Specificity vs sensitivity
Fri, Sep 25, 2026 · Week 5 · Genetics of Disease (Medical Interventions)
Today's goal: Distinguish specificity from sensitivity and use your ELISA results to discuss how good the test is.
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.
Definitions: sensitivity catches true positives (sick people who test positive); specificity avoids false positives (healthy people who test positive).
Reliability judgment: because my positive control turned color and my negative control stayed clear, I trust this run's specificity, and the one odd result looks like a sensitivity issue (a known-positive sample that read weak), not contamination.
| Actually sick | Actually healthy | |
|---|---|---|
| Test positive | True positive | False positive |
| Test negative | False negative | True negative |
This model shows the level of evidence and organization needed to complete: A two-by-two table sorting ELISA results into true and false positives and negatives, with a one-sentence judgment of the run's reliability that cites the controls.
- Name the variables and include units.
- Enter observations without changing the raw values.
- Check labels, calculations, and patterns before interpreting the data.
Keep the structure. Replace the question, facts, measurements, and evidence. Then recheck units, vocabulary, and whether the conclusion goes beyond the evidence.
Also due today: Bring to Friday's report writing session; include in the lab report.
Turn in: 2x2 classification table
Go to Schoology to turn this in.
Submit one PDF. Put your first and last name in the document header. Name the file: FirstName LastName - Assignment Title - YYYY-MM-DD.pdf.
Open Schoology PDF upload helpIf you cannot get in, see Mr. Mendoza. Do not skip the work.
Claim ceiling: Today's evidence supports a classroom claim about specificity vs sensitivity. It cannot prove causation, diagnose a real patient, or justify action outside this room.
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.
It builds this reusable test skill: Distinguishing sensitivity from specificity.
- Name the concept or data pattern being tested.
- Cross out choices that violate that rule or the evidence.
- Justify the best remaining choice before checking the answer.