Possible Sources of Medicine Flashcards
1
Q
What have pathogens been in competition with?
A
plants and microorganisms for millions of years
they have evolved many antimicrobial compounds e.g. penicilium making penicilin
2
Q
Why is it important to maintain biodiversity?
A
to prevent species extinction so possible sources of medicines are not lost
3
Q
What have early testing species used in traditional medicines got?
A
medicinal properties
they have already been tested on humans - which may have few side effects
4
Q
What does using these testing species reduce?
A
time / effort / cost of finding plants / microbes with active antimicrobial compounds
this reduces cost of developing new medicine
