. Anomalies are observations or data points that deviate significantly from the overall pattern or trend observed in a dataset. They can indicate errors, unique conditions, or significant deviations from what is typically expected, making them important for analysis and interpretation in scientific research. Variation refers to the differences that occur among individuals or within a dataset, typically seen as a normal part of biological data. Normal distribution refers to a common statistical pattern in which data points are symmetrically distributed around a mean. An outlier specifically refers to an observation that is markedly different from others in the dataset, often serving as a specific type of anomaly but not capturing the broader sense of unexpected deviations that an anomaly does.