Modern world: individuals & discoveries Flashcards
What did Archibald Garrod theorise in 1902? Why was this significant?
Theorised that hereditary diseases are caused by missing information in the body’s chemical pathways. This was one of the first theories directed towards hereditary disease.
What did Paul Ehrlich discover in 1909?
Discovered the first chemical cure, Salvarsan 606, which cured syphilis.
What did Alexander Fleming discover in 1928?
Discovered the first true antibiotic. Knowing there must be a substance in exposed human organs which protected them from bacteria, he eventually discovered penicillin through mould in a petri dish. However, it was not yet safe to dose out.
How did Florey and Chain advance Fleming’s breakthrough with penicillin?
They found a safe way to dose penicillin by infecting a group of mice, half of which were given the drug and were the ones that remained healthy.
What was the significance of Florey and Chain’s work on antibiotics?
Antibiotics were a crucial development at this time: the start of WW2. Florey & Chain managed to gain US support for mass production of the drug, which was used on the front line.
What did Gerhard Domagk discover in 1932 and how?
He discovered prontosil’s power as an antibiotic. The bright red dye killed bacteria in mice. He tested it on his daughter, and it cured her of blood poisoning.
What was the significance of Gerhard Domagk’s discovery of prontosil in 1932?
When used as a cure for puerperal fever at Queen Charlotte’s maternity hospital, deaths fell from 20% to 4.7%.
What did British scientists develop in 1938?
Developed M&B 693, an antibiotic that successfully treated Winston Churchill for pneumonia during WW2.
What was discovered in 1943?
Streptomycin: an antibiotic so powerful it even worked against TB.
What did Franklin do in 1951?
Photographed DNA.
What did Watson and Crick do in 1953, after Franklin had photographed DNA in 1951? What was the importance of this?
With the help of Franklin’s images, they published a paper proving an understanding of the structure of DNA.
The parts of DNA that were causing hereditary diseases could now be explored.
The Human Genome Project was run from 1990 to 2000. What is the importance of scientists now having a map of the human genome?
It is now possible for scientists to use the blueprint of human DNA to look for mismatches in the DNA of people suffering from hereditary diseases.
Who theorised that hereditary diseases are caused by missing information in the body’s chemical pathways?
Archibald Garrod.
Who discovered the first chemical cure, Salvarsan 606, which cured syphilis?
Paul Ehrlich.
Who discovered penicillin, the first true antibiotic?
Alexander Fleming.
