Medical Technologist Test Medical Technologist Terminology 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The term 'phlebotomy' refers to:
- Analysis of blood cell morphology
- The act of drawing blood from a vein (Correct answer)
- Centrifugation of blood specimens
- Transfusion of blood products
Correct answer: The act of drawing blood from a vein
Phlebotomy is the clinical procedure of incising a vein or puncturing it to collect a blood specimen.
Question 2: What does 'pyuria' indicate in a urinalysis report?
- Presence of red blood cells in urine
- Presence of white blood cells in urine suggesting infection or inflammation (Correct answer)
- Presence of bacteria in urine on microscopy
- Presence of casts in urine
Correct answer: Presence of white blood cells in urine suggesting infection or inflammation
Pyuria is defined as ≥5-10 WBCs per high-power field in urine sediment, commonly associated with urinary tract infection.
Question 3: In clinical chemistry, 'substrate' refers to:
- The product formed at the end of an enzymatic reaction
- The molecule upon which an enzyme acts (Correct answer)
- The cofactor required by an enzyme
- The inhibitor that blocks enzyme activity
Correct answer: The molecule upon which an enzyme acts
A substrate is the specific molecule an enzyme binds and converts to product during a biochemical reaction.
Question 4: Which term describes the ability of a test to give the same result on repeated measurements of the same sample?
- Accuracy
- Precision (Correct answer)
- Sensitivity
- Predictive value
Correct answer: Precision
Precision (reproducibility) is the closeness of agreement between repeated measurements under identical conditions.
Question 5: The term 'agglutination' in serology describes:
- Dissolution of red blood cells by antibody
- Clumping of particles (cells or latex beads) caused by antibody cross-linking antigens (Correct answer)
- Precipitation of soluble antigen-antibody complexes
- Activation of the complement cascade
Correct answer: Clumping of particles (cells or latex beads) caused by antibody cross-linking antigens
Agglutination is the visible clumping of antigen-bearing particles when cross-linked by multivalent antibodies.
Question 6: What does 'coagulation' refer to in hematology?
- Formation of red blood cells in bone marrow
- The process by which blood forms a solid clot (Correct answer)
- Dissolution of a preformed clot
- Platelet adhesion to a vessel wall
Correct answer: The process by which blood forms a solid clot
Coagulation is the cascade of enzymatic reactions converting soluble fibrinogen to insoluble fibrin to form a stable clot.
Question 7: The term 'supernatant' in laboratory procedures refers to:
- The pellet of cells or precipitate at the bottom after centrifugation
- The clear liquid layer above a sediment or pellet after centrifugation (Correct answer)
- The top layer of lipids floating on plasma
- The buffy coat layer between red cells and plasma
Correct answer: The clear liquid layer above a sediment or pellet after centrifugation
The supernatant is the liquid portion remaining above the sediment after centrifugal separation.
Medical Technologist Test Medical Technologist Terminology 5
The term 'phlebotomy' refers to: