MOCK CG(ASCP) CERTIFICATION EXAM 1 PART
UPDATED QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
1. What effects does sodium heparin have on cells?
a. Swells cells
b. Removes water from cells
c. Stimulates mitotic activity
d. Precipitates nucleic acid
e. prevents clotting
Answer:
Prevents clotting
Question:
2. Which of the following is LEAST likely to be toxic to cells?
a. Sodium heparin
b. Lithium heparin
c. Sodium hydroxide
d. Gentamycin
Answer:
Sodium heparin
Question:
3. The optimal temperature for transport of amniotic fluid specimens is?
a. 37 'C
b. 40 'C
c. 0 'C
d. 20 'C
Answer:
20 'C
Question:
4. A pathologist is sending solid tumor specimens to a cytogenetic laboratory for analysis. What
instructions should be given to the pathologist concerning the preparation and transport of the
specimen to insure the highest chance of successful culture?
a. Ensure the sterility of the specimen by placing it in
formalin until it reaches the laboratory.
b. Ensure that the specimen does not contain necrotic
or fatty tissue.
c. Ensure that the specimen is transported on dry ice
to prevent decomposition.
d. All of the above.
Answer:
Ensure the specimen does not contain necrotic or fat-ty acid
Question:
5. Why is the villi obtained in CVS procedures cleaned by the technologists?
, a. To remove the blood from the sample.
b. To remove dead tissue from the sample.
c. To remove maternal tissue from the sample
d. To expose the rapidly growing cells in the villi.
Answer:
To remove maternal tissue from the sample
Question:
6. A solid tumor specimen can NOT be shipped from the hospital to a cytogenetics laboratory in
another city due to a major holiday which will not allow the sample to be shipped via Federal Express
Overnight delivery. How should the sample be stored so that the cells will remain alive until they can
be delivered and placed in culture?
a. The specimen should be preserved by placing it in
formalin until it reaches the laboratory.
b. The specimen should be placed in media and then
in a a 37 'C incubator until it can be shipped.
c. The specimen should be stored in at -20 'C or on dry
ice to prevent cellular decay.
d. The specimen should be placed in media and then
refrigerated until it can be shipped.
Answer:
The specimen should be placed in media and then refrigerated until it can be shipped.
Question:
7. Lab C noticed that patient samples from one of their doctors had poor or no growth as compared to
their other doctor's samples. No evidence of contamination was observed and all material needed for
sample col-lection and transportation is provided to the doctors by the laboratory. What could cause
this discrepancy in culture viability?
a. Collection technique
b. Incubator systems
c. Toxic plastic containers
d. Culture media
Answer:
Collection technique
Question:
8. Which statement about maternal cell contamination is FALSE?
a. The incidence of MCC is greater when cultures are
established from bloody amniotic fluid samples.
b. The risk of MCC can be reduced by using a larger
bone core needle for the amniocentesis procedure.
c. The use of maternal Q-polymorphisms may be help-
ful in identifying cases of MCC.
d. The risk of MCC can be reduced by discarding the
first 2-3 cc of aspirated amniotic fluid.
Answer:
The risk of MCC can be re-duced by using a larger bone core needle for the amniocentesis procedure.
, Question:
9. Your laboratory receives specimens form the follow-ing cases. Which case would you assign the
highest priority?
a. A 24 year old woman who has had three miscar-
riages and one normal child.
b. The 28 year old husband of the woman above.
c. Amnoitc fluid from a 36 year old women's current
pregnancy of 18 weeks gestation.
d. A baby who is in the NICU with a myelomeningo-
cele, a heart defect, intrauterine growth deficiency, a tightly clenched fist and an unusually positioned
great toe.
e. A 10 year old boy who is small for his age and has
small hands, moderate mental retardation, protrud-ing ears, "droppy" eyelids and a small mouth.
Answer:
A baby who is in the NICU with a myelomeningocele, a heart defect, intrauterine growth deficiency,
a tightly clenched fist and an un-usually positioned great toe.
Question:
10. Not all cells received by a Cytogenetics laboratory will grow well in culture for any number of
reasons. When amniotic fluid specimens are collected for culture, which of the following are
safeguards against culture failure?
s. Samples are collected in one syringe
b. The first 2 cc of amniotic fluid are discarded
c. Two flasks are set up with two different media types
d. T12 1/2 flasks are used
Answer:
Two flasks are set up with two different media types
Question:
11. Which of the following is NOT an advantage that in situ coverslip amniotic cultures have over
flask amniotic fluid cultures?
a. Decreased the turnaround time.
b. Increases the likelihood of distinguishing between
true mosaicism and psuedomosaicisme.
c. Can be used to rule out maternal contamination
when the fetus is female.
d. Can determine if an abnormal clone is arising from
one or more colonies.
Answer:
Can be used to rule out maternal contamina-tion when the fetus is fe-male.
Question:
12. Collagenase is used in culture of solid tissues to?
a. Dissociate cells
b. To supplement culture media
c. To prevent mycoplasma contamination
c. To subculture the monolayer cultures
UPDATED QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
1. What effects does sodium heparin have on cells?
a. Swells cells
b. Removes water from cells
c. Stimulates mitotic activity
d. Precipitates nucleic acid
e. prevents clotting
Answer:
Prevents clotting
Question:
2. Which of the following is LEAST likely to be toxic to cells?
a. Sodium heparin
b. Lithium heparin
c. Sodium hydroxide
d. Gentamycin
Answer:
Sodium heparin
Question:
3. The optimal temperature for transport of amniotic fluid specimens is?
a. 37 'C
b. 40 'C
c. 0 'C
d. 20 'C
Answer:
20 'C
Question:
4. A pathologist is sending solid tumor specimens to a cytogenetic laboratory for analysis. What
instructions should be given to the pathologist concerning the preparation and transport of the
specimen to insure the highest chance of successful culture?
a. Ensure the sterility of the specimen by placing it in
formalin until it reaches the laboratory.
b. Ensure that the specimen does not contain necrotic
or fatty tissue.
c. Ensure that the specimen is transported on dry ice
to prevent decomposition.
d. All of the above.
Answer:
Ensure the specimen does not contain necrotic or fat-ty acid
Question:
5. Why is the villi obtained in CVS procedures cleaned by the technologists?
, a. To remove the blood from the sample.
b. To remove dead tissue from the sample.
c. To remove maternal tissue from the sample
d. To expose the rapidly growing cells in the villi.
Answer:
To remove maternal tissue from the sample
Question:
6. A solid tumor specimen can NOT be shipped from the hospital to a cytogenetics laboratory in
another city due to a major holiday which will not allow the sample to be shipped via Federal Express
Overnight delivery. How should the sample be stored so that the cells will remain alive until they can
be delivered and placed in culture?
a. The specimen should be preserved by placing it in
formalin until it reaches the laboratory.
b. The specimen should be placed in media and then
in a a 37 'C incubator until it can be shipped.
c. The specimen should be stored in at -20 'C or on dry
ice to prevent cellular decay.
d. The specimen should be placed in media and then
refrigerated until it can be shipped.
Answer:
The specimen should be placed in media and then refrigerated until it can be shipped.
Question:
7. Lab C noticed that patient samples from one of their doctors had poor or no growth as compared to
their other doctor's samples. No evidence of contamination was observed and all material needed for
sample col-lection and transportation is provided to the doctors by the laboratory. What could cause
this discrepancy in culture viability?
a. Collection technique
b. Incubator systems
c. Toxic plastic containers
d. Culture media
Answer:
Collection technique
Question:
8. Which statement about maternal cell contamination is FALSE?
a. The incidence of MCC is greater when cultures are
established from bloody amniotic fluid samples.
b. The risk of MCC can be reduced by using a larger
bone core needle for the amniocentesis procedure.
c. The use of maternal Q-polymorphisms may be help-
ful in identifying cases of MCC.
d. The risk of MCC can be reduced by discarding the
first 2-3 cc of aspirated amniotic fluid.
Answer:
The risk of MCC can be re-duced by using a larger bone core needle for the amniocentesis procedure.
, Question:
9. Your laboratory receives specimens form the follow-ing cases. Which case would you assign the
highest priority?
a. A 24 year old woman who has had three miscar-
riages and one normal child.
b. The 28 year old husband of the woman above.
c. Amnoitc fluid from a 36 year old women's current
pregnancy of 18 weeks gestation.
d. A baby who is in the NICU with a myelomeningo-
cele, a heart defect, intrauterine growth deficiency, a tightly clenched fist and an unusually positioned
great toe.
e. A 10 year old boy who is small for his age and has
small hands, moderate mental retardation, protrud-ing ears, "droppy" eyelids and a small mouth.
Answer:
A baby who is in the NICU with a myelomeningocele, a heart defect, intrauterine growth deficiency,
a tightly clenched fist and an un-usually positioned great toe.
Question:
10. Not all cells received by a Cytogenetics laboratory will grow well in culture for any number of
reasons. When amniotic fluid specimens are collected for culture, which of the following are
safeguards against culture failure?
s. Samples are collected in one syringe
b. The first 2 cc of amniotic fluid are discarded
c. Two flasks are set up with two different media types
d. T12 1/2 flasks are used
Answer:
Two flasks are set up with two different media types
Question:
11. Which of the following is NOT an advantage that in situ coverslip amniotic cultures have over
flask amniotic fluid cultures?
a. Decreased the turnaround time.
b. Increases the likelihood of distinguishing between
true mosaicism and psuedomosaicisme.
c. Can be used to rule out maternal contamination
when the fetus is female.
d. Can determine if an abnormal clone is arising from
one or more colonies.
Answer:
Can be used to rule out maternal contamina-tion when the fetus is fe-male.
Question:
12. Collagenase is used in culture of solid tissues to?
a. Dissociate cells
b. To supplement culture media
c. To prevent mycoplasma contamination
c. To subculture the monolayer cultures
