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Archive for the ‘Biobank’ Category

Biobank functions similarly to what banks do, but they don’t keep money. They collect and store biological material from human beings. You can also find a biobank which keeps animal and plant materials as well. Human being substances such as DNAs, blood, cell samples and tissues are gathered to be used as samples.

The samples are utilized to obtain genetic information that can benefit the medical field. The people’s life history is also included so that it can be used as medical references in the future. The origin of a disease can also be detected by analyzing the lifestyle of an individual.

There are many kinds of samples being available in a biobank. Cancer cells, tumour tissues, cord blood and stem cells are some of the material collected in the bank. Body fluids are also kept in the bank and these include urine and sperm.

A biobank collect the samples due to various purposes. Some of the samples are used to find ways on how to cure different kinds of diseases and infections. The samples are gathered either through public volunteering or getting permission from the donor.

In a biobank, specimens can be used to see how diseases can spread in the body. Then, a specific drug is created. The specimen will then be used again to measure the effectiveness of the drug.