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Computer Chips vs. Biochips
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| Diagram of a Biochip |
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| A Biochip is Very Specialized |
The name biochip is almost ten years old and first
came into existence to help the marketing of certain devices and to describe what they were like. As of now the biochip is
much more developed and represents a connection between modern medical knowledge and basic computer technology.
It is almost like a miniaturized processor. A biochip, like a computer chip, is very tiny and takes on highly
complex tasks. The biochip is usually produced using computer-chip manufacturing methods, which includes photolithography. This
manufacturing method ethches intricate, minute patterns of channels and islands on a solid substrate.
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| An Activated Biochip |
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| A Split-Level Computer Chip |
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| A Step by Step Diagram |
Differences
Although
the biochip and the computer chip have some close similarities, they are really very different.
A computer chip calculates logical operations on strings of ones and
zeros. On the other hand, the biochip is responsible in carrying out biochemical reactions. Another difference is
in the construction of the two chips. A computer chip is silicon-based while the biochip may be constructed on a glass
slide or even within within a porous gel. A computer chip is also capable of performing a vast range of purposes,
depending on how it is programmed. A biochip is only meant to perform a specific function. For example, a biochip could identify
gene mutations or detect a bacterial antigen within a water sample. If a biochip is constructed for one single purpose,
it can not be programmed to perform any other purpose. Some biochips can be re-used while others cannot.
| Computer Chips |
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Overall
"Fundamentally, biochips are computer-chip look-alikes intended to speedily, reliably, and inexpensively perform biochemical
procedures that together constitute a medical test. Through their miniaturization and automation of laboratory procedures,
they replace far slower, more burdensome, and more expensive laboratory equipment".
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