Negative control

From WikiMD's Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

Negative control is a type of control used in scientific experiments. It is designed to give a negative result, which is used to validate the procedure and ensure that it is working correctly. The negative control group is treated the same as the experimental group, except that it does not receive the variable being tested. This allows researchers to distinguish between the effects of the variable and other factors.

Purpose[edit | edit source]

The purpose of a negative control is to help identify and eliminate potential sources of error in an experiment. It provides a baseline that can be used to compare results from the experimental group. If the negative control produces a positive result, it indicates that there may be a problem with the experimental design or procedure.

Examples[edit | edit source]

In a biological experiment, a negative control might be a petri dish that is not exposed to the bacterium being studied. In a chemical experiment, it might be a test tube that does not contain the reaction being tested. In a drug test, it could be a sample that is known to be free of the drug.

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]


Negative control Resources
Doctor showing form.jpg
Wiki.png

Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index‏‎ - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes

Search WikiMD


Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD

WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.

Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.


Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD