Assay

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Assay

An assay is an investigative procedure in laboratory medicine, pharmacology, environmental biology, and molecular biology for qualitatively assessing or quantitatively measuring the presence, amount, or functional activity of a target entity (the analyte). The analyte can be a drug, a biochemical substance, or a cell in an organism or organic sample.

Types of Assays[edit | edit source]

Assays can be broadly categorized into several types based on their purpose and methodology:

Biochemical Assays[edit | edit source]

Biochemical assays are used to measure the concentration or activity of a biochemical substance. These include:

Cell-based Assays[edit | edit source]

Cell-based assays are used to measure cellular responses to stimuli. These include:

Molecular Assays[edit | edit source]

Molecular assays are used to detect specific sequences in DNA or RNA. These include:

Environmental Assays[edit | edit source]

Environmental assays are used to detect and quantify pollutants or other environmental factors. These include:

Applications[edit | edit source]

Assays are crucial in various fields:

Procedure[edit | edit source]

The procedure of an assay typically involves the following steps: 1. Sample collection 2. Sample preparation 3. Reaction setup 4. Detection and measurement 5. Data analysis

Related Pages[edit | edit source]

Categories[edit | edit source]


Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD