12.7 Preventing And Treating Disease

Question 1

What is natural active immunity?

Answer 1

Immunity which results from the response of the body to the invasion of a pathogen

Question 2

What is natural passive immunity?

Answer 2

The immunity given to an infant mammal by the mother through the placenta and colostrum

Question 3

Why is immunity known as active?

Answer 3

Because the body ITSELF has acted to produce antibodies and/or memory cells

Question 4

Why is immunity known as passive?

Answer 4

Because the body has acquired the antibodies from another organism

Question 5

What is colostrum?

Answer 5

The mother’s first breast milk, high in antibodies

Question 6

What is artificial passive immunity?

Answer 6

Immunity resulting from the administration of antibiotics from another animal against a dangerous pathogen

Question 7

What type of immunity does artificial passive immunity give you?

Answer 7

Temporary immunity.

Question 8

Give examples of artificial passive immunity.

Answer 8

Rabies immunity, tetanus immunity, antivenom

Question 9

What is artificial active immunity?

Answer 9

Immunity which results from exposure to a safe form of a pathogen, for example by vaccination

Question 10

Give an example of artificial active immunity.

Answer 10

Vaccines

Question 11

What may vaccines contain?

Answer 11

-Killed or inactivated bacteria and viruses
-Weakened strains of live bacteria or viruses
-Toxin molecules that have been altered and detoxified
-Isolated antigens extracted from the pathogen
-Genetically engineered antigens

Question 12

What is a booster?

Answer 12

A repeat vaccination

Question 13

Describe the process of vaccination.

Answer 13

1- Pathogen is made safe so antigens are intact without risk of infection
2- Small amounts of the vaccine are injected into the blood
3- Primary immune response is triggered by the antigens. B and T cells formed, memory cells formed
4- If you come into contact with the live pathogen, the secondary immune response is triggered, the pathogen is destroyed before you suffer symptoms of disease.

Question 14

What are the uses of vaccines?

Answer 14

-Used to give long-term immunity to many diseases
-Used to help prevent epidemics
-Preventing epidemics to travel to a global level

Question 15

State the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic

Answer 15

Epidemic = disease spreading at a local or national level
Pandemic = disease spreading worldwide

Question 16

What is herd immunity?

Answer 16

When a significant number of people in the population have been vaccinated, giving protection to those who do not have immunity

Question 17

What is immunity?

Answer 17

Resistance to pathogens

Question 18

What diseases are spread worldwide but with no vaccination programme?

Answer 18

HIV, malaria

Question 19

State some sources of medicine

Answer 19

Mould, plants, chemicals designed in complex computer programmes, genes, microorganisms, bio active compounds

Question 20

Why is it important to maintain biodiversity for medicine?

Answer 20

To make sure we do not destroy a plant, animal or microorganism which could give us the key to a life-saving drug

Question 21

What is pharmacogenomics?

Answer 21

A branch of genetics concerned with the way in which an individual’s genetic attributes affect the likely response to drugs

Question 22

What is personalised medicine?

Answer 22

A combination of drugs that work with your individual combination of genetics and disease

Question 23

What is selective toxicity?

Answer 23

The ability to interfere with the metabolism of a pathogen without affecting the cells of the host

Question 24

What is antibiotic-resistant bacteria?

Answer 24

Bacteria that undergo a mutation to become resistant to an antibiotic, and then survive to increase in number

Question 25

What are some of the key causes of antibiotic-resistant bacteria?

Answer 25

-Overprescription of drugs for minor infections -Courses of antibiotics not finished to completion -Poor hygiene

Question 26

How does an antibiotic work?

Answer 26

A bacterium has a binding site for the drug, and a metabolic pathway affected by the drug.

Question 27

Give an example of an antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Answer 27

MRSA

Question 28

State the process of antibiotic resistance

Answer 28

-Random mutation produces a gene for antibiotic resistance -Antibiotic taken applies selection pressure (causing natural section, antibiotic-resistant bacteria survives and reproduces) -Continued selection pressure means almost all bacteria in the population will be antibiotic resistant

Question 29

How do you minimise antibiotic resistance?

Answer 29

-Minimise usage of antibiotics -Ensure every course of antibiotics is completed -Practice good hygiene in hospitals, care homes, and in general