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Laboratory use terms

 Below is a concise list of common Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) terms and definitions used in laboratory settings, tailored for interview preparation:


1. **Quality Assurance (QA)**: Processes to ensure lab results are reliable, accurate, and meet standards, focusing on system-wide procedures.

2. **Quality Control (QC)**: Specific tests and checks to verify equipment, reagents, and results are accurate and precise.

3. **Accuracy**: How close a measured value is to the true value.

4. **Precision**: Consistency of results when measurements are repeated.

5. **Calibration**: Adjusting or standardizing equipment to ensure accurate measurements by comparing to a known standard.

6. **Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)**: Written instructions detailing how to perform specific lab tasks consistently.

7. **Proficiency Testing**: External evaluation of lab performance using blind samples to ensure accuracy.

8. **Control Sample**: Known sample tested alongside unknowns to verify test reliability.

9. **Blank**: Sample with no analyte to check for contamination or background interference.

10. **Replicate**: Repeated test on the same sample to assess precision.

11. **Limit of Detection (LOD)**: Lowest analyte concentration a method can reliably detect.

12. **Limit of Quantitation (LOQ)**: Lowest concentration that can be quantified with acceptable accuracy and precision.

13. **Traceability**: Ability to link measurements to a reference standard.

14. **Non-conformance**: Deviation from SOPs or quality standards requiring investigation.

15. **Corrective Action**: Steps taken to fix a non-conformance and prevent recurrence.

16. **Preventive Action**: Proactive measures to avoid potential quality issues.

17. **Audit**: Systematic review of lab processes to ensure compliance with standards.

18. **Validation**: Confirming a method or process meets intended requirements for accuracy and reliability.

19. **Verification**: Checking that equipment or methods perform correctly under specific conditions.

20. **Chain of Custody**: Documentation tracking sample handling from collection to analysis.

21. **Uncertainty**: Range within which the true value lies, expressed with a confidence level.

22. **Spike**: Known amount of analyte added to a sample to assess recovery and method accuracy.

23. **Internal Standard**: Known compound added to samples to improve measurement accuracy.

24. **Outlier**: Result significantly different from others, requiring investigation.

25. **Accreditation**: Certification that a lab meets specific quality standards (e.g., ISO 17025).


**Tips for Interviews**:

- Be ready to explain how these terms apply in a lab setting with examples (e.g., running QC checks daily).

- Highlight familiarity with standards like ISO 17025 or GLP (Good Laboratory Practice).

- Practice concise explanations to demonstrate clarity and confidence.


If you need examples or deeper explanations for specific terms, let me know!

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