Clinical Biochemistry
A common test is a Lipid Profile. A lipid is a type of biochemical that does not dissolve in water and is soluble in a non-polar substance. In the body, lipids make up the ouster layer of all of a person's cells and insulate nerve fibers. This test measures the amount of cholesterol and fats, also known as triglycerides, present in the blood. The test helps to predict a person's risk of heart disease which is caused by too much cholesterol in a person's blood, which begins to build up on the heart's arteries, causing atherosclerosis, a type of heart disease. With so much build up on the arteries, blood flow is constricted. Some other common tests preformed are, kidney functions, blood tests, liver functions, cholesterol tests, and Troponin and Cardiac Enzyme tests.
Kidney function tests use urine, the color and pH of the urine are used to tell how the kidneys are functioning. A pH change is a chemical change and serves as an overall health predictor. Urine changing color is a physical change and is caused by the pigment urochrome, this does not signify any sort of health issue, it can simply be caused by a person's diet. The Troponin and Cardiac Enzyme levels test informs doctors if a cardiac injury such as a heart attack has occurred. An enzyme is a protein that catalyzes a biochemical reaction. Enzymes such as creatine phosphokinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, and proteins such as Troponin are found in the cardiac muscles. Very low levels of these things are naturally found in the blood, and when there is a cardiac injury, there is a release of these enzymes into the blood. Troponin is a complex of three regulatory proteins that is needed for non-smooth muscle contraction. It is attached to the tropomyosin which is located in the grooves between actin filaments in muscle tissue. See the lock and enzyme model below- it is very similar to this process.
High levels of NSE or neuron specific enolase in a person's cerebrospinal fluid can hint that the person has a form of a neurodegenerative disease or a form of small cell cancer such as small cell lung carcinoma. Enolase is a glycolytic enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of 2-phosophoglycerate to phosphoenol pyruvate. Enolase is a tissue-specific isoenzyme, an enzyme that catalyzes the same reaction but at a different rate, that is consisted of heterodimers, a protein composed of two polypeptide chains that differ in composition, order, or number, heterodimers can be expressed as alpha, beta, or gamma. The biological half life of NSE is twenty-four hours. Measurements of NSE levels in patients with neuroblastoma or small cell lung cancer can provide information on the extent of the disease, the prognosis(the patient's out-look), and the patients's reaction to the treatment. The picture on the left is a a label of were in the body a neuroblastoma can occur. The photo on the right is a close-up of the lungs, where small cell carcinomas form, and a close up of a small cell carcinoma.
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Wow I didn't realize that measuring pH could be involved in determining whether someone has a particular disease or not, that's really cool!
ReplyDeleteI think that the Lipid Profile test is very interesting because it can measure the amount of cholesterol and fats inside the body. How does Lipid Profile test measure the amount of cholesterol and fats inside the blood stream? Is there anything you need to prepare in advance before taking the Lipid Profile? For example: Are you allow to eat before taking the test?
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