It should come as absolutely no surprise to anybody that accuracy is very important in the world of bio-chemistry. What is less known by the general public is just why accuracy is so crucial. Surely, some may say, materials have approximate properties and therefore can be substituted for each other to some degree? This article intends to explain some of the reasons why extreme accuracy is necessary in the world of bio-chemistry and some of the processes used to ensure that accuracy is maintained to the highest possible degree.
There are two broad categories of error in bio-chemistry:
Systematic Errors
Systematic errors are indicative of a poorly planned process or poor-quality material or equipment sourcing. Systematic errors usually result in biased inaccuracies. These inaccuracies provide entirely flawed results that can completely undermine the results of an experiment and even endanger an entire project. Systematic errors need to be prevented before results can be generated and can be eliminated by developing robust experimental structures.
Random Errors
Random errors typically result in unbiased inaccuracies. They are the result of random variations that can be assimilated into results if enough experimentation is completed. They can be assessed as outliers if the majority of results do not reflect these random inaccuracies. Random errors occur in almost all experiments due to process dynamics. It is the assessment of random errors that can prove damaging or tricky. When analyzing the results of an x ray diffraction test using a Malvern Panalytical device or similar tool, a bio-chemist needs to make sure that there are enough testing stages so that outliers can be identified and taken into account so that they do not influence the average results in a way that causes a damaging inaccuracy.
Process Dynamics
One of the reasons why accuracy is so important in bio-chemistry is that there will always be variations in experimental results. This is partially thanks to process dynamics. All processes will be dynamic and change over time due to minute chemical and material changes. The accurate assessment and forecasting of these changes are essential so that bio-chemists can accommodate variation in experimental results and implement process control techniques.
Safety
Bio-chemistry is the research into and practical use of the chemical processes that occur within living beings. This means that a great deal of bio-chemical research is used in the development of pharmaceutical products. This means that inaccuracies can lead to dangerous drugs being tested on living subjects or even released into circulation if correct tests are not completed or systematically sound. Bio-chemical analysis of the drug Oxycontin, for instance, was not accurately reported. The addictive nature of the drug was not revealed and it helped to create the deadly opiate epidemic that is sweeping the United States of America.
Consistency
Accuracy is important for the production of consistent experimental results. This should go without saying, but a lack of proper accuracy has led to a great many experimental programs being rendered almost entirely useless.