Question

question 50
microarrays are a powerful diagnostic tool because _____.
a a patient sample can be simultaneously tested for potentially thousands of suspected agents in the realm of the afflicting disease
b analysis of the pathogens genome can be performed and the gene sequences compared to suspected pathogens
c pcr can be performed rapidly and the dna matched against known gene sequence
d ribosomal rna can be isolated, sequenced, and analyzed with speed and accuracy
you reached the end of the assessment and still have unanswered questions. do you want to review them before submitting?

Explanation:

Microarrays are used for high - throughput analysis. Option A is correct because microarrays allow simultaneous testing of a patient sample for thousands of suspected disease - causing agents. Option B is about genome analysis of pathogens, which is not the main strength of microarrays (microarrays are more about parallel testing of multiple agents). Option C is about PCR, which is a different technique from microarrays. Option D is about ribosomal RNA isolation and sequencing, which is not the primary function of microarrays.

Answer:

A. a patient sample can be simultaneously tested for potentially thousands of suspected agents in the realm of the afflicting disease