urine uses Flashcards
What hormone is tested for in a pregnancy test, and where is it found? (2)
hCG, Which is found in the urine of pregnant women
What happens when urine is applied to the application area of a pregnancy test? (2)
- The hCG binds to monoclonal antibodies attached to blue beads,
- Forming an antigen-antibody complex
How does the test strip of a pregnancy test turn blue? (3)
- If hCG is present,
- It binds to immobilised antibodies on the test strip,
- Concentrating the blue beads and turning the strip blue
What happens if a woman is not pregnant during a pregnancy test? (3)
- No hCG is present,
- So the urine passes through the test strip without binding,
- The test strip does not turn blue
What are anabolic steroids, and why are athletes tested for them? (3)
- Anabolic steroids build muscle tissue,
- But they have dangerous side effects (e.g., liver failure),
- Are unfair to other athletes
What testing method is used for detecting anabolic steroids in athletes’ urine? (2)
Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS)
How does gas chromatography work in steroid testing? (2)
- The urine sample is vaporised and passed through a polymer column,
- Where substances are separated based on their movement speed
How does mass spectrometry work in detecting anabolic steroids? (2)
- Converts substances into ions and separates them based on mass and charge,
- A computer compares the results with known substances
How are recreational drugs detected using a urine test strip? (2)
- Test strip contains antibodies that bind to the drug being tested (e.g., cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine),
- A colour change occurs if the drug is present
What happens if a urine test for recreational drugs shows a positive result? (2)
- The urine sample is sent for further testing using GC/MS,
- To confirm which drugs were taken
