Bionics and Scientific Vocabulary Quiz

Bionics

• The application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology.

Improving Healthcare Systems in Underdeveloped Nations

• Improve infrastructure, both politically and technologically.
• Provide equipment, training, and education.

Correlation vs Causation

• Correlation: A statistical association between variables.
  • There is a relationship or pattern between two variables, but one does not necessarily cause the other.
• Causation: A change in one variable causes a change in another variable.
  • There’s a clear cause-and-effect relationship.

Scientific Vocabulary

• Hypothesis: A testable, falsifiable, and verifiable explanation of a phenomenon.
  • Based on limited observations and data.
  • Serves as a starting point for further investigation.
• Theory: A well-sustained explanation of a phenomenon repeatedly confirmed through experimentation.
  • Represents the best knowledge of the field at that time.
• Law: A description (often mathematical) of a phenomenon.
  • Doesn’t necessarily explain the "how" and "why."

Science vs Pseudoscience

• Science: Seeks to disprove a hypothesis.
• Pseudoscience: Seeks to confirm a hypothesis, often relying on positive evidence alone.

Scientific Research Design

• Population: The group of individuals you are trying to generalize your findings to.
• Sample: The group of individuals who participate in the study.
• Cases: The specific individuals participating in the study.
• Explanatory variable: The variable that is manipulated or changed by the researchers (x variable).
• Treatments: The different conditions or interventions applied to the sample.
• Outcome variable: The variable that is measured to see if there is a relationship with the explanatory variable.

Four Levels of Measurement

• N O I R (acronym)
  • Nominal: Numbers used to represent categories (e.g., jersey numbers).
  • Ordinal: Indicates more or less of an attribute, but does not specify how far apart cases are (e.g., pain scale, race positions).
  • Interval: Indicates if cases are the same or different and have more or less of an attribute; contains an arbitrary zero point (e.g., temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit).
  • Ratio: Shares the same attributes as interval but has a true zero point (e.g., bank account balance).

Bioethics

• Four Core Principles:
  • Autonomy: Patients should be informed about all risks and benefits and have the freedom to make their own decisions.
  • Justice: Equal distribution and fairness in treatment for all groups.
  • Beneficence: Act in the best interests of patients.
  • Non-maleficence: Do no harm to patients or society.

Genetic Engineering and Gene Therapy

• Genetic Engineering: The deliberate modification of an organism's genetic material.
• Gene Therapy: The transplantation of normal genes into cells to replace missing or defective genes to treat genetic disorders.

Stem Cells

• Germline cells: Cells involved in reproduction (e.g., sperm and egg).
  • Undergo meiosis, a specialized cell division process to prepare DNA for passing on.
• Somatic cells: All other types of cells in the body.
• Stem cell characteristics:
  • Self-renewal: Stem cells can replicate themselves indefinitely.
  • Differentiation: Stem cells can differentiate into different types of cells.

Materials and Tissue Engineering

• In vitro: Experiments conducted in a controlled laboratory setting, typically with cells or tissues grown in a culture dish.
• In vivo: Experiments conducted in a living organism, such as a whole animal.
• Extracellular matrix: The material that surrounds and supports cells, playing a crucial role in cell function and behavior.
• Properties of scaffolding:
  • Collagen composition: The type and amount of collagen can influence how the scaffold interacts with cells.
  • Structural support: The scaffold provides a physical framework for cells to grow and organize.
  • Instructional information: The scaffold can guide cell behavior and encourage them to develop into specific tissues.

Materials Science Concepts

• Elastic Region: The region of the stress-strain curve where the material can retain its shape after stress is removed.
• Non-elastic region: The region where the material undergoes permanent deformation and cannot return to its original shape.
• Yield Point: The point where the material transitions from elastic behavior to plastic behavior.

Human Enhancement

• Anabolic steroids: Synthetic hormones that mimic testosterone, promoting muscle growth and strength.
• Growth hormones: Hormones that stimulate cell growth and tissue repair.
• EPO (Erythropoietin) / Blood Doping: A hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells, which increases oxygen-carrying capacity.
• Beta-2 Agonists: Drugs that relax the muscles in the airways, often used to treat asthma.

Exoskeletons

• External devices that can replace or enhance function by taking load off the muscles.

Implant Goals

• Mimic the specific tissue or system it is replacing (e.g., bone, organs, muscles, skin).
• Consider physical, dimensional, and material properties.

Patent Requirements

• Novelty: The invention must be new and not exist in prior art or patents.
• Utility: The invention must have a specific, substantial, and credible use.
• Non-obviousness: The differences between the invention and existing technologies should not be obvious to an expert in the field.

Pre-Clinical Trials

• Reduce: Minimize the number of animals used in research.
• Replace: Use the lowest species possible.
• Refine: Minimize pain and suffering for animals during research.

Pharmacology

• Drug: A molecule that interacts with specific molecular components of an organism to cause biochemical and physiological changes.

Pharmacodynamics

• How drugs affect the body.
• Kd (Dissociation constant): The concentration of a ligand (drug) at which 50% of receptors are bound.
  • Lower Kd = Tighter binding: A drug with a lower Kd binds more tightly to its target receptors, requiring lower drug concentrations for effectiveness.
• Therapeutic Window: The range of drug doses that produce therapeutic effects without causing unacceptable side effects.
  • ED50 (Median effective dose): The dose that produces a therapeutic effect in 50% of individuals.
  • TD50 (Median toxic dose): The dose that produces a toxic effect in 50% of individuals.
• Therapeutic Index (TI): TI = TD50/ED50.
  • Higher TI = Larger therapeutic window: A larger therapeutic window indicates a wider margin of safety, as a greater difference exists between the effective and toxic doses.

Pharmacokinetics

• The ADME Principles (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion)
• Absorption: The process by which a drug enters the body.
  • Bioavailability: The fraction of the drug dose that reaches systemic circulation (the bloodstream).
• Distribution: The process by which a drug moves throughout the body.
  • Volume of Distribution (Vd): A measure that quantifies how much drug is distributed in the body compared to its concentration in the bloodstream.
    • High Vd: The drug has been taken up into various body compartments, potentially indicating a higher distribution to tissues.
• Metabolism: The process by which a drug is chemically changed by the body, affecting its function.
• Excretion: The process by which a drug is eliminated from the body.

Test your knowledge on bionics, healthcare improvements, and the distinctions between correlation and causation. Additionally, explore key scientific terms such as hypothesis and theory. This quiz is designed to enhance your understanding of these concepts in engineering and science.