Summaries Flashcards
How did Fleming discover penicillin
By accident, on holiday, mould from sandwich kills bacteria on Petri dish
What experiments did Florey and Chain do which showed the true potential of antibiotics
They experimented on a policeman who had a rose in his mouth, it kept him alive while it lasted
 What impact did World War II have on the development of penicillin
Fleming was inspired by working in a WWI ward, penicillin saved 15% in World War I
Three types of antibiotic developed since World War II and what they treat
Streptomycin treats tuberculosis
Tetracycline treats mitomycin
Cortisone treats arthritis
What happened with the Thalidomide drug
It lead to pregnant women giving birth to deformed babies
When were polio, measles and rubella vaccines introduced
Polio – 1955
measles - 1964
rubella – 1969
What do MRI and CAT scanners do
MRI – monitors brain activity to find tumours
CAT– 3-D x-rays
What is alternative medicine
Anything that isn’t scientific, mainstream – herbs, oil, acupuncture, hypnotherapy
What are superbugs
Bacteria that’s resistant to antibiotics
How does phage therapy work
Isolate bacteria, select a phage (virus) engineer it in a lab, it’s injected into the body and because it’s modified to target a specific bacteria, it injects into the bacteria and reproduces until the bacteria bursts
Five facts about the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918–1919
20–40 million died, 20% infected died, it targeted people 20–40, it evolved from bird flu, it was originally known as the three day fever
How did people treat the Spanish flu
Gauze mask, Stay in bed, drink beef tea, gargle salt water
When was the first kidney transplant., First pacemaker, first hip placement
Kidney transplant – 1952 (1960 in UK)
Pacemaker – 1958
Hip replacement – 1972
What is keyhole surgery
Small incision, small fibre optic camera inserted
What is laser surgery used for
Eye surgery, remove tumours, clear arteries, replaced scalpels
