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Understanding Biomedical Research and Evidence Evaluation Study Guide

This guide covers the essential concepts of cellular biology, including the structure and function of DNA and proteins, the mechanisms of transcription and translation, the stages and regulation of the cell cycle, and the processes of cell differentiation and programmed cell death (apoptosis). It also explains cell signaling pathways and the implications of disruptions in these processes, such as cancer.

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Cellular Processes, Central Dogma, and Division

The Profile of a Cell

The central dogma describes the flow of information in a cell from DNA to RNA to proteins through transcription and translation.

  • Central Dogma
  • Transcription
  • Translation
  • DNA structure
  • Deoxyribonucleic acid
  • RNA
  • Nucleotides
  • Complementary base pairing
  • Antiparallel strands
  • DNA polymerase
  • Chromosomes
  • Autosomes
  • Sex chromosomes
  • Diploid
  • Homologous chromosomes
  • Genes
  • Alleles
  • RNA polymerase
  • Promoter
  • TATA box

Protein Function, Cell Cycle, and Differentiation

Proteins perform various functions including catalysis and signaling, while the cell cycle regulates growth, DNA synthesis, and differentiation through checkpoints and mitosis.

  • Protein structure and function
  • Human genome
  • Cell cycle phases
  • Interphase
  • Mitosis
  • DNA synthesis
  • Cytokinesis
  • Cell cycle checkpoints
  • Cell differentiation
  • Stem cells
  • Cancer and molecular lesions
  • Apoptosis
  • Cell signaling pathways
  • Signal transduction
  • Mitogenic signaling

Dissecting The Central Dogma

Genetic information is stored in DNA and transcribed into RNA to facilitate the translation of amino acids into functional proteins.

  • DNA and RNA structure
  • Transcription
  • RNA polymerase
  • Promoter and transcription terminator
  • TATA box and transcription factors
  • Translation
  • Codons
  • Amino acids
  • Protein structure and function
  • Human genome and non-coding genome

Cell Division, Differentiation, and Communication

How cells divide, differentiate, communicate and die through the cell cycle and the central dogma.

  • central dogma
  • cell cycle
  • cell division
  • cell differentiation
  • apoptosis
  • interphase
  • mitosis
  • DNA synthesis
  • DNA replication
  • DNA polymerase
  • cell cycle checkpoints
  • cell communication

Stem Cell Strategies and Cancer Hierarchy

Stem cells utilize asymmetric division to achieve self-renewal and differentiation in tissues like the intestine and blood, while cancer stem cells drive tumor growth.

  • Asymmetric division
  • Self-renewal
  • Differentiation
  • Intestinal villi
  • Epithelial cells
  • Bone marrow
  • Cancer stem cells
  • Tumour cells
  • Transit amplifying cells

Cell Division, Communication, and Apoptosis

Cells communicate via chemical signals and signaling pathways to regulate cell growth, division, differentiation, and programmed cell death known as apoptosis.

  • Apoptosis
  • Cell communication
  • Signaling pathway
  • Signaling transduction
  • Mitogenic signaling
  • Epidermal growth factor
  • Epidermal growth factor receptor
  • RAS molecule
  • MAP kinase
  • Interphase
  • Cell cycle checkpoints
  • Cell differentiation

Biomedical Research Methods and Evidence Evaluation

Biomedical Research Methods and Clinical Trials

Biomedical research involves understanding human functioning through various study designs including in vitro, in vivo, case reports, case-control studies, cohort studies, and clinical trials.

  • Biomedical research levels
  • Peer reviewing
  • Hypothesis creation
  • In vitro studies
  • In vivo animal models
  • Case reports
  • Case series
  • Case-control studies
  • Cohort studies
  • Clinical trial phases
  • Randomized controlled studies
  • Systematic reviews
  • Meta-analysis

Evaluating Biomedical Research and Evidence

Evaluating the credibility of health news reports and understanding the hierarchy of biomedical research including in vitro experiments, animal models, case reports, case-control studies, randomized controlled studies, and systematic reviews.

  • Credibility of health news sources
  • Biomedical research definition
  • In vitro experiments
  • Animal or in vivo experiments
  • Case reports and case series
  • Case-control studies
  • Randomized controlled studies
  • Systematic reviews and meta-analysis
  • Hierarchy of evidence

Evaluating Health and Medical Reports

Examine health news stories for source credibility, unjustifiable sensational language, and scientific evidence including level of evidence and study limitations.

  • source credibility
  • sensational language
  • level of evidence
  • limitations of evidence
  • clinical relevance
  • biomedical research
  • peer-reviewed articles
  • PubMed
  • randomized controlled studies
  • systematic reviews
  • meta-analysis
  • case report/series
  • case-control studies
  • cohort studies
  • clinical trials
  • in vitro
  • in vivo

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