CC Definition of Terms

Question 1

amount of light that is absorbed by an analyte in a solution

Answer 1

Absorbance

Question 2

state of decrease of basic (alkali) compounds and an accumulation of acid compounds in the blood causing a decrease in pH

Answer 2

Acidosis

Question 3

ability of a test to obtain the known target value for a sample with minimal bias and imprecision

Answer 3

Accuracy

Question 4

attractive force between substances or particles that causes them to enter into and remain in chemical combination

Answer 4

Affinity

Question 5

a measured portion of a sample

Answer 5

Aliquot

Question 6

state of excess of basic (alkali) compounds or loss of acidic compounds in the blood causing an increase in pH

Answer 6

Alkalosis

Question 7

organic acid that is the building block for proteins

Answer 7

Amino acid

Question 8

substance being measured

Answer 8

Analyte

Question 9

all procedures related to the testing of a sample for an analyte

Answer 9

Analytical phase

Question 10

a spectrophotometric method that uses an analyte as an element (e.g., Ca) that absorbs light at a specific wavelength

Answer 10

Atomic absorption

Question 11

average affinity of a mixture of antibody to their corresponding antigen

Answer 11

Avidity

Question 12

a laboratory grade water and other reagents are set up and tested as though it was another sample

this checks for background interference from reagents and allows for correction

Answer 12

Blank

Question 13

a liquid that resists change in pH when an acid or base is added

consists of a weak acid/base and its conjugate

Answer 13

Buffer

Question 14

process of using calibrators (samples with known analyte concentration) to construct a calibration curve used to quantitate analyte concentration in unknown (patient) specimens

Answer 14

Calibration

Question 15

substance that accelerates a chemical reaction, such as an enzyme in the body

Answer 15

Catalyst

Question 16

an ion carrying a positive charge

Answer 16

Cation

Question 17

the electrode that gains electrons or is reduced

it is where reduction occurs in an electrochemical cell

Answer 17

Cathode

Question 18

a process used to separate or concentrate materials suspended in a liquid medium by use of the centrifugal force

Answer 18

Centrifugation

Question 19

amount of analyte measured in a sample expressed quantitatively

Answer 19

Concentration

Question 20

a serum-based material with assigned target values and acceptable ranges to evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of a diagnostic assay

Answer 20

Control

Question 21

a reaction vessel used in photometric analyzers

Answer 21

Cuvette

Question 22

a drying agent or substance capable of absorbing moisture

Answer 22

Desiccant

Question 23

a sealed chamber where samples can be dried in the presence of a desiccant

Answer 23

Desiccator

Question 24

the movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to one of lower concentration

Answer 24

Diffusion

Question 25

a solvent is added to a solution to make it less concentrated

Answer 25

Dilution

Question 26

when a chemical reaction breaks a compound into two or more parts

Answer 26

Dissociation

Question 27

when a gas moves through an opening into a low-pressure container

Answer 27

Effusion

Question 28

an ionic compound that dissolves in water to produce ions, which can conduct electricity

Answer 28

Electrolyte

Question 29

protein in the body that acts as a catalyst and converts substrate to product

Answer 29

Enzyme

Question 30

a measure of the amount of enzyme catalytic activity found in a sample

Answer 30

Enzyme Activity

Question 31

occurs in reversible reactions when the forward rate of the reaction is the same as the reverse rate of the reaction

Answer 31

Equilibrium

Question 32

fluid that has leaked out of a tissue or capillary, usually in response to inflammation or injury

Answer 32

Exudate

Question 33

lipoprotein particle found in blood that is composed of a high proportion of protein with little triglyceride and cholesterol, and is associated with reduced risk of atherosclerosis

Answer 33

High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)

Question 34

the most common interferents found in blood specimens

Answer 34

Hemolysis, Icterus, and Lipemia (HIL)

Question 35

a chemical substance or compound having a physical property that changes abruptly, usually color, near the endpoint or equivalence point of a chemical reaction

Answer 35

Indicator

Question 36

assay that relies on an antigen-antibody reaction

Answer 36

Immunoassay

Question 37

a component found inside the cell

Answer 37

Intracellular

Question 38

a potentiometric device used to selectively measure individual electrolytes such as Na, K and Cl.

Answer 38

Ion-selective electrode (ISE):

Question 39

Lipoprotein particle found in blood composed of protein, with little triglyceride and high proportion of cholesterol, and is associated with increased risk of developing atherosclerosis.

Answer 39

Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL)

Question 40

milky coloration of plasma caused by increased lipid accumulation, usually triglycerides

Answer 40

Lipemia

Question 41

the common analytes of cholesterol and triglycerides and related compounds such as free fatty acids and lipoproteins

Answer 41

Lipids

Question 42

the curved surface of a liquid

Answer 42

Meniscus

Question 43

products of anabolism and catabolism; analytes created by synthesis in the body (e.g., glucose, cholesterol) or breakdown (e.g., creatinine, urea).

Answer 43

Metabolites

Question 44

the basic measurement principle or technique that is used in an analytical system to perform a test

Answer 44

Method/methodology

Question 45

force that moves water or another solvent across a membrane separating a solution usually, the movement is from the lower to the higher concentration

Answer 45

Osmotic pressure

Question 46

measuring light intensity at various wavelengths

Answer 46

Photometry

Question 47

lipid deposits in arteries causing stenosis and leading to cardiovascular disease

Answer 47

Plaque

Question 48

clear, yellow fluid obtained when blood is drawn into a tube containing anticoagulant the clotting factors have not been activated and a clot is not formed

Answer 48

Plasma

Question 49

all procedures related to specimen handling and result reporting after the analytical (testing) phase.

Answer 49

Postanalytical phase

Question 50

all procedures related to specimen collection and handling that precede the analytical (testing) phase.

Answer 50

Preanalytical phase

Question 51

the reproducibility of a test; the ability to obtain very similar quantitative values on repeat testing of a sample

Answer 51

Precision

Question 52

use of scientific methods to maintain the most accurate data possible procedures performed to check against a standard, such as blanks, duplicates, and spikes

Answer 52

Quality Control

Question 53

the expected normal concentration range for an analyte in a patient population

Answer 53

Reference interval

Question 54

a chemical mixture to which a sample is added to conduct a test

Answer 54

Reagent

Question 55

the specimen after preparation for analysis (e.g., serum or plasma after centrifugation).

Answer 55

Sample

Question 56

liquid portion of plasma that remains after clot is removed

Answer 56

Serum

Question 57

the ability to detect small quantities of a measured component.

Answer 57

Sensitivity

Question 58

the substance that gets dissolved in a solvent

Answer 58

Solute

Question 59

the liquid that dissolves a solute in solution

Answer 59

Solvent

Question 60

the type of biologic fluid in which the analyte is found (e.g., blood, urine, CSF) or the form in which the fluid is tested (e.g., serum, plasma, whole blood).

Answer 60

Specimen

Question 61

measuring light intensity at various wavelengths

Answer 61

Spectrophotometry

Question 62

samples for which the analyst knows the true value before running the test can be made in-house or purchased from laboratory supply companies often used to calibrate instruments and to evaluate the accuracy of an analysis

Answer 62

Standards

Question 63

amount of antibody found in a specimen as a result of exposure to an antigen

Answer 63

Titer

Question 64

analysis of therapeutic drugs or drugs of abuse

Answer 64

Toxicology

Question 65

anchoring the calibrators of a test method to recognized reference materials and/or reference methods to ensure the accuracy results; described by a metrological traceability chain

Answer 65

Traceability

Question 66

aqueous waste fluid produced by the kidneys; the next most common body fluid after blood is used for testing

Answer 66

Urine

Question 67

the light-scattering property associated with suspended particles in a liquid; appears cloudy

Answer 67

Turbidity

Question 68

handles standards and guidelines primarily related to infection control

Answer 68

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Question 69

responsible for implementing standards in all aspects of the lab practice

Answer 69

Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)

Question 70

responsible for implementing guidelines for employee safety in the workplace

Answer 70

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Question 71

responsible for the international exchange of services and goods

Answer 71

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

Question 72

it is the standard for quality management; used to accredit labs

Answer 72

ISO 15189

Question 73

AACC

Answer 73

American Association of Clinical Chemistry

Question 74

PCQACL

Answer 74

Philippine Council for Quality Assurance in Clinical Laboratories

Question 75

CAP

Answer 75

College of American Pathologists

Question 76

BHFS

Answer 76

Bureau of Health Facilities and Services

Question 77

PSP

Answer 77

Philippine Society of Pathologists

Question 78

PAMET

Answer 78

Philippine Association of Medical Technologists