The final paragraph of your introduction should include a statement of the
hypothesis you have investigated and your predictions. A hypothesis is a broad
general statement of causality for a biological pattern or observation. It is usually a good
idea to start a sentence in this paragraph with “We hypothesized that x affects y…” or “It
was hypothesized that x affects y…” The hypothesis is usually non-directional and
usually states a general “effect” and not that something “increases” or “decreases.” Also
include specific prediction statements. A prediction is usually directional, i.e. “We
predicted that if x (increased/decreased)…, then y would (increase/decrease)...” State the
specific question(s) you are attempting to answer, a brief introduction/justification of the
general method used, and how your investigation will help clarify or expand the
knowledge in the general area.