Question

Suppose 150 mL (milliliters) of a medication is administered to an infected patient. It is estimated that 8%

of this person’s cells are infected with a virus.
1. Suppose 2 mL of the medication contains 2.3 × 103 antiviral proteins. How many antiviral proteins were
injected into this person? Express your answer in scientific notation.
2. There are about 1 × 1014 cells in the average adult human body. What percentage of this person’s cells
can be affected by the administered medication?
3. How many mL of medication would need to be administered to the patient in order to have 1 antiviral
protein for every infected cell? How many liters is this equivalent to?

Answer 1

Explanation:

To find the number of antiviral proteins injected into the person, we can set up a proportion:

2 mL contains 2.3 × 10^3 antiviral proteins

x mL contains how many antiviral proteins?

The proportion can be written as:

2 mL / 2.3 × 10^3 = x mL / (unknown number of antiviral proteins)

We can solve this proportion by cross-multiplication:

2 mL * (unknown number of antiviral proteins) = 2.3 × 10^3 antiviral proteins * x mL

x = (2.3 × 10^3 antiviral proteins * x mL) / 2 mL

Simplifying, we get:

x = 1.15 × 10^3 * x mL

Therefore, the number of antiviral proteins injected into the person is 1.15 × 10^3.

The total number of cells in the person's body is approximately 1 × 10^14. If 8% of the person's cells are infected with the virus, we can calculate the percentage of cells that can be affected by the medication:

Percentage of cells affected = (Number of infected cells / Total number of cells) * 100

Number of infected cells = 8% of 1 × 10^14 cells

Number of infected cells = (8/100) * 1 × 10^14

Number of infected cells = 8 × 10^12

Percentage of cells affected = (8 × 10^12 / 1 × 10^14) * 100

Percentage of cells affected = 8 × 10^-2 * 100

Percentage of cells affected = 8%

Therefore, the administered medication can affect 8% of the person's cells.

To find the amount of medication needed to have 1 antiviral protein for every infected cell, we can set up a proportion:

2.3 × 10^3 antiviral proteins in 2 mL

1 antiviral protein in x mL

The proportion can be written as:

2.3 × 10^3 antiviral proteins / 2 mL = 1 antiviral protein / x mL

We can solve this proportion by cross-multiplication:

(2.3 × 10^3 antiviral proteins) * x mL = 2 mL * 1 antiviral protein

x = (2 mL * 1 antiviral protein) / (2.3 × 10^3 antiviral proteins)

Simplifying, we get:

x = 0.8696 mL

Therefore, to have 1 antiviral protein for every infected cell, approximately 0.8696 mL of medication needs to be administered. This is equivalent to 0.0008696 liters.