Clinical Biochemistry
Clinical Biochemistry
Clinical Biochemistry (pronunciation: klin-i-kəl bī-ō-'ke-mə-strē) is a field of study within the medical sciences that involves the analysis of bodily fluids for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
Etymology
The term "Clinical Biochemistry" is derived from the Greek words "klinikos" meaning "bed", referring to the study's application in treating patients, and "bio" and "chemia", meaning "life" and "chemistry" respectively. This reflects the discipline's focus on the chemical processes and substances which occur and are important in organisms.
Related Terms
- Biochemistry: The branch of science concerned with the chemical and physicochemical processes and substances that occur within living organisms.
- Clinical Pathology: A medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the laboratory analysis of bodily fluids, such as blood and urine, and tissues.
- Molecular Diagnostics: A collection of techniques used to analyse biological markers in the genome and proteome.
- Clinical Laboratory: A laboratory where tests are carried out on clinical specimens to obtain information about the health of a patient.
Overview
Clinical Biochemistry, also known as Medical Biochemistry, is generally concerned with analysis of bodily fluids for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. It uses a wide range of tests, methods, and techniques for detection of disease and management of patients. It requires a deep understanding of Biochemistry, Pathology, and Medicine to determine the condition of the patient.
Clinical Biochemists often work in hospital laboratories where they perform tests on patient samples to help clinicians diagnose diseases. They also conduct research to understand the biochemical changes that result from disease processes.
Applications
Clinical Biochemistry has numerous applications in disease diagnosis and management, including:
- Metabolic Disease: Clinical Biochemistry plays a crucial role in diagnosing metabolic diseases like diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and hypothyroidism.
- Infectious Disease: It aids in the diagnosis of infectious diseases by identifying the pathogens in the patient's bodily fluids.
- Genetic Disorder: It helps in diagnosing genetic disorders by studying the patient's DNA and identifying any genetic mutations.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Clinical Biochemistry
- Wikipedia's article - Clinical Biochemistry
This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski