PLTW - Medical Interventions Final Exam
Study Guide Questions and Answers
1. What is a medical intervention?
Answer Any measure whose purpose is to improve health or alter the course of a disease
2. What are the main categories of interventions that function to
maintain human health?
Answer Treatments, Diagnostics and Equipment
3. How do scientists gather evidence during the potential outbreak of
an
infectious disease?
Answer 1. Record patient's symptoms and find similarities with other patients
2. Isolate the bacteria in a lab
3. Go to affected areas and determine the origin of the disease
4. Identify the disease using DNA sequencing since pathogens alter certain DNA sequences
4. What is bioinformatics?
Answer The collection, classification, storage, and analysis of biochemical and biological
information using computers. (Especially applied in molecular genetics and genomics)
5. How can DNA sequences be used to identify disease pathogens?
Answer You can observe mutations and abnormalities that disease pathogens have
1/
20
,6. What is an antibody?
Answer A blood protein in the body produced by B-cells (B-Lymphocytes) that fight against a
foreign substance by recognizing a specific part of it.
7. How do antibodies identify and inactivate antigens?
Answer 1. Shape recognition
2. Proteins of the antigens are configured to specific antibodies, so the foreign antigens bind to the specific
antibodies that inactivate them
8. How can the ELISA assay be used to detect disease?
Answer 1. Primary antibodies attach to specific
antigen
2. Secondary antibody attaches to primary antibody
3. When enzyme substrate is added, color change occurs
9. Why is it important for doctors to know the concentration of
the disease antigen present in a patient's system?
Answer Higher concentration = closer to patient zero
10. Patient Zero
Answer The first person to be infected with a particular disease
11. What steps do scientists take to diagnose, treat, and prevent
2/
20
, future spread of a disease outbreak?
Answer 1. Record the symptoms
2. Locate the origin of the pathogen
3. Run tests to determine antibodies and antigens
4. Take preventative measures (quarantine, wash hands often, etc.)
12. How were the following used in managing the outbreak on
Sue Smith's campus
PCR, Bioinformatics/BLAST, and ELISA?
Answer These tests determine the concentration of the disease, which lead to the source of
the outbreak
13. Which part of the bacterial cell allows the bacteria to attach to
specific surfaces?
Answer Adhesins, or cell-surface components/appendages of the bacteria that facilitate attachment
to other cells or surfaces
14. Which bacterial structure is involved with protein synthesis?
Answer rRNA, tRNA, and mRNA (Ribosomal, Transfer, Messenger)
15. What is an endotoxin?
Answer A toxin that is inherently present inside a bacterial cell
16. What is the structural difference between Gram positive and
3/
20
Study Guide Questions and Answers
1. What is a medical intervention?
Answer Any measure whose purpose is to improve health or alter the course of a disease
2. What are the main categories of interventions that function to
maintain human health?
Answer Treatments, Diagnostics and Equipment
3. How do scientists gather evidence during the potential outbreak of
an
infectious disease?
Answer 1. Record patient's symptoms and find similarities with other patients
2. Isolate the bacteria in a lab
3. Go to affected areas and determine the origin of the disease
4. Identify the disease using DNA sequencing since pathogens alter certain DNA sequences
4. What is bioinformatics?
Answer The collection, classification, storage, and analysis of biochemical and biological
information using computers. (Especially applied in molecular genetics and genomics)
5. How can DNA sequences be used to identify disease pathogens?
Answer You can observe mutations and abnormalities that disease pathogens have
1/
20
,6. What is an antibody?
Answer A blood protein in the body produced by B-cells (B-Lymphocytes) that fight against a
foreign substance by recognizing a specific part of it.
7. How do antibodies identify and inactivate antigens?
Answer 1. Shape recognition
2. Proteins of the antigens are configured to specific antibodies, so the foreign antigens bind to the specific
antibodies that inactivate them
8. How can the ELISA assay be used to detect disease?
Answer 1. Primary antibodies attach to specific
antigen
2. Secondary antibody attaches to primary antibody
3. When enzyme substrate is added, color change occurs
9. Why is it important for doctors to know the concentration of
the disease antigen present in a patient's system?
Answer Higher concentration = closer to patient zero
10. Patient Zero
Answer The first person to be infected with a particular disease
11. What steps do scientists take to diagnose, treat, and prevent
2/
20
, future spread of a disease outbreak?
Answer 1. Record the symptoms
2. Locate the origin of the pathogen
3. Run tests to determine antibodies and antigens
4. Take preventative measures (quarantine, wash hands often, etc.)
12. How were the following used in managing the outbreak on
Sue Smith's campus
PCR, Bioinformatics/BLAST, and ELISA?
Answer These tests determine the concentration of the disease, which lead to the source of
the outbreak
13. Which part of the bacterial cell allows the bacteria to attach to
specific surfaces?
Answer Adhesins, or cell-surface components/appendages of the bacteria that facilitate attachment
to other cells or surfaces
14. Which bacterial structure is involved with protein synthesis?
Answer rRNA, tRNA, and mRNA (Ribosomal, Transfer, Messenger)
15. What is an endotoxin?
Answer A toxin that is inherently present inside a bacterial cell
16. What is the structural difference between Gram positive and
3/
20
