Intervention inventory
Wed, Sep 2, 2026 · Week 2 · Genetics of Disease (Medical Interventions)
Today's goal: Build a starter list of medical interventions and sort them so you can see the landscape of this course.
What a finished product looks like
This is a model of the work you should turn in today. Use it to check your own: match the structure and the level of detail, do not copy it. Your data and wording should be your own.
Prevention (stop disease from starting):
- Vaccines: train the immune system before exposure.
- Hand washing and sanitation: lower how often pathogens spread.
- Sunscreen: reduce skin cancer risk.
Diagnosis (identify what is wrong):
- ELISA blood test: detect a specific antibody or antigen.
- DNA sequencing and BLAST: identify an unknown organism by its genes.
- Microarray: scan many genes at once for cancer markers.
Treatment (fight or manage the disease):
- Antibiotics: kill or stop bacteria.
- Chemotherapy: target fast-dividing cancer cells.
- Dialysis: do the work of failing kidneys.
Prediction: I think we study diagnosis first, because you have to know what is wrong before you can prevent or treat it. (One I was unsure about: gene therapy, marked with a question mark, since it can both treat and prevent.)
Also due today: Keep in your notebook and bring it Friday for portfolio upload.
WebXam problem for today's skill
One exam-style question that uses exactly what you practiced today. Try it before you reveal the answer, then read why each choice is right or wrong.
Tap an answer to see the full explanation. Nothing is recorded or graded.