Question 6 • Introduction to Health Science - EL3601 B
A medical student is in a class about specimen analysis. The instructor asks how a lab technician should look for a viral infection in a patient, and the student answers that molecular testing might be helpful. Which would be the best response from the instructor?
Answer
A
“That is incorrect because molecular testing looks at bacteria and not viruses.”
B
“That is correct because molecular testing is very sensitive and can detect even the tiniest organisms, such as viruses.”
C
“That is incorrect because molecular testing analyzes a person’s own DNA and does not look at viruses.”
D
“That is correct because molecular testing can detect viruses and bacteria using molecules made by the immune system.”
Explanation
Molecular tests can detect a virus by identifying its genetic material, often using highly sensitive methods that can find very small amounts in a sample. So the student is right that molecular testing may help identify a viral infection. Choice B gives the correct reason; choice D is wrong because detecting molecules made by the immune system describes a different kind of test.
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