Laboratory Safety and Quality Control
1. Q: What are the base quantities in laboratory measurements?
A: Length (meter), mass (kilogram), time (second), electric current (ampere), thermodynamic
temperature (kelvin), amount of substance (mole), luminous intensity (candela).
2. Q: What does intralab quality control monitor?
A: It monitors accuracy and precision through control samples and detects random and
systematic errors.
3. Q: What is the role of interlab quality control?
A: It ensures long-term accuracy by comparing results across laboratories through proficiency
testing programs.
4. Q: Name two systematic error causes.
A: Improper calibration and reagent deterioration.
5. Q: What type of error causes a trend in quality control data?
A: Systematic error.
6. Q: What does Lean Six Sigma aim to achieve in quality management?
A: To eliminate waste and improve process performance by identifying and reducing errors.
7. Q: What is the Deming Cycle in quality management?
A: Plan, Do, Check, Act.
Instrumentation
8. Q: What is the visible light spectrum range in nanometers?
A: 400-700 nm.
9. Q: State Beer's Law in spectroscopy.
A: The concentration of a substance is directly proportional to the amount of light absorbed.
10. Q: What is the purpose of a monochromator in a spectrophotometer?
A: To isolate specific wavelengths of light.
11. Q: What are the parts of a spectrophotometer?
A: Light source, entrance slit, monochromator, exit slit, cuvette, photodetector, and read-out
device.
12. Q: Which photodetector is most sensitive in detecting light?
A: Photomultiplier tube.
13. Q: What does turbidimetry measure?
A: The reduction in light transmission by particles in suspension.
14. Q: Name the two common types of chromatography.
A: Gas Chromatography and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
Specimen Collection
15. Q: What is the recommended angle for venipuncture?
A: 15° to 30°.
16. Q: What is the purpose of the Modified Allen Test?
A: To determine if the ulnar artery can provide collateral circulation to the hand.
17. Q: What is the first tube to draw in the order of draw?
A: Yellow top for blood cultures.
18. Q: Why should you avoid drawing blood from a hematoma?
A: It may cause contamination and inaccurate results.
19. Q: What does "stat" mean in laboratory testing?
A: Derived from Latin "statim," meaning immediately.
Carbohydrates and Metabolism
20. Q: Name the primary hormone that lowers blood glucose levels.
A: Insulin.
21. Q: Which hormones increase blood glucose levels?
A: Glucagon, cortisol, catecholamines, growth hormone, and thyroid hormones.
22. Q: What are the diagnostic criteria for diabetes mellitus using FBS?
A: Fasting blood sugar ≥126 mg/dL.
23. Q: What is Whipple's Triad in hypoglycemia?
A: Low blood glucose concentration, symptoms of hypoglycemia, and relief by glucose
administration.
24. Q: What is the confirmatory test for gestational diabetes mellitus?
A: 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).
Lipids and Lipoproteins
25. Q: What is the major lipid component of cell membranes?
A: Phospholipids.
26. Q: What is the primary function of LDL?
A: To transport cholesterol to peripheral tissues.
27. Q: What lipoprotein is known as "good cholesterol"?
A: High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL).
28. Q: Name a disorder associated with absent HDL.
A: Tangier disease.
29. Q: What is the function of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT)?
A: Esterifies cholesterol for transport by HDL.
Proteins and Cardiac Markers
30. Q: What is the major function of albumin?
A: Maintains osmotic pressure and acts as a transport protein.
31. Q: What protein is a marker for Wilson’s disease?
A: Ceruloplasmin.
32. Q: Name a cardiac marker specific for myocardial infarction.
A: Troponin I.
33. Q: What is microalbuminuria an early indicator of?
A: Glomerular dysfunction and diabetic nephropathy.
34. Q: What does an elevated B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) indicate?
A: Congestive heart failure.
Kidney Function Tests
35. Q: What is the gold standard for measuring glomerular filtration rate?
A: Inulin clearance test.
36. Q: How is creatinine clearance calculated?
A: Based on the clearance of creatinine from plasma into urine over time.
37. Q: What is a normal BUN:Creatinine ratio?
A: Approximately 10:1 to 20:1.
38. Q: What is azotemia?
A: Elevated nitrogenous waste products like urea and creatinine in the blood.
39. Q: What does a fixed specific gravity of 1.010 indicate?
A: Severe loss of renal concentrating ability.
Liver Function Tests
40. Q: What is the reference method for total protein measurement?
A: Kjeldahl method.
41. Q: What is the role of conjugated bilirubin?
A: Excreted into bile for elimination.
42. Q: Which enzyme is most sensitive for diagnosing acute liver damage?
A: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT).
43. Q: What pattern in serum protein electrophoresis indicates cirrhosis?
A: Beta-gamma bridging.
44. Q: What is urobilinogen a marker for?
A: Hepatic and hemolytic conditions.
Analytical Methods
45. Q: What is the most specific enzymatic method for glucose measurement?
A: Hexokinase method.
46. Q: Which chemical method measures cholesterol colorimetrically?
A: Liebermann-Burchard reaction.
47. Q: What is the main interference in the Jaffe reaction for creatinine?
A: Ascorbate and bilirubin.
48. Q: What is the principle of nephelometry?
A: Measures light scattered by particles in suspension.
49. Q: How does fluorescence differ from chemiluminescence?
A: Fluorescence involves absorption and re-emission of light, while chemiluminescence is light
produced by a chemical reaction.
50. Q: What is the purpose of a cumulative sum (CUSUM) in quality control?
A: To detect small shifts in the analytical process.
