School of Life and Health Sciences BY3BC1: Medical Biochemistry Final Year Summer Examination CLOSED BOOK ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS. 1. Describe the best practice for providing blood samples for analysis in a biochemistry laboratory with particular reference to the different tubes and sampling sites (70% of the marks). For two sample types other than blood, name two tests that are commonly performed in a biochemistry laboratory. Explain why these samples would be used instead of blood (30% of the marks). 2. Describe briefly the main categories of jaundice and give examples of specific circumstances under which jaundice can occur (30% of the marks). Discuss the extent to which biochemical tests can be used to diagnose the primary cause of jaundice (70% of the marks). 3. Discuss the principles of using serum enzymes and other proteins as biomarkers. Discuss the importance of reference ranges and describe the characteristics of an ideal biomarker (50% of the marks). Critically discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of using serum creatinine, creatinine clearance or a formulaic approach to assessing renal glomerular function (50% of the marks). 4. Describe the main forms in which lipoproteins appear in serum and explain their function (40% of the marks). Discuss the changes which take place in serum lipoproteins as a consequence of lipid disorders and explain how these disorders may be diagnosed and treated (60% of the marks). END OF QUESTION PAPER