Medical Interventions: Semester 1 Final Exam

CRISPR-Cas9 system

Originally part of a bacterial immune system that cuts DNA precisely.

Cas9 protein

Cuts DNA by creating blunt ends.

sgRNA

Single guide RNA that binds to DNA and can be engineered to target specific genes.

PAM sequence

A short nucleotide sequence, typically 'NGG', that is required for Cas9 to cut DNA.

Homology Directed Repair (HDR)

A DNA repair mechanism that makes blunt ends sticky and inserts new DNA into the genome.

Non-homologous End Joining (NHEJ)

A repair method that adds nucleotides randomly to a cut, often causing mutations.

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

A technique to amplify DNA segments.

Steps of PCR

Denaturation (strands separate), Annealing (primers bind), Extending (DNA is copied with Taq Polymerase).

Gel Electrophoresis

A method to separate DNA fragments based on size to analyze genetic changes.

Antibodies and ELISA

Antibodies bind to specific antigens, and their presence is indicated by a color change in the substrate.

Gram Positive bacteria

Bacteria with a thick peptidoglycan cell wall and no outer membrane, appearing purple or blue after Gram staining.

Gram Negative bacteria

Bacteria with a thin peptidoglycan cell wall covered by an outer membrane, appearing pink after Gram staining.

B-Lactam antibiotics

Antibiotics that interrupt cell wall growth, primarily effective against gram-negative bacteria.

Tetracyclines

Antibiotics that inhibit ribosome function and protein synthesis, effective against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

Fluoroquinolones

Antibiotics that inhibit DNA synthesis, primarily effective against gram-negative bacteria.

Sulfonamides

Antibiotics that inhibit bacterial metabolism and the synthesis of folate, effective against both types of bacteria.

Variolation

The deliberate infection with smallpox to stimulate an immune response.

Live-attenuated vaccines

Vaccines that lose the ability to replicate but still elicit an immune response.

Inactivated vaccines

Vaccines that destroy the pathogen but preserve enough of it to produce an immune response.

Epidemiology

The study of how and why diseases occur in a population and how to prevent them.

Genetic Counseling

A service that helps individuals understand genetic disorders and their implications.

Gestational Diabetes

A condition where a woman develops high blood sugar during pregnancy.

Karyotype

A test that examines the size, shape, and number of chromosomes to identify genetic conditions.