PLTW - MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS FINAL CERTIFICATION
SCRIPT 2026 QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
● What is a medical intervention?. Answer: Any measure whose purpose is to improve health
or alter the course of a disease
● What are the main categories of interventions that function to maintain human health?.
Answer: Treatments, Diagnostics and Equipment
● How do scientists gather evidence during the potential outbreak of an infectious disease?.
Answer: 1. Record patient's symptoms and find similarities with other patients 2. Isolate the
bacteria in a lab 3. Go to affected areas and determine the origin of the disease 4. Identify the
disease using DNA sequencing since pathogens alter certain DNA sequences
● What is bioinformatics?. Answer: The collection, classification, storage, and analysis of
biochemical and biological information using computers. (Especially applied in molecular
genetics and genomics)
● How can DNA sequences be used to identify disease pathogens?. Answer: You can
observe mutations and abnormalities that disease pathogens have
● What is an antibody?. Answer: A blood protein in the body produced by B-cells
(B-Lymphocytes) that fight against a foreign substance by recognizing a specific part of it.
● How do antibodies identify and inactivate antigens?. Answer: 1. Shape recognition 2.
Proteins of the antigens are configured to specific antibodies, so the foreign antigens bind to
the specific antibodies that inactivate them
● How can the ELISA assay be used to detect disease?. Answer: 1. Primary antibodies
attach to specific antigen 2. Secondary antibody attaches to primary antibody 3. When
enzyme substrate is added, color change occurs
● Why is it important for doctors to know the concentration of the disease antigen present in a
patient's system?. Answer: Higher concentration = closer to patient zero
● Patient Zero. Answer: The first person to be infected with a particular disease
● What steps do scientists take to diagnose, treat, and prevent future spread of a disease
outbreak?. Answer: 1. Record the symptoms 2. Locate the origin of the pathogen 3. Run tests
, to determine antibodies and antigens 4. Take preventative measures (quarantine, wash
hands often, etc.)
● How were the following used in managing the outbreak on Sue Smith's campus: PCR,
Bioinformatics/BLAST, and ELISA?. Answer: These tests determine the concentration of the
disease, which lead to the source of the outbreak
● Which part of the bacterial cell allows the bacteria to attach to specific surfaces?. Answer:
Adhesins, or cell-surface components/appendages of the bacteria that facilitate attachment to
other cells or surfaces
● Which bacterial structure is involved with protein synthesis?. Answer: rRNA, tRNA, and
mRNA (Ribosomal, Transfer, Messenger)
● What is an endotoxin?. Answer: A toxin that is inherently present inside a bacterial cell
● What is the structural difference between Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria?.
Answer: Gram positive: •Purple •Thick cell wall Gram negative: •Pink •Thin cell wall
● How do antibiotics work to fight bacteria?. Answer: •Inhibit the cell wall •Stop bacteria from
reproducing/sharing resistant DNA
● Penicillin. Answer: An antibiotic that penetrates and destroys the cell wall of gram negative
bacteria
● Tetracycline. Answer: An antibiotic that inhibits protein synthesis (reproduction) of mostly
gram positive, but some gram negative bacteria
● Fluoroquinolones. Answer: An antibiotic that inhibits the DNA gyrase of gram negative
bacteria
● Sulfa Antibiotics. Answer: An antibiotic that inhibits folic acid synthesis and growth of gram
positive and negative bacteria
● Folic Acid. Answer: Vitamin that helps the organism produce and maintain healthy cells
● Efflux. Answer: Transport of a solute molecule from the inside to the outside of a cell
● Destruction/Inactivation. Answer: Exchange enzymes that chemically degrade the antibiotic
(How some bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics)
● Mutation. Answer: A change in a gene or chromosome.
SCRIPT 2026 QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
● What is a medical intervention?. Answer: Any measure whose purpose is to improve health
or alter the course of a disease
● What are the main categories of interventions that function to maintain human health?.
Answer: Treatments, Diagnostics and Equipment
● How do scientists gather evidence during the potential outbreak of an infectious disease?.
Answer: 1. Record patient's symptoms and find similarities with other patients 2. Isolate the
bacteria in a lab 3. Go to affected areas and determine the origin of the disease 4. Identify the
disease using DNA sequencing since pathogens alter certain DNA sequences
● What is bioinformatics?. Answer: The collection, classification, storage, and analysis of
biochemical and biological information using computers. (Especially applied in molecular
genetics and genomics)
● How can DNA sequences be used to identify disease pathogens?. Answer: You can
observe mutations and abnormalities that disease pathogens have
● What is an antibody?. Answer: A blood protein in the body produced by B-cells
(B-Lymphocytes) that fight against a foreign substance by recognizing a specific part of it.
● How do antibodies identify and inactivate antigens?. Answer: 1. Shape recognition 2.
Proteins of the antigens are configured to specific antibodies, so the foreign antigens bind to
the specific antibodies that inactivate them
● How can the ELISA assay be used to detect disease?. Answer: 1. Primary antibodies
attach to specific antigen 2. Secondary antibody attaches to primary antibody 3. When
enzyme substrate is added, color change occurs
● Why is it important for doctors to know the concentration of the disease antigen present in a
patient's system?. Answer: Higher concentration = closer to patient zero
● Patient Zero. Answer: The first person to be infected with a particular disease
● What steps do scientists take to diagnose, treat, and prevent future spread of a disease
outbreak?. Answer: 1. Record the symptoms 2. Locate the origin of the pathogen 3. Run tests
, to determine antibodies and antigens 4. Take preventative measures (quarantine, wash
hands often, etc.)
● How were the following used in managing the outbreak on Sue Smith's campus: PCR,
Bioinformatics/BLAST, and ELISA?. Answer: These tests determine the concentration of the
disease, which lead to the source of the outbreak
● Which part of the bacterial cell allows the bacteria to attach to specific surfaces?. Answer:
Adhesins, or cell-surface components/appendages of the bacteria that facilitate attachment to
other cells or surfaces
● Which bacterial structure is involved with protein synthesis?. Answer: rRNA, tRNA, and
mRNA (Ribosomal, Transfer, Messenger)
● What is an endotoxin?. Answer: A toxin that is inherently present inside a bacterial cell
● What is the structural difference between Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria?.
Answer: Gram positive: •Purple •Thick cell wall Gram negative: •Pink •Thin cell wall
● How do antibiotics work to fight bacteria?. Answer: •Inhibit the cell wall •Stop bacteria from
reproducing/sharing resistant DNA
● Penicillin. Answer: An antibiotic that penetrates and destroys the cell wall of gram negative
bacteria
● Tetracycline. Answer: An antibiotic that inhibits protein synthesis (reproduction) of mostly
gram positive, but some gram negative bacteria
● Fluoroquinolones. Answer: An antibiotic that inhibits the DNA gyrase of gram negative
bacteria
● Sulfa Antibiotics. Answer: An antibiotic that inhibits folic acid synthesis and growth of gram
positive and negative bacteria
● Folic Acid. Answer: Vitamin that helps the organism produce and maintain healthy cells
● Efflux. Answer: Transport of a solute molecule from the inside to the outside of a cell
● Destruction/Inactivation. Answer: Exchange enzymes that chemically degrade the antibiotic
(How some bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics)
● Mutation. Answer: A change in a gene or chromosome.
