Okuzeka
Biology vocabulary · Experiments and Research Methods

Control group

Meaning in biology, with examples

/kənˈtroʊl ˌɡruːp/nounCore term

In biology, control group means: The group in an experiment that does not receive the treatment being tested, so that its results can be compared with those of the treated group.

In Turkish: kontrol grubu

How it is used

Often shortened to 'the control'. Lab researchers use positive controls (expected to show the effect) and negative controls (expected to show no effect). The group that receives the treatment is the experimental or treatment group.

Example sentences

  1. Plants in the control group were watered with tap water only.

  2. Without a proper control group, we can't say that the drug caused the change.

Common collocations

  • compare with the control group
  • experimental group
  • negative control
  • positive control
  • untreated control
  • variableAny factor that can change in an experiment, such as temperature, light or time. Scientists change one variable and measure its effect on another.
  • hypothesisA possible explanation or prediction that can be tested by an experiment or observation. Scientists design studies to support or reject it.
  • replicateOne of several repeats of the same measurement or experiment, done to check that the results are reliable. As a verb, it means to repeat an experiment or, for DNA and viruses, to copy itself.
  • in vivoDone or happening inside a living organism, such as a mouse, a plant or a human. The Latin phrase means 'in the living'.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Experiments and Research Methods

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: