Medical Interventions Final SG

What is a medical intervention?

a measure to improve health or alter the course of an illness and can be used to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease

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

Doing interviews, lab tests, ELISA, PCR, Electrophoresis, and Contact Tracing

What is bioinformatics?

the use of technology to analyze biological data

How can DNA sequences be used to identify disease pathogens?

comparing sequences and adding them to a database called BLAST = organism

What is an antibody?

Y-shaped protein from B cells that binds to an antigen (immune system’s memory)

How do antibodies identify and inactivate antigens?

binding to them with their specific antigen-binding sites → a flag is put on the antigen so that it is eaten/destroyed

How can the ELISA assay be used to detect disease?

detecting if an antigen is present in a sample along with a concentration

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

they can get an accurate diagnosis of the disease that the patient may have

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

identify the disease of the outbreak → establish its existence → investigating how it spread → implementing control measures

How do antibiotics work to fight bacterial infections?

target and destroy the cell walls, proteins, or DNA synthesis

What methods do bacteria use to share antibiotic resistant genes?

conjugation (pilis+bacteria+plasmid), transformation (passing of DNA), and transduction (infect & transfer) to share antibiotic resistant genes

What actions are humans taking that are contributing to bacteria becoming resistant to commonly used antibiotics?

humans misuse, overuse, or take antibiotics in livestock that are contributing to bacteria becoming resistant to commonly used antibodies, leading to antibiotic resistance

How do frequency and amplitude affect how humans interpret sound?

Frequency: pitch of a sound, Amplitude: loudness of a sound; combined together to affect how humans interpret sound

What causes different types of hearing loss?

Conductive Hearing Loss:

• Outer-Middle Ear is affected because something is blocking the pathway in which sound comes in through (ear wax, infection, or trauma)

Sensorineural Hearing Loss:

• Inner ear is damaged (loud noises overtime, aging, trauma); sound is coming into the ear but isn’t registered in the inner ear due to damage

What is vaccination?

stimulates immunity via antigen

How does a vaccine activate the body’s immune system?

triggers the production of “memory cells” - antibodies

How has vaccination impacted disease trends in our country?

reduced disease rates, less transmission/spread

What methods are used to produce vaccines in the laboratory?

Attenuated: weakened form of virus (live virus)

Inactivated: killed virus (cannot replicate)

Recombinant: part of DNA/RNA of virus (body creates protein from DNA/RNA code and makes antibodies)

What is recombinant DNA technology?

combines genes from different sources

What are the molecular tools used to assemble recombinant DNA?

restriction enzymes (molecular scissors), ligase (molecular tape), and plasmids

How can recombinant DNA and bacterial cells be used to produce vaccines?

uses bacteria → changes/edits plasmid DNA to a weakened version or is killed → grown for vaccine

How can engineered plasmids be inserted into bacterial cells?

The first way is heat shock (heat) while the second way is electroporation (electricity) = plasmid inside new bacteria

What is epidemiology?

the study and control of how disease spreads in population

How can epidemiologists assist with the detection, prevention, and treatment of both chronic and infectious disease?

monitor trends and track outbreaks

What is genetic testing?

Detects mutations and disease risk; can be done before birth and after.

What are the duties of a genetic counselor?

Give information/education patients (unbiased), interpret results, supports decisions and resources

What is the goal of PCR?

To take a small amount of DNA and make more copies of it (amplify DNA)

What are the steps of the PCR process?

Denature (destroy using heat), Anneal (cool), and Extend

What is the relationship between phenotype and genotype?

Phenotype: the trait, Genotype: the code (P: Red hair, G: RR)

What are SNPs?

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism/Variation in DNA or genes

What medical interventions and lifestyle modifications can help a pregnant woman have a healthy pregnancy?

Prenatal vitamins, Vaccines (TDAP, Flu), Testing (Glucose tolerance test), Screenings, Genetic Testing (not for every mom; over 35 recommended), Weight & Blood Pressure Checks

What can amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling tell a couple about their developing fetus?

Amniocentesis: can provide useful information about a baby’s health

Chorionic Villus Sampling: tests for chromosomal abnormalities & other genetic problems.

How can genetic diseases be cured if scientists could replace faulty genes?

Via Gene Replacement, Vectors: Viruses, Liposomes; removing DNA, adding the correct sequence, add it back in

What vectors can be used to transfer DNA to human cells?

transporters used to insert edited/correct code

How might gene therapy open the door to genetic enhancement?

get unaffected genes to people carrying a specific disease

What medical interventions are available for couples who would like to choose the gender of their child?

Vitro fertilization with Preimplantation genetic testing

Should parents be able to design their children?

Although designing a child can come with negative side effects or results, parents should be able to design their children since the children are theirs; as long as it is guaranteed to be safe.

What is the difference between reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning?

Reproductive cloning creates a new organism that is genetically identical to an existing one, while therapeutic cloning concentrates on harvesting embryonic stem cells for medical treatment and research.

What are some of the ethical dilemmas surrounding current and future reproductive technology?

IVF and PGT present challenges regarding the moral status of embryos, while future technologies like germline editing raise concerns about eugenics, potential harm to future generations, and equitable access.

What role does insulin play in diabetes?

controls blood sugar

How has the diagnosis and treatment for diabetes changed in the last 200 years?

from animals to recombinant

How can bacterial plasmids be used to produce proteins such as insulin?

through recombinant DNA technology

What is bacterial transformation?

bacteria uptake plasmids

How can you gauge the success of a transformation experiment?

growth on antibiotics, color change

How does amino acid structure relate to the overall shape of a protein?

determined by amino acids

What is chromatography?

separates mixtures

How can chromatography be used to separate proteins?

based on the protein’s differing interactions with a stationary phase and mobile phase

How can electrophoresis be used to check the purity of a protein sample?

SDS-Page

What is SDS-PAGE?

a biochemical technique used to separate proteins based on their size/molar mass

How does protein electrophoresis differ from DNA electrophoresis?

SDS-Page vs. DNA gels: Protein vs DNA separation

What biomedical professionals are involved in all stages of producing and manufacturing a protein product?

scientists, marketers

How does a cover letter differ from a resume?

resume: summary, cover letter: intro

What is End Stage Renal Disease?

a condition where the kidneys lose the ability to remove waste and balance fluids

How is ESRD diagnosed?

blood/urine tests, imaging

What are the treatment options or medical interventions for patients with ESRD?

Dialysis, transplant

How does dialysis work?

removes waste from blood

What (or who) decides who should receive a donated organ?

Based on UNOS criteria

How are organ donors and recipients matched?

Blood type, HLA

What general surgical techniques are necessary for a live donor kidney transplant?

Vascular connection

What are the roles of the various members of the surgical transplant team?

surgeons, nurses, coordinators

How does a heart transplant compare to a kidney transplant?

Timing and urgency differences

What parts of the human body can be replaced?

organs, tissues

What are the benefits and risks of using xenotransplantation and tissue engineering for replacement organs?

boost supply and ethical concerns

What are the ethical considerations for xenotransplantation and tissue engineering?

animal welfare, human safety, well-being, and the potential for misuse of technology

How can the human body be remodeled or enhanced to create a “super” human?

bionics, gene editing

What role do medical interventions play in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease?

diagnose, treat, support recovery