PLTW Medical Interventions Midterm Exam Questions Answered Correctly Latest Update
2026/2027
what are the categories of medical interventions? - Answers pharmacology, rehab, genetics,
medical devices, diagnostics, surgery
What is bioinformatics? - Answers the application of computational methods to the storage and
analysis of biological data
How can DNA sequences be used to identify disease pathogens? - Answers can determine
specific segments of DNA that differ between different types of pathogens and analyze this
segment by following a similar sequencing pattern
what are the basic steps for isolating and identifying bacterial DNA - Answers 1- isolate the DNA
of the pathogen using PCR. Only copies DNA from the invader
2- cycle sequencing takes the copied DNA and creates DNA fragments of different lengths and
separates them by size
3- organize fragments based on size. Florescent DNA goes through a laser
What is a serial dilution? - Answers A stepwise dilution of a substance in solution
Explain the process of ELISA - Answers step 1- sample is added to the wells. Proteins bind to
the walls of the wells
step 2- detergent washes out unbound proteins and blocks surface proteins
step 3- primary antibody binds to a specific antibody
step 4- unbound primary antibody is washed away
step 5- secondary antibody that is linked with an enzyme is attached and added to walls and
binds to the primary antibody
step 6- excess secondary antibody is washed away
step 7- substrate is added to the wells. The substrate binds to the enzyme bound to the
secondary antibody and causes a color change
What is the mode of action of penicillin? - Answers interferes with ability to synthesize cell.
(attacks cells walls)
what is the mode of action of tetracycline? - Answers binds to the ribosomes and halts protein
production
what is the mode of action of floroquinoles? - Answers messes up DNA replication
, what is the mode of action of sulfonamides? - Answers interferes with synthesis of folic acid
What is antibiotic resistance? - Answers when the medicine no longer affects the bacteria
because they are immune to it.
conjugation? - Answers A pilius bridge forms. Plasmid duplicates and is transferred to another
cell via the bridge
transformation? - Answers naked DNA floats around and is picked up by other cells
Transduction? - Answers phages infect bacteria bringing along genes of other cells that have
resistance
What is sensorineural hearing loss? - Answers hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's
receptor cells or to the auditory nerves
What is conductive hearing loss? - Answers hearing loss that is due to diminished sound
reaching middle and inner ear.
Live attenuated vaccines - Answers virus is weakened but still able to reproduce and cause an
immune response in the body
Inactivated vaccines - Answers dead bacteria injected into patient to build immunity
toxiod vaccine - Answers vaccine is made from a toxin that is weakened so body can learn how
to fight it off
DNA vaccines - Answers create recombination by inserting microbial DNA into plasmid vector
subunit vaccines - Answers use antigenic fragments to stimulate an immune response
How are vaccines produced? - Answers Small weakened or dead viruses are injected into the
body to produce antibodies, so they next time your body is attacked by the same virus your body
fights it off without you even knowing that you contracted it.
What is DNA ligase? - Answers connects the ends of molecules together
What are restriction enzymes? - Answers They cut the DNA into specific parts
How can recombinant DNA be used to produce vaccines? - Answers Bacteria carry DNA in
plasmids. Plasmids work as vectors and have genes inserted into them. Recombinant DNA uses
restriction enzymes to cut the plasmids and leave sticky ends. These ends can bond with any
DNA cut by THE SAME restriction enzyme. The viral gene is inserted into the plasmid and glued
together by DNA ligase. The new DNA can have resistance which makes it beneficial to
vaccination
single gene recessive disorders - Answers Must have 2 copies of the gene. (cystic fibrosis,
2026/2027
what are the categories of medical interventions? - Answers pharmacology, rehab, genetics,
medical devices, diagnostics, surgery
What is bioinformatics? - Answers the application of computational methods to the storage and
analysis of biological data
How can DNA sequences be used to identify disease pathogens? - Answers can determine
specific segments of DNA that differ between different types of pathogens and analyze this
segment by following a similar sequencing pattern
what are the basic steps for isolating and identifying bacterial DNA - Answers 1- isolate the DNA
of the pathogen using PCR. Only copies DNA from the invader
2- cycle sequencing takes the copied DNA and creates DNA fragments of different lengths and
separates them by size
3- organize fragments based on size. Florescent DNA goes through a laser
What is a serial dilution? - Answers A stepwise dilution of a substance in solution
Explain the process of ELISA - Answers step 1- sample is added to the wells. Proteins bind to
the walls of the wells
step 2- detergent washes out unbound proteins and blocks surface proteins
step 3- primary antibody binds to a specific antibody
step 4- unbound primary antibody is washed away
step 5- secondary antibody that is linked with an enzyme is attached and added to walls and
binds to the primary antibody
step 6- excess secondary antibody is washed away
step 7- substrate is added to the wells. The substrate binds to the enzyme bound to the
secondary antibody and causes a color change
What is the mode of action of penicillin? - Answers interferes with ability to synthesize cell.
(attacks cells walls)
what is the mode of action of tetracycline? - Answers binds to the ribosomes and halts protein
production
what is the mode of action of floroquinoles? - Answers messes up DNA replication
, what is the mode of action of sulfonamides? - Answers interferes with synthesis of folic acid
What is antibiotic resistance? - Answers when the medicine no longer affects the bacteria
because they are immune to it.
conjugation? - Answers A pilius bridge forms. Plasmid duplicates and is transferred to another
cell via the bridge
transformation? - Answers naked DNA floats around and is picked up by other cells
Transduction? - Answers phages infect bacteria bringing along genes of other cells that have
resistance
What is sensorineural hearing loss? - Answers hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's
receptor cells or to the auditory nerves
What is conductive hearing loss? - Answers hearing loss that is due to diminished sound
reaching middle and inner ear.
Live attenuated vaccines - Answers virus is weakened but still able to reproduce and cause an
immune response in the body
Inactivated vaccines - Answers dead bacteria injected into patient to build immunity
toxiod vaccine - Answers vaccine is made from a toxin that is weakened so body can learn how
to fight it off
DNA vaccines - Answers create recombination by inserting microbial DNA into plasmid vector
subunit vaccines - Answers use antigenic fragments to stimulate an immune response
How are vaccines produced? - Answers Small weakened or dead viruses are injected into the
body to produce antibodies, so they next time your body is attacked by the same virus your body
fights it off without you even knowing that you contracted it.
What is DNA ligase? - Answers connects the ends of molecules together
What are restriction enzymes? - Answers They cut the DNA into specific parts
How can recombinant DNA be used to produce vaccines? - Answers Bacteria carry DNA in
plasmids. Plasmids work as vectors and have genes inserted into them. Recombinant DNA uses
restriction enzymes to cut the plasmids and leave sticky ends. These ends can bond with any
DNA cut by THE SAME restriction enzyme. The viral gene is inserted into the plasmid and glued
together by DNA ligase. The new DNA can have resistance which makes it beneficial to
vaccination
single gene recessive disorders - Answers Must have 2 copies of the gene. (cystic fibrosis,
