Midterm HSCI 101 Lecture 13

Med Lab Science

What is Med Lab Science?

A branch of medicine concerned with the precise execution and interpretation of clinical tests on patient tissues, blood and other body fluids.

Clinical hematology

the study of blood and blood disorders

Clinical microbiology

the study of microbes which cause infections in humans

Clinical immunohematology

the study of antigen-antibody reactions and accompanying changes in the blood.

Clinical chemistry

the biochemical analysis of body fluids (plasma, serum, etc.)

Molecular diagnostics

investigates human, viral and microbial genomes and the products they encode

Genomics

the study of the structure, function, evolution and mapping of genomes

clinical serology

the study of the body's immune system and its functions and disorders (study of antibodies)

blood banking

the collecting, separating, testing and storing of blood until a patient needs it

blood chemistry

a test that measures amounts of certain chemicals/substances in a sample of blood

cytology

the examination of cells from body tissues or fluids in order to diagnose a disease/disorder

microbiology

 the study of all living organisms that are too small to be visible with the naked eye

Where do med lab scientists work?

• Biomedical research

• Management

• Traveling med scientists

• Molecular diagnostics

• Information services

• Point of care

• Regulatory Agency

• Clinical medical lab

• Crime investigation teams

Typical training program

• 3 years of science

• 1 year at a nationally accredited clinical lab

Importance of med lab scientists

Without them, the health care team would be crippled. The critical information necessary to effectively treat, diagnose, monitor and maintain patient health would be missing.