Medical Technologist Test Medical Technologist Terminology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the term 'sensitivity' mean in the context of a diagnostic test?
- The ability to correctly identify those WITHOUT the disease
- The ability to correctly identify those WITH the disease (Correct answer)
- The reproducibility of test results
- The accuracy of quantitative measurements
Correct answer: The ability to correctly identify those WITH the disease
Sensitivity (true positive rate) is the proportion of patients with the disease who test positive.
Question 2: Which term describes a substance that accelerates a chemical reaction without being consumed?
- Substrate
- Cofactor
- Catalyst (Correct answer)
- Coenzyme
Correct answer: Catalyst
A catalyst speeds up a reaction and is not consumed in the process; enzymes are biological catalysts.
Question 3: The term 'hemolysis' refers to:
- Clotting of red blood cells
- Destruction of red blood cells with release of hemoglobin (Correct answer)
- Formation of red blood cells in bone marrow
- Aggregation of platelets
Correct answer: Destruction of red blood cells with release of hemoglobin
Hemolysis is the rupture or destruction of erythrocytes, releasing hemoglobin into the plasma.
Question 4: What is 'specificity' in laboratory testing?
- The ability to detect low concentrations of analyte
- The ability to correctly identify true negatives (Correct answer)
- The closeness of repeated measurements to each other
- The degree of agreement with a reference method
Correct answer: The ability to correctly identify true negatives
Specificity (true negative rate) is the proportion of patients without the disease who test negative.
Question 5: Which term describes the measure of a test's ability to detect small quantities of an analyte?
- Precision
- Specificity
- Analytical sensitivity (Correct answer)
- Accuracy
Correct answer: Analytical sensitivity
Analytical sensitivity, often expressed as the limit of detection, is the lowest measurable concentration of an analyte.
Question 6: The term 'aliquot' in laboratory practice means:
- A calibration standard solution
- A measured portion taken from a larger sample (Correct answer)
- A quality control material
- A reagent blank solution
Correct answer: A measured portion taken from a larger sample
An aliquot is a sub-sample or measured portion removed from the original specimen for analysis.
Question 7: What does 'isotonic' mean when describing a solution?
- Having a higher osmolality than plasma
- Having a lower osmolality than plasma
- Having the same osmolality as plasma (approximately 285-295 mOsm/kg) (Correct answer)
- Being free of all ionic species
Correct answer: Having the same osmolality as plasma (approximately 285-295 mOsm/kg)
An isotonic solution has the same osmotic pressure as red blood cells, causing no net water movement across the cell membrane.
Medical Technologist Test Medical Technologist Terminology 2
What does the term 'sensitivity' mean in the context of a diagnostic test?