biomarker

(noun)

a substance used as an indicator of a biological state, most commonly disease

Related Terms

Examples of biomarker in the following topics:

  • Cancer Proteomics

    • An individual protein that indicates disease is called a biomarker, whereas a set of proteins with altered expression levels is called a protein signature .
    • The current problem with using biomarkers for the early detection of cancer is the high rate of false-negative results.
    • In other words, many cases of cancer go undetected, which makes biomarkers unreliable.
    • Some examples of protein biomarkers used in cancer detection are CA-125 for ovarian cancer and PSA for prostate cancer.
    • Protein signatures may be more reliable than biomarkers to detect cancer cells.

  • The Fossil Record as Evidence for Evolution

    • Past life may also leave some markers that cannot be seen but can be detected in the form of biochemical signals; these are known as chemofossils or biomarkers.