Which term describes the substance that is being identified or measured in a lab test?

Which term describes the substance that is being identified or measured in a lab test?

• A. Specimen
• B. Plasma
• C. Analyte
• D. Calibrant

Answer: (C)

An analyte is the substance whose presence or concentration a lab test is designed to determine. The test targets this component inside the sample—whether it’s a chemical, hormone, drug, electrolyte, or other molecule—so it’s the substance of interest being measured. The specimen is the actual sample collected, like a blood or urine sample, not the substance being measured. Plasma is a specific part of blood used for testing, but it’s the medium that may contain the analyte, not the thing being measured itself. A calibrant is a known reference material used to set the assay’s measurements and ensure accuracy, not the target substance. So the term that describes what’s identified or measured is analyte.

An analyte is the substance whose presence or concentration a lab test is designed to determine. The test targets this component inside the sample—whether it’s a chemical, hormone, drug, electrolyte, or other molecule—so it’s the substance of interest being measured. The specimen is the actual sample collected, like a blood or urine sample, not the substance being measured. Plasma is a specific part of blood used for testing, but it’s the medium that may contain the analyte, not the thing being measured itself. A calibrant is a known reference material used to set the assay’s measurements and ensure accuracy, not the target substance. So the term that describes what’s identified or measured is analyte.