PLTW Medical Detectives Practice Exam

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• What is herd immunity?
• The term for a structured approach to planning experiments to investigate scientific questions is?
• The structure that connects the brain and spinal cord and coordinates all brain input and output messages, including vital signs such as heartbeat and breathing, is:
• A microscopic organism such as a bacterium, virus, or fungus is called what?
• A careful plan for conducting experiments to investigate scientific questions is known as?
• Which brain structure carries messages from sensory organs such as the eyes and ears to the cerebrum?
• Which term describes a localized damaged area within tissue, often detectable on imaging?
• What is tachycardia?
• Diseases of the brain, spine, and nerves are collectively known as?
• What is the primary purpose of a medical examiner's autopsy in a death investigation?
• Which professional specializes in cancer care?
• How do photographs and scene documentation support evidence preservation?
• What is algor mortis and its relevance in a death investigation?
• What are the four main parts of each cerebral hemisphere?
• What term describes an area of tissue that has suffered damage from injury or disease?
• Which action best preserves the integrity of evidence from the scene to the courtroom?
• During an outbreak investigation, which step helps determine whether an outbreak is actually occurring?
• What does PCR stand for and what is its basic purpose?
• What is gel electrophoresis used for in DNA analysis?
• The structure in front of the brain that receives information about smells from the nose and sends signals to the temporal lobe is:
• What is the field of science that studies microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses?
• Which professional monitors population health and looks for patterns in disease?
• Which term describes a clinical provider who is not a physician but has specialized education and licensure to provide some healthcare services and prescribe medications?
• A chemical that kills bacteria or slows their growth without harming body cells is called what?
• A central nervous system disorder characterized by convulsions is known as which?
• Which statement accurately describes mean, median, and mode?
• What best characterizes a descriptive study in epidemiology?
• Which condition results from rupture or obstruction of a brain vessel and causes sudden loss of consciousness and function?
• In an experiment, the variable that is observed and measured to assess the effect is the?
• DNA fingerprinting is used in forensics to:
• Which area is responsible for conscious perception (understanding) of sound?
• What is a toxicology report used for in death investigations?
• Incidence and prevalence measure what differences?
• Which disease involves the central nervous system and presents with seizures?
• What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative data in lab results?
• What is a basic method of estimating blood loss during an autopsy?
• What does the term cardiovascular refer to?
• What is an evidence log?
• In skewed distributions, which measure is least affected by outliers?
• What best describes a case definition in outbreak investigations?
• What is the most anterior part of the brain, consisting of two hemispheres and responsible for reasoning, planning, memory, and conscious thought?
• Which region processes sensory input signals like touch, pressure, vibration, pain, temperature, and taste?
• Which structure is primarily involved in interpreting visual information?
• What does PPE stand for in workplace safety?
• How is a syndrome defined in medical terminology?
• Which region processes sensory input signals like touch, pressure, vibration, pain, temperature, and taste?
• Which method is used to estimate blood loss during an autopsy?
• The site where chemical communication occurs between neurons is what?
• Which of the following defines an outbreak in epidemiology?
• What is the long extension from a nerve cell along which signals travel?
• The gap between the branches extending from a neuron's axon that sends a signal to the next neuron is called?
• What is rigor mortis and how is it useful in time-of-death estimation?
• What is hypoxia?
• Sensory neurons are responsible for receiving external stimuli and passing signals to the central nervous system. Which of the following best matches their role?
• Which condition is defined by insufficient production of insulin leading to impaired sugar metabolism?
• Which imaging technique uses a series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles and processed into a slice of the body?
• Which brain region contains the auditory cortex and olfactory bulbs & tracts?
• Which statement correctly maps each term to its purpose?
• Which condition occurs when blood flow to part of the heart muscle is blocked, causing heart cells to die?
• The pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of blood vessels is called?
• Which component conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body?
• In an experiment, the standard that is used for comparison is called what?
• In medical terminology, etiology refers to...
• Which term describes having knowledge of and being aware?
• A disorder of the central nervous system causing recurrent seizures is called what?
• Which procedure withdraws cerebrospinal fluid for analysis?
• Which neurological disorder is characterized by repeated seizures?
• Which disorder is a central nervous system condition causing frequent seizures?
• Tiny infectious agents that can only multiply when they are inside a host are called what?
• Which physician is trained to provide immediate treatment for traumatic injury or acute illness?
• Which neurons carry signals from the brain or spinal cord to muscles or glands?
• A condition in which the body is unable to produce enough insulin, the hormone required for the metabolism of sugar. What is the name of this condition?
• Which condition is primarily defined by the presence of frequent seizures?
• Respiratory rate is best described as the number of breaths per minute. Which option states this correctly?
• The gelatinous substance that provides the proper nutritional environment to promote the growth of microorganisms.
• Which term refers to measurements indicating the state of a patient's essential body functions?
• The process of identifying an illness or problem by examining medical evidence is known as what?
• Which region of the brain controls voluntary muscle movement?
• In a dataset with one extreme high value, which statistic is least affected by that outlier?
• Something that has truth, strong logic, or fact is called?
• Which nervous system component is responsible for processing information and coordinating activity, including the brain and spinal cord?
• In outbreak investigations, which rate links illness to exposure to a food item?
• Which term identifies an abnormal growth of tissue that may be malignant?
• Which medical specialist treats disorders of the nervous system?
• Which condition results when the body cannot produce enough insulin?
• Which imaging modality is described as a computer-assisted series of X-ray slices through the body?
• The hormone insulin is essential for sugar metabolism; deficiency leads to which disease?
• A statement that serves as an educated guess about how things work is called what?
• Single-celled organisms that do not rely on a host are called what?
• A medical practitioner specializing in children and their diseases.
• A descriptive study primarily aims to describe which aspects?
• A branch extending from a neuron that receives signals from another neuron through a synapse is called?
• What is a biopsy?
• Which disease process involves uncontrolled cell growth that can damage tissues?
• What is homeostasis?
• In testing, which group is expected to produce a positive result?
• In toxicology, which describes a presumptive test?
• Which statistic represents the middle value in ordered data?
• If the insulation around an axon (myelin) is damaged, what effect is most likely?
• Which specialist focuses on heart conditions and diseases?
• Organisms such as yeasts or molds that reproduce quickly in moist environments are called what?
• What term refers to an abnormal growth of tissue that can be cancerous or noncancerous?
• The variable that is measured and affected by the changed variable is called the?
• In testing, which group is expected to produce a negative result?
• A chemical that kills bacteria or slows their growth without harming body cells is called what?
• An epidemic curve is most useful for understanding which aspect of an outbreak?
• Which statement defines perimortem injury?
• In diagnostic testing, which statement best defines specificity?
• Which lobes function to sense touch, spatial processing, language, and memory?
• In which condition is insulin production insufficient, affecting sugar metabolism?
• In an experiment, which group is expected to yield no positive result under the tested conditions?
• Which statement best describes aerobic respiration?
• Which term refers to something that has truth, strong logic, or fact?
• Which statement best defines the cardiovascular system?
• Which type of neuron transmits signals from the central nervous system to muscles or glands?
• In an outbreak investigation, which statement lists the core steps?
• In significance testing, a p-value below the chosen alpha indicates:
• What is defined as the beat of the heart as felt through the walls of the arteries?
• What term refers to specialized clothing or equipment worn for protection against infectious materials?
• What is the basic building block of the nervous system?
• What distinguishes correlation from causation?
• What is the slowly progressive decline in mental abilities, including memory and judgment, often accompanied by personality changes?
• What imaging technique uses radio waves and a very strong magnetic field to produce images of soft tissue?
• What is a calibration curve and why is it used?
• What term describes the ratio of people who ate a specific food and became ill to all people who ate that food?
• Which diagnostic test involves sampling cerebrospinal fluid for laboratory analysis?
• What is spectrophotometry used for in a forensic lab?
• What type of toxin primarily affects the nervous system?
• Tiny infectious agents that can only multiply when they are inside a host are called what?
• Which lobes are involved in planning, initiated movements, social and emotional processing, and attention, as well as memory retrieval and storage?
• In an autopsy, what is a perimortem injury?
• A region below the thalamus that controls body temperature, thirst, appetite, and sleep patterns is:
• What is chain of custody and why is it important in forensic investigations?
• A scientific procedure to make a discovery, test a hypothesis, or demonstrate a known fact is called?
• What fatty substance surrounds the axon and increases the speed at which signals travel?
• Which structure is primarily responsible for processing smells and transmitting that information to the temporal lobe?
• Which gland is considered the master regulator of endocrine activity?
• What is livor mortis and its forensic significance?
• Which region is involved in processing visual input and enabling interpretation of what is seen?
• In lab results, which type of data is used to determine exactly how much of a substance is present?
• What is the purpose of documenting chain of custody in evidence handling?
• Why is data visualization important in medical detective work?
• Signs of disease or injury are known as what?
• Which medical professional interprets medical images to diagnose and treat diseases or injuries?
• What is the primary reason large samples improve data interpretation?
• What is the purpose of a control chart in process monitoring?
• What is a bundle of neurons called?
• Which part of the nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord?
• Which statement best describes energy yield comparison between aerobic and anaerobic respiration?
• Which lobes are described as responsible for sensing touch, spatial processing, language, and memory?
• Aka "little brain" and responsible for balance, movement, and coordination is:
• Which statement correctly describes qualitative data in lab results?
• Which brain region is described as having roles in behavior and personality, planning, initiated movements, social and emotional processing, and attention, as well as memory retrieval and storage?
• Which brain structure serves as the relay station for sensory information en route to the cerebral cortex?
• In diagnostic testing, which statement best defines sensitivity?
• Which term describes the amount of heat that the body produces and releases?
• A factor such as a microorganism or a chemical substance that can impact the development of a disease is called what?
• Which statement about the term 'syndrome' is correct?
• When interpreting a bar graph of symptom frequency, which elements should you compare to assess how often a symptom occurs across groups?
• Which statement describes etiology in medicine?
• What is the measure describing the frequency and speed of spread of disease in a population at risk?
• A patient has difficulty carrying out planned movements but can sense touch normally. Which brain region might be involved?
• What is the difference between pathogens and commensals?
• Which statement correctly contrasts incidence and prevalence?
• What is a reservoir in infectious disease?
• Which statement describes a biopsy procedure?
• Which technique is primarily used to separate DNA fragments by size in forensic analysis?
• A person who studies microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses is called a
• An outlier is best described as:
• Which part of the nervous system includes nerves and is not part of the brain and spinal cord?
• In an experiment, the variable that is the cause and is intentionally changed is called the?
• A toxicology report in a death investigation is used to detect what?
• What is the purpose of contact tracing?
• Which tiny organ acts as the primary gland and produces hormones that regulate growth, metabolism, digestion, sexual maturity, and stress response?
• What is the purpose of a control in an experiment?
• What is the purpose of a case definition in an outbreak investigation?
• The variable that is manipulated or changed in an experiment is known as the?
• What is the primary role of the immune system?
• Which disease is primarily associated with insulin and glucose metabolism?
• What type of toxin primarily affects the nervous system?
• Chemicals that assist in passing a signal through the synapse are called?
• What is the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them?
• Which condition is caused by inadequate insulin production?
• Which statement correctly differentiates cause of death from manner of death?
• A disease characterized by uncontrolled growth and division of body cells.
• The identification of an illness or other problem by examination of the medical evidence is called what?
• Which body fluid surrounds the brain and spinal cord and is analyzed in a spinal tap?
• Which statement correctly describes sensory and motor neurons?
• In significance testing, what does a p-value indicate?
• Which structure connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres and carries messages between them?
• Organisms such as yeasts or molds that reproduce quickly in moist, humid environments are called what?
• Which statement about the trade-off between sensitivity and specificity in a diagnostic test?
• What does hemorrhage mean?
• Which term describes the practices and procedures to prevent contamination from pathogens?
• Which term describes a factor such as a microorganism or a chemical substance that can impact the development of a disease or illness?
• What is a presumptive test in toxicology?
• The region of the brain that receives and processes sensory input from the eyes is:
• What term describes a disease associated with the body's inability to produce enough insulin?
• Which postmortem change is most useful for estimating the body’s position at death?
• Which condition is defined by frequent seizures due to abnormal brain activity?
• Which term best describes the set of measurements indicating the body's essential functions?
• What does an epidemic curve (epicurve) illustrate?
• Which structure relays visual information from the eyes to the visual cortex?
• Which brain region is associated with hearing, smell, visual memory, and language?
• What test measures how fast electrical signals travel through a nerve?
• What term describes the right and left halves of the cerebrum?
• Which brain region is commonly associated with balance and coordination?
• Which area is the primary relay for visual information from the retina to the brain?
• Which term describes clothing and equipment worn to protect against infectious materials?
• What diagnostic test records electrical activity of muscles, often using a fine needle?