MI End of Course Exam Review Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards generated from the provided lecture notes to help students prepare for their exam.

Medical Intervention

Anything that is used to treat, prevent, cure, or relieve the symptoms of human suffering.

Signs (in medicine)

Client issues that can be measured and recorded (e.g., temperature, heart rate).

Symptoms (in medicine)

Problems the patient reports (e.g., tiredness, sore throat).

Patient 0

The first person infected at a site, helping determine disease origin and spread.

Bioinformatics

The collection, classification, storage, and analysis of biochemical and biological information using computers.

BLAST

A program used to identify disease pathogens through DNA sequencing.

Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)

A sample taken by doing a spinal tap to test for bacterial meningitis.

Lysed

The process by which bacteria are blown up to isolate their DNA.

DNA Sequencing

Scanning the DNA of something to figure out what the heck it is.

ELISA

Enzyme-linked Immunosorbant Assay; a test to identify the presence of illness through immune responses.

Antigen

A type of protein found on the outside of every living cell (and virus!).

Antibody

A protein produced by a B lymphocyte that attaches to foreign antigens to neutralize them.

Primary antibody

Part of ELISA test, this latches on to the antigen, forming a platform on which a secondary antigen with an enzyme attached can be added.

Secondary antigen

Linked to an enzyme, this is added to the primary antibody; it responds to a substrate and causes a color change.

Qualitative Result

A result that is simply observed and not measurable (e.g., hot/cold, clear/blue).

Quantitative Result

A result that is measurable using a serial dilution to compare it to.

Serial Dilution

A series of dilutions with known amounts of antigen used to compare ELISA results.

Antibiotics

Substances that kill bacteria by disrupting their pathways to survive.

Gram Positive Bacteria

Bacteria with a very thick cell wall made mostly of peptidoglycan.

Gram Negative Bacteria

Bacteria with a much thinner cell wall, containing multiple layers.

Nucleoid

Gel-like region within the cytoplasm containing the single, circular, double-stranded DNA molecule.

Plasmids

Circular double-stranded DNA molecules carrying advantageous genes, like antibiotic resistance.

Ribosomes

Structures involved in protein synthesis, facilitating the joining of amino acids.

Cell Wall

Rigid barrier that surrounds the cell, keeping the contents from bursting out.

Plasma Membrane

Semipermeable membrane that surrounds the cytoplasm, acting as a barrier between the cytoplasm and the outside environment.

Capsule

A distinct and gelatinous layer, called glycocalyx, enveloping the cell; enables the bacterial cell to adhere to specific surfaces and sometimes protects bacterial cells from human immune systems.

Flagella

Protein appendages that are anchored in the membrane and protrude out from the surface. The flagella spin like propellers, moving the bacterial cell forward.

Pili

Filamentous appendages which are similar in structure to flagella, but function in a different manner.

Fimbriae

Pili enabling the bacterial cell to attach to a specific surface.

Sex Pilus

Pili involved in conjugation, a mechanism of DNA transfer from one bacterial cell to another.

Endotoxins

Lipopolysaccharide molecules that make-up the outer leaflet of the outer membrane of Gram negative bacteria.

Exotoxins

Proteins synthesized by both Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria and function as potent toxins.

β-Lactam Antibiotics

Irreversibly inhibit enzymes involved in the final steps of cell wall synthesis.

Tetracyclines

Reversibly bind to the 30S ribosomal subunit, blocking the attachment of tRNA to the ribosome and preventing the continuation of protein synthesis.

Fluoroquinolones

Inhibit one or more of a group of enzymes called topoisomerases, which maintain the supercoiling of the chromosomal DNA within the bacterial cells.

Sulfonamides

Inhibit the growth of many Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria because of structural similarity to paraminobenzoic acid (PABA).

Conjugation (bacteria)

Two bacteria link their pili, forming a bridge for plasmid exchange. Sharing antibiotic-resistant genes in a common method.

Transformation (bacteria)

Plasmids carrying antibiotic-resistant genes are scavenged from a dead bacterial cell.

Transduction (bacteria)

Resistance is “delivered” to bacteria using some sort of vector.

Pinna

Outer shell of the ear; collects sound.

Tympanic Membrane

The eardrum; vibrates when sound waves reach it.

Ossicles

Earbones; vibrate when the tympanic membrane vibrates.

Cochlea

A fluid-filled structure within the inner ear; stimulation results in a signal passing to the cochlear nerve, which sends a signal to the brain so sounds can be interpreted.

Auditory Canal

Tube that carries sound in air to tympanic membrane.

Malleus

The first ossicle to vibrate, causing the incus to vibrate.

Incus

The second ossicle to vibrate; causing the stapes to vibrate.

Stapes

The third ossicle to vibrate; hits the oval window, pushing fluid in the cochlea to vibrate.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea or auditory nerve.

Conductive Hearing Loss

Hearing loss caused by damage to the wave-carrying portions of the ear.

Mixed Hearing Loss

A combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.

Cochlear Implant

Device surgically inserted to direct sound waves from the fluid in the cochlea to the auditory nerve.

Rinne Test

Test using a timer and tuning fork to determine the difference between conductive and sensorineural hearing.

Speech in Noise Test

Test involving listening to speech with background static to determine how well speech can be detected.

Audiogram

A graph that records thresholds. with the frequencies on the x-axis and the hearing thresholds in decibels on the y-axis.

Vaccination

An injection of dead, weakened, or modified pathogens into the body to activate the immune system.

Memory Cell

A specialized type of lymphocyte that remains long after an infection is cleared, rapidly producing antibodies upon re-exposure.

Similar-Pathogen Vaccine

Uses a virus similar to the one you want to protect against (ex. cowpox used for smallpox).

Attenuated Virus (vaccine)

A live vaccine altering the virus enough to weaken it in the human body.

Killed Vaccine

Virus is killed with heat, radiation, or some other means, then injected dead into your body.

Toxoid Vaccine

Exposes the body to the toxins a pathogen produces, rather than to the pathogen itself.

Subunit Vaccine

Consists of nothing more than a portion of a pathogen - a chunk.

Naked-DNA Vaccine

A single gene is selected for vaccination, amplified, and placed into a vector of double-stranded DNA.

Recombinant DNA Technology

Modifying DNA by adding or removing genes, placing this modified DNA into an organism, and letting that organism replicate.

Restriction Enzymes

Enzymes to “cut out” a particular section of DNA, which is then amplified (copies are made).

Ligate

To seal it in, as though it had been glued in place and is now a permanent part of the DNA.

Epidemiology

The study of disease; monitors health of populations and searches for patterns in disease.

Genetic Testing

The use of molecular methods to determine if someone has a genetic disorder, will develop one, or is a carrier of a genetic illness.

Genetic Counselor

A trained professional who helps individuals and families understand and adjust to a genetic diagnosis.

Single-Gene Disorder

A change or mutation in one gene (e.g., sickle cell anemia).

Autosomal Dominant

One copy of a gene passed to a child causes an effect in the child (e.g., dwarfism).

Autosomal Recessive

A child must inherit the defective gene from both parents in order to express the trait.

Sex-Linked Trait

A trait that is passed on the sex chromosomes (the X or the Y).

Multifactorial Disorders

Caused by multiple bad genes AND the environment in combination (e.g., breast cancer).

Mitochondrial Disorders

Caused by mutations in the DNA of mitochondria; only passed from mother to child.

Chromosomal Disorders

Involve inheriting either not enough chromosomes or extras (e.g. Down's syndrome).

Karyotype

A picture of the chromosomes paired based on size, banding pattern, and centromere position.

Carrier Screening

A test done on adult couples who are considering having children, and want to determine if those children could inherit any diseases.

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)

Used by people with known autosomal dominant or sex-linked conditions that they do not want to pass on to their children.

Fetal Screening/Prenatal Diagnosis

Performed on fetuses while they are still in utero (inside mommy).

Amniocentesis

Large needle inserted through abdomen into the uterus to remove amniotic fluid containing cells from the baby.

Chorionic Villus Sampling

Chorionic villus cells are removed from the placenta vaginally.

Newborn Screening

The testing of infants shortly after birth through isolation of DNA.

PCR

Polymerase chain reaction; Laboratory procedure that produces multiple copies of a specific DNA sequence.

Denaturation (PCR)

The temperature in the thermal cycler cranks up to 95 degrees C – where the high temperatures break up the hydrogen bonds that hold the double-stranded DNA together.

Annealing (PCR)

Thermal cycler cools to 55 degrees C, and the DNA primers (short sequences of DNA that target the beginning of the section of DNA being copied) bind to the section of DNA that scientists wish to copy.

Extension (PCR)

The temperature here is 72 degrees C, and requires both Taq polymerase and DNA nucleotides. Where Taq polymerase attaches to the DNA at the site of the primer.

Taq Polymerase

This is an enzyme that originated in the bacteria of hot springs, so they are able to survive the hot temperature used in PCR.

Genotype

The genetic code for the traits we have ; eye color, dimples, or diseases.

Phenotype

What we see as a result of that code in cells.

Centrifugation

Fast spinning to separates the heavy cell components from from other waste products.

SNPs

Single nucleotide polymorphisms; 1-nucleotide differences in the DNA of individuals that make them unique.

Agarose Gel

Prepared and placed into a buffer solution; contains wells at one end to which DNA is added.

Gene Therapy

A type of disease treatment in which faulty genes are replaced by functional copies.

Reproductive Cloning

Cloning to make a copy of an individual.

Therapeutic Cloning

Involves making a clone of a certain body part (e.g., kidney).

Cancer

A term used to describe more than 100 different diseases in which cell regulation genes are mutated causing the cells to reproduce out of control.

X-Rays

Noninvasive medical test used to produce images of the inside of the body to help diagnose medical conditions.

CT Scan

Noninvasive, and is used to produce images of the inside of the body. A specialized type of X-ray.

MRI

In magnetic resonance imaging, images of the body’s soft tissues are produced with detailed.

Bone Scan

Noninvasive medical test used to produce images of the bones that help diagnose and track several types of bone disease.