1.1 - Medical Intervention and Disease Detection

What is a medical intervention?

Any measure whose purpose is to improve health or alter the course of a disease.

What are the main categories of medical interventions that maintain human health?

Prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.

How do scientists gather evidence during the potential outbreak of an infectious disease?

They collect patient samples, use bioinformatics, perform ELISA tests, and trace contact networks.

What is bioinformatics?

The use of computer technology to manage biological information, especially in analyzing genetic sequences.

How can DNA sequences be used to identify disease pathogens?

By comparing them to known pathogen sequences using bioinformatics tools like BLAST.

What is an antibody?

A protein produced by B cells that specially binds to antigens to neutralize or mark them for destructions.

How do antibodies identify and inactivate antigens?

By binding to them, which neutralizes the threat or signals immune cells to destroy them.

How can the ELISA assay be used to detect disease?

It uses antibodies to detect the presence and concentration of antigens in a sample.

Why is it important for doctors to know the concentration of disease antigen in a patient?

It helps determine the stage/severity of infection and guide treatment decisions.

What steps do scientists take to diagnose, treat, and prevent the future spread of a disease outbreak?

Diagnosis through lab testing, treatment via medication or isolation, and prevention through education and vaccination.

How do medical interventions help maintain health and homeostasis?

By preventing, diagnosing, treating, or managing diseases to keep the body's internal environment stable.

What methods can be used to detect and identify infectious agents?

Culturing, ELISA, PCR, DNA sequencing, and bioinformatics.