Flow Cytometry Quizzes: Master Immunology Techniques

Question 1

In flow cytometry, which fundamental principle enables the separation of cells based on their size and granularity?

Accepted Answer

The differential scattering of light by cells of varied dimensions

Answer

The differential binding of fluorescent antibodies to cell surface molecules

Answer

The distinct electrical charges carried by different cell types

Answer

The varying refractive indices of cells

Question 2

In flow cytometry, what is the intended purpose of a compensation control?

Accepted Answer

To rectify spectral overlap between distinct fluorochromes

Answer

To ensure appropriate PMT voltage settings

Answer

To calibrate the flow cytometer

Answer

To verify antibody specificity

Question 3

Which cell sorting technique enables the isolation of specific cell populations based on their surface marker expression?

Accepted Answer

FACS (Fluorescence-activated cell sorting)

Answer

MACS (Magnetic-activated cell sorting)

Answer

Rosette sorting

Answer

Percoll gradient centrifugation

Question 4

In immunology, what is the primary application of flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Characterizing and phenotyping immune cells

Answer

Detecting pathogens in clinical specimens

Answer

Quantifying cytokine production

Answer

Analyzing gene expression

Question 5

In flow cytometry, what term describes the cell population exhibiting relatively low staining intensity?

Accepted Answer

Dim population

Answer

Negative population

Answer

Positive population

Answer

Bright population

Question 6

Which type of flow cytometer combines a high-speed fluidic system with the ability to analyze multiple parameters simultaneously?

Accepted Answer

Microfluidic flow cytometer

Answer

Conventional flow cytometer

Answer

Cell sorter

Answer

Imaging flow cytometer

Question 7

In flow cytometry, what is the function of a live/dead gate?

Accepted Answer

To exclude non-viable cells from analysis

Answer

To identify apoptotic cells

Answer

To measure cell cycle distribution

Answer

To sort cells based on their viability

Question 8

Which of the following cell surface markers is commonly associated with T cell identification?

Accepted Answer

CD3

Answer

CD19

Answer

CD56

Answer

CD11b

Question 9

In flow cytometry, describe the sequential gating strategy used to identify and characterize specific immune cell populations.

Accepted Answer

Exclude debris and dead cells using forward and side scatter, then identify immune cell populations based on surface marker expression using antibodies.

Answer

Use forward scatter alone to identify immune cell populations, then confirm identity with antibodies.

Answer

Use only antibodies to identify immune cell populations, without excluding debris or dead cells.

Answer

Use cell size and granularity alone to identify immune cell populations, then confirm identity with antibodies.

Question 10

Which of these cell surface markers is commonly employed to identify T lymphocytes?

Accepted Answer

CD3

Answer

CD14

Answer

CD45

Answer

CD66b

Question 11

In flow cytometry data analysis, what is the primary purpose of scatterplots?

Accepted Answer

Visualizing cell size and granularity.

Answer

Pinpointing specific cell populations based on fluorescence characteristics.

Answer

Determining cell cycle stage.

Answer

Quantifying antibody binding capacity to cell surface markers.

Question 12

Which technique is used to isolate specific cell populations based on their fluorescence characteristics?

Accepted Answer

Cell sorting

Answer

Immunohistochemistry

Answer

Microscopy

Answer

Western blotting

Question 13

Which fluorochrome is typically used to identify and analyze T cells in flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

CD3

Answer

CD34

Answer

CD19

Answer

CD11b

Question 14

What type of scatter plot is used to differentiate cells based on their size and granularity?

Accepted Answer

Forward scatter versus side scatter

Answer

Dot plot

Answer

Histogram

Answer

Quadrant plot

Question 15

Which method in flow cytometry allows for the separation of cells based on their fluorescence intensity?

Accepted Answer

Cell sorting

Answer

Gating

Answer

Sample preparation

Answer

Compensation

Question 16

What is the primary purpose of compensation in flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Correct for spectral overlap between different fluorochromes

Answer

Adjust the voltage of detectors

Answer

Identify rare cell populations

Answer

Calibrate the flow cytometer

Question 17

What is the primary function of the sheath fluid in flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

To focus and transport cells through the flow cytometer's flow cell

Answer

To excite fluorochromes

Answer

To lyse red blood cells

Answer

To sterilize the flow cytometer

Question 18

Which type of flow cytometer is commonly used for high-throughput cell sorting applications?

Accepted Answer

Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)

Answer

Microfluidic cytometer

Answer

Time-of-flight (TOF) cytometer

Answer

Imaging flow cytometer

Question 19

What is a primary application of flow cytometry in the field of clinical immunology?

Accepted Answer

Immune cell phenotyping and monitoring

Answer

Diagnosis of infectious diseases

Answer

Drug discovery

Answer

Cancer cell analysis

Question 20

Which software program is commonly used for analyzing flow cytometry data?

Accepted Answer

FlowJo

Answer

ImageJ

Answer

Prism

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT a parameter commonly measured by flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Cell height

Answer

Cell surface markers

Answer

Cell viability

Answer

Cell size

Question 22

What is the fundamental principle behind cell sorting using flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Cell deflection based on their properties

Answer

Enrichment of cells by selective binding

Answer

Cell lysis and re-synthesis

Question 23

When selecting fluorochromes for flow cytometry, which factor is crucial to consider?

Accepted Answer

Spectral overlap

Answer

Cost of the antibody

Answer

Brightness of the fluorescence

Question 24

What is the primary purpose of gating in flow cytometry data analysis?

Accepted Answer

Isolate specific cell populations of interest

Answer

Enhance the signal-to-noise ratio

Answer

Remove background noise

Answer

Compensate for spectral overlap

Question 25

What is the name of the technique used to correct for spectral overlap between fluorochromes in flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Compensation controls

Answer

Quenching

Answer

Spectral deconvolution

Answer

FRET

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a key component of a typical flow cytometer?

Accepted Answer

Microscope

Answer

Fluidics system

Answer

Laser light source

Answer

Detector

Question 27

What is the primary purpose of a fluorochrome in flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

To emit fluorescent light when bound to a specific target and excited by a specific wavelength

Answer

To enhance cell viability for extended analysis

Answer

To block non-specific binding of antibodies to cell surface markers

Question 28

Which axis of a flow cytometry dot plot represents the relative number of cells within a population?

Accepted Answer

Y-axis

Answer

X-axis

Answer

Forward scatter

Answer

Side scatter

Question 29

What is the key feature of cell sorting performed by a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS)?

Accepted Answer

Positive and negative selection of cells based on specific fluorescent markers

Answer

Positive selection only of cells based on fluorescent markers

Answer

Negative selection only of cells based on fluorescent markers

Answer

Bulk sorting of all cells regardless of fluorescent markers

Question 30

What is the primary application of flow cytometry in the field of immunology?

Accepted Answer

Immunophenotyping of immune cells based on cell surface marker expression

Answer

Protein purification for biochemical analysis

Answer

Microscopic imaging of cell morphology

Answer

DNA sequencing for genetic analysis

Question 31

Which cell surface marker is commonly used to identify helper T cells?

Accepted Answer

CD4

Answer

CD19

Answer

CD11b

Answer

CD56

Question 32

What is the principle behind cell gating in flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Creating subsets of cells based on specific parameters to analyze and visualize specific cell populations of interest

Answer

Compensating for spectral overlap between different fluorescent signals

Answer

Amplifying signals to improve sensitivity of detection

Question 33

What is the difference between forward scatter and side scatter in flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Forward scatter measures cell size while side scatter measures cell granularity

Answer

Forward scatter measures cell density while side scatter measures cell surface texture

Answer

Forward scatter measures cell shape while side scatter measures cell internal complexity

Question 34

Which of the following best defines the principle of flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Measuring the physical and chemical characteristics of cells flowing in a single file through a beam of light

Answer

Isolating and characterizing specific cell populations

Answer

Detecting the presence of specific proteins within a cell lysate

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT a type of cell surface marker commonly analyzed by flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Hormone receptors

Answer

Antigen-specific T cell receptors

Answer

Immunoglobulin receptors

Answer

Adhesion molecules

Question 36

What is the technique in flow cytometry that separates cells based on their characteristics?

Accepted Answer

Cell sorting

Answer

Flow sorting

Answer

Cell analysis

Answer

Cell purification

Question 37

Which of the following represents a potential application of flow cytometry in the field of immunology?

Accepted Answer

Identifying and characterizing immune cell populations

Answer

DNA sequencing

Answer

Measuring enzyme activity

Question 38

Fluorescent antibodies in flow cytometry primarily serve which purpose?

Accepted Answer

Specifically binding to and labeling target molecules on cells

Answer

Increasing the brightness of cells

Answer

Killing cells

Question 39

Which of the following is a limitation associated with flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Simultaneously analyzing only a limited number of parameters

Answer

Analyzing both live and dead cells

Answer

Providing high-resolution images of cells

Question 40

Which of the following accurately describes the principle behind flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Measuring the physical and chemical properties of cells as they flow in a single file

Answer

Detecting the binding of specific antibodies to cell surfaces

Answer

Separating cells based exclusively on their size

Question 41

What is the primary function of cell surface marker analysis in flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Identifying and quantifying different cell populations within a sample

Answer

Measuring intracellular protein expression

Answer

Sorting cells based on their size and viability

Question 42

Which of the following is a significant advantage of using fluorescent antibodies in flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Multiplexing, enabling the simultaneous detection of multiple cell markers

Answer

Increased cell viability compared to other labeling methods

Answer

Lower cost compared to other labeling techniques

Question 43

What is the specific purpose of a flow cytometer's forward scatter (FSC) detector?

Accepted Answer

Measuring cell size

Answer

Measuring cell granularity

Answer

Detecting the presence of specific cell surface markers

Answer

Sorting cells based on their fluorescence intensity

Question 44

Which cell sorting technique is based on the principle of electrostatic deflection?

Accepted Answer

Electrostatic sorting

Answer

Magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS)

Answer

Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)

Answer

Laser capture microdissection (LCM)

Question 45

Which of the following is a common application of flow cytometry in immunology research?

Accepted Answer

Characterizing immune cell populations within a lymph node

Answer

Measuring cytokine levels in a cell culture supernatant

Answer

Detecting the presence of antibodies in a serum sample

Question 46

What is the purpose of a compensation control in flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Correcting for spectral overlap between different fluorescent markers

Answer

Identifying rare cell populations in a sample

Answer

Calibrating the flow cytometer before data acquisition

Question 47

Which of the following accurately describes the primary principle of flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Detection of individual cells as they flow in a single file through a laser beam, with their optical signals captured and analyzed.

Answer

Analysis of cell surface markers using electrochemical methods.

Answer

Separation of cells based on their density through centrifugation.

Question 48

Which of the following is a commonly used fluorochrome for cell surface marker labeling in flow cytometry, known for its bright emission and conjugation to antibodies?

Accepted Answer

Phycoerythrin

Answer

Bromodeoxyuridine, a thymidine analog used to label proliferating cells.

Answer

Hematoxylin and eosin, commonly used in histological staining.

Answer

Trypan blue, used for cell viability assessment.

Question 49

What is the purpose of a compensation control in flow cytometry experiments?

Accepted Answer

Correcting for signal overlap between different fluorochromes to ensure accurate data analysis.

Answer

Calibrating the flow rate of the sample to optimize cell detection.

Answer

Determining the optimal voltage settings for each detector to maximize signal-to-noise ratio.

Question 50

In the context of immunology, which cell population is most frequently analyzed using flow cytometry?

Accepted Answer

Lymphocytes, including T cells, B cells, and natural killer cells, which play crucial roles in the immune response.

Answer

Epithelial cells, which line various surfaces in the body.

Answer

Neurons, which transmit electrical signals in the nervous system.

Answer

Erythrocytes, also known as red blood cells, which are responsible for oxygen transport.

Question 51

What is the primary purpose of scatter plots in flow cytometry data analysis?

Accepted Answer

Visualizing cell size and granularity based on forward and side scatter signals, respectively.

Answer

Determining the percentage of cells within specific gates or regions of interest.

Answer

Identifying cell populations based solely on surface marker expression.

Answer

Calculating the mean fluorescence intensity of different cell populations.

Question 52

What is the typical output data format generated by a flow cytometer?

Accepted Answer

FCS files, which are standardized data files specifically designed for flow cytometry data storage and exchange.

Answer

TIFF images, which are typically used for storing and displaying images.

Answer

CSV files, which are simple text files used for storing tabular data.

Answer

XLSX spreadsheets, which are commonly used for data storage and analysis in various applications.

Question 53

Which of the following software programs is widely used for flow cytometry data analysis and visualization?

Accepted Answer

FlowJo, a specialized software designed specifically for flow cytometry data analysis, offering a comprehensive set of tools and features.

Answer

Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet software that can be used for basic data analysis, but lacks specialized features for flow cytometry data.

Answer

ImageJ, an image processing software primarily used for analyzing and visualizing images, not specifically tailored for flow cytometry data.

Answer

MATLAB, a general-purpose programming language that can be used for flow cytometry data analysis, but requires custom coding.