Pathology in Pop Culture
In the show “House M.D.,” Dr. House specializes in what medical field?
Diagnostic medicine
Alzheimer’s disease primarily affects which organ?
The brain
“Stone baby” or lithopedion refers to what rare phenomenon?
A calcified fetus retained in the abdomen
What two colors are seen in the classic H&E stain?
Purple/blue (hematoxylin) and pink (eosin)
DNA → RNA → Protein is known as what?
The Central Dogma
In CSI, the medical examiner often uses this common pathology stain when analyzing tissues.
Hematoxylin & Eosin (H&E)
Lou Gehrig’s disease is another name for what neurodegenerative disorder?
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
What condition causes patients to turn blue when exposed to cold, often called “blue people” in Kentucky?
Methemoglobinemia
Gram-negative bacteria stain what color?
Pink/red
Which macromolecule is made of glycerol and fatty acids?
Lipids (fats)
What TV forensic show popularized the phrase “follow the evidence”?
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
What syndrome, named after an Austrian pediatrician, was once considered part of the autism spectrum?
Asperger’s syndrome
What condition causes people to develop hardened, stone-like masses in their salivary glands?
Sialolithiasis
Which stain is used to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis?
Acid-fast stain (Ziehl–Neelsen)
Which blood type is the universal donor for red blood cells?
Type O negative
In Dexter, the main character works in what department of the Miami Metro Police?
Blood spatter analysis (forensics)
Cushing’s syndrome is caused by excess of what hormone?
Cortisol
What is the name for the preserved human corpses naturally mummified in bogs, found mostly in Northern Europe?
Bog bodies
What tool is used to take thin slices of tissue for slide preparation?
Microtome
What is the main difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomes (size in Svedberg units)?
Prokaryotic = 70S, Eukaryotic = 80S
In the TV show Bones, Dr. Temperance Brennan works in which field?
Forensic anthropology
Addison’s disease is caused by insufficient function of what organ?
Adrenal gland
What rare condition causes a person’s sweat to be tinted red, blue, green, or black due to pigments from bacteria or metabolic byproducts?
Chromhidrosis (or pseudochromhidrosis if due to bacteria)
What fixative is most commonly used to preserve tissue for pathology slides?
Formalin (formaldehyde solution)
During cellular respiration, how many net ATP are produced from one molecule of glucose under aerobic conditions?
About 30–32 ATP (depending on shuttle systems)