by Christine Thou
According to News Medical Life Sciences, a biosensor (biological sensor) is defined as “A chemical sensing device in which a biologically derived recognition is coupled to a transducer, to allow the quantitative development of some complex biochemical parameter.” To be more specific, a biosensor is a device that is comprised of a biological sensing element and a transducer. The sensing element reacts with the analyte (the substance being identified or measured) and the subsequent reaction is then converted by the transducer into a signal. The signal allows for an opportunity to quantify the reaction between the bioelement and the analyte. Biosensors are incredibly valuable due to their ability to measure a broad range of analytes including organic compounds, gases, ions and bacteria.
Biosensor technologies are essential to everyday modern life. Many types of biosensor are widely used across many fields such as food analysis, forensics, drug development, medical diagnosis, environmental monitoring, industrial process control and the study of biomolecules and their interactions.
One of the most common biosensors is the blood glucose sensor. Diabetics are very familiar with this type of biosensor due to their daily usage of glucose monitors. Glucometers quantify the level of glucose in a person’s blood. To get this reading, a person would most commonly prick their finger and apply the blood onto the test strip and insert it into the meter. In the test strip, there is the enzyme glucose oxidase. A reaction between the glucose in the blood and glucose oxidase in the strip occurs. Afterwards, an electron current flows through the solution, quantifying the level of glucose in the blood.
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Biosensors are not only useful for monitoring human health, it is also very applicable for the environment. One of the main media for monitoring environmental health is water. High concentrations of contaminants is water is very concerning. Paper based biosensors are a low cost and portable devices that can detect chemical and biological contaminants in the water. One way that pollutants can be detected is by the usage of a paper based colorimetric biosensor. Depending on the reaction pathway, colorimetric biosensors can display their interaction (or lack of) with the analyte by having a colour change. This application is not only useful in water, but in other media such as in the soil.
In conclusion, the function of biosensors is to detect a biological element and emit a signal to quantify the concentration of the analyte. This characteristic is especially useful for diagnosing human health and environmental health. Overall, these devices can tell us what our current state of human or environmental health is, giving us an opportunity to make changes for future improvement.
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