Edexcel Level 3 BTEC Nationals in Health and Social Care

UNIT 16: SCIENCE IN PRACTICE FOR HEALTHUnit content1 Understand how a laboratory functionsLaboratory type: eg hospital, public health, researchLaboratory medicine: eg biochemistry, haematology, histology, microbiology,immunology, molecular biology, virology, audiologyDiagnostics: in vitro diagnostics, eg blood analyses, urine analyses; in vivodiagnostics, eg X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans; immunodiagnosticsProcesses: chronological process of investigation, range of investigativeprocedures, quantitative and qualitative analysis; value of sampling, datarecording and manipulation, data presentation, valid conclusions; qualityassurance; health, safety and securityHealth, safety and security: legislation as appropriate to laboratory function,COSHH regulations, policies and procedures, hazards, risk assessment, safetyequipment/signs, personal protective equipment and procedures, action to betaken when incidents occur; disposal of waste materials, sustainable developmentEquipment: identification, selection and use for a specified task, maintenance;instrument quality; laboratory management information systemsLaboratory workers: eg biomedical scientists; roles and responsibilities,requirements, eg qualifications, training, attributes2 Be able to use analytical techniquesMolarity: calculations involving molar quantities, molarity; calculation ofconcentration including use of dilution factors necessary to produce a range ofstandard solutions from a given stock solution of known concentrationStandard solutions: preparation of solutions of fixed concentration, appropriatetitrations to determine concentration or standardise given solutions; dilution ofstock solutions to give a series of related standard solutionsHealth and safety: application to laboratory conditionsTechniques: underlying principles; colorimetry; chromatography, eg thin layer,gas liquid, column, high performance liquid chromatography; spectroscopy, egultra violet, infra red, mass spectroscopy; electrophoresisPractical investigation: eg lipid content of different types of milk, ascorbic acidcontent of different fruit juices, amino acid content of different proteins; healthand safety as appropriate to tasks, eg use of safety equipment/protective items;scientific reportScientific report: method; data presentation, eg tables, graphs, charts; analysisand evaluation; conclusions and recommendationsEvaluation: of methods and results: validity, eg fitness-for-purpose of methods,repeatability, sources and magnitude of errors218BN018467 – Specification – Edexcel Level 3 BTEC Nationals in Health and Social Care– Issue 1 – February 2007 © Edexcel Limited 2007