a) Looking at the figure , what can you say about the HPV status of this patient...
May 9, 2024
a) Looking at the figure , what can you say about the HPV status of this patient? Make sure to explain in your answer how you reached your conclusion. In your answer, make sure you comment on the results showed in all experimental lanes
Answer
The HPV status of the patient cannot be determined from the information provided.
Solution
a
Interpretation of gel electrophoresis results requires comparison between the patient's sample and the controls:
b
The presence of specific bands in the "HPV DNA Present" lane would indicate the presence of HPV DNA in the patient's sample
c
The absence of bands in the "HPV Absent" lane would suggest that HPV DNA is not present in the patient's sample
d
The "Positive Control" lane should show bands that confirm the gel electrophoresis worked correctly for detecting HPV DNA
e
The "Negative Control" lane should not show any bands, confirming that the absence of bands is a valid result for no HPV DNA
f
Without specific details on the bands' number, size, and intensity in each lane, a conclusion about the HPV status cannot be reached
Key Concept
Gel electrophoresis is used to separate DNA fragments by size, and the presence or absence of bands is used to determine the presence of specific DNA sequences.
Explanation
To determine the HPV status of a patient using gel electrophoresis, one must compare the patient's sample bands to those of the positive and negative controls. Without clear information on the bands, no conclusion can be made.
why the positive control is different from the HPV DNA present lane
Answer
The positive control is different from the HPV DNA present lane because it is designed to show a known reaction confirming the test's ability to detect HPV DNA when it is present.
Solution
a
Positive Control Purpose: The positive control is a sample that is known to contain HPV DNA and is used to demonstrate that the gel electrophoresis and detection methods are working properly
b
Interpretation of Results: The presence of a single band in the positive control lane indicates that the test can successfully detect HPV DNA, and it serves as a benchmark for comparing the patient's sample
c
HPV DNA Present Lane: The bands in the "HPV DNA Present" lane represent the presence of HPV DNA fragments of various sizes in the patient's samples, which may differ from the control due to variations in the HPV strains or fragment sizes
Key Concept
Positive controls in gel electrophoresis
Explanation
Positive controls are used to confirm that the experimental setup is capable of producing a positive result when HPV DNA is present, ensuring the reliability of the test.