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What is a Biochip?| Real Life Examples

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A biochip is a small-scale used to examine organic compounds found in living organisms.
A biochip is a miniature laboratory that can execute hundreds of biological operations at the same time. It is a collection of micro-test sites or microarrays organized on the surface of a solid substrate and is designed to execute many tests at the same time in order to achieve higher speed and throughput.

A biochip is similar to a computer chip, except instead of conducting a plethora of mathematical operations per second, it conducts biological processes such as gene decoding and contaminant detection in a matter of seconds.

The core of the biochip is its sensors, which might vary depending on the type of biochip. Biochips are available for pH monitoring, oxygen detection, genetic decoders, and a wide range of other applications. The microarray, a two-dimensional grid of biosensors, is the most important component of a biochip.

These sensors are mounted on a flat substrate that can be passive (doesn’t do anything) or active (does something) (assists the sensor in signal transduction via electrical or electromechanical components).
A biochip is not the same as a microchip. A microchip is an integrated circuit; a microprocessor is a microprocessor, whereas a biochip is (computing) a microchip built from biological macromolecules (particularly DNA) rather than a semiconductor.

Biochip in Simple Words

A biochip is a tiny device that has lots of very small and special things called molecules on it. These molecules can recognize and stick to other molecules that are found in our body, like those in our blood or tissue. Scientists use biochips to quickly and easily see what kind of molecules are in a sample, which can help them understand things like diseases or genetic traits. It’s like having a tiny and very smart assistant that helps scientists with their work!

Real-Life Examples of Biochips

  1. Medical Diagnostics: Biochips are used to detect and diagnose a variety of diseases, such as cancer, HIV, and genetic disorders. They can identify specific molecules or biomarkers that indicate the presence of a disease, making diagnosis faster and more accurate.
  2. Drug Development: Biochips are used to test new drugs for safety and effectiveness. They can simulate how drugs interact with cells and tissues, allowing researchers to quickly screen and identify promising candidates.
  3. Environmental Monitoring: Biochips are used to detect and monitor pollutants and contaminants in the environment. They can detect specific toxins or pathogens in water, air, or soil, helping to prevent and control environmental disasters.
  4. Agriculture: Biochips are used in agriculture to detect and diagnose plant diseases, identify genetic traits, and improve crop yield. They can help farmers identify which plants are resistant to certain pests or diseases, allowing for more efficient and effective farming practices.
  5. Forensics: Biochips are used in forensic science to analyze DNA and other biological evidence. They can help identify suspects in criminal investigations or confirm the identity of unknown victims.

Working of Biochip

  1. A biochip has many tiny spots on its surface, called probes.
  2. Each probe is made to recognize a specific molecule or biomarker in a biological sample.
  3. When a biological sample is placed on the biochip, the probes on the chip will bind to their corresponding molecules in the sample.
  4. The biochip uses a special detection method, like fluorescence or electrical signals, to detect which probes have bound to their targets.
  5. This information is analyzed by a computer, which can identify which molecules or biomarkers are present in the sample.
  6. By comparing the results to a known database of targets, researchers can determine what the sample contains and whether it indicates the presence of a disease or other condition.
  7. Overall, the biochip’s probes act like very tiny detectives, searching for specific molecules in a sample and reporting back to a computer for analysis. This makes it a fast, accurate, and reliable way to analyze biological samples and diagnose diseases.

Summary

  • A biochip conducts biological processes such as gene decoding and contaminant detection in a matter of seconds.
  • Toxicological, protein and biochemical studies are all using biochips.
  • Biochips can also be used to identify chemical compounds used in biological warfare quickly, allowing defensive actions to be implemented.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a compiler in programming?

A compiler is a process that converts high-level programming language source code to low-level machine language.

2. What is the Googlebot called?

Googlebot is a generic name for Google’s web crawler. Googlebot is the umbrella term for two sorts of crawlers: a desktop crawler that mimics a desktop user and a mobile crawler that simulates a mobile device user.

3. Biochip in simple words?

A biochip is a small-scale device that is used to study organic chemicals present in live organisms.
In simple words, a biochip is a small laboratory that can perform hundreds of biological activities concurrently. It is a collection of micro-test sites or microarrays arranged on the surface of a solid substrate that is meant to run many tests at once in order to achieve increased speed and throughput.

4. What Does Decompile Mean?

Decompilation is the process of transforming machine-readable code into human-readable source code that retains the original code’s functionality. The opposite of compiling is decompiling.

5. What does the concept of provisioning mean?

The process of making IT resources, data, and other technical services available to users and customers is known as provisioning. It’s a broad term that encompasses a wide range of services, the most significant of which is initial service setup.

6. How does the concept of brainstorming work?

Brainstorming is a group activity in which each member expresses their ideas as they arise. Ideas are classified and graded at the end of the session for further action.

7. What is the concept of canonical in computer sciences?

Canonical refers to an attribute’s standard state or behaviour in computer science. This term is derived from mathematics and is used to denote unique and/or natural concepts.

8. What is meant by the Internet of Things?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a computer concept that aims to turn our physical environment into a complex and dynamic network of linked objects on a massive scale. In other terms, the Internet of Things refers to physical items equipped with sensors, computing power, software, and other technologies that communicate with and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet or other communication networks.

9. Define alliteration?

Alliteration (also known as head rhyme, start rhyme, or front rhyme) is a linguistic method in which a string of words or phrases uses the same letter or letter combinations over and over. ‘Tasty tacos,’ for example, is an alliteration, but ‘thirty typists,’ is not since the letters ‘th’ and ‘ty’ do not sound the same.

10. Is Python a compiler?

Python is an interpreted language, which means that a Python program’s source code is translated into bytecode before being run by the Python virtual machine. Python differs from major compiled languages such as C and C + + in that Python code does not need to be produced and linked in the same way that code for these languages does.

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Umair Javaid, PhD Student
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