B6(Preventing and Treating Disease) Flashcards
(33 cards)
How do vaccinations work ?
Vaccines introduce a small amount of a dead/inactive pathogen into the body. This stimulates the lymphocytes to produce an antigen against that specific pathogen. If that same pathogen re-enters the body at any time;even years later, the correct antibodies can be produced quickly to prevent infection.
Why is it ok if only most of the population are vaccinated instead of the entire population?
Because of herd immunity
What is herd immunity?
If a large proportion of the population is vaccinated against a disease, it is less likely to be spread. For an example, if there are 10 people and 9 get vaccinated, that last person cannot be infected with the disease as there is no one to give it to them !
Name the 4 stages of testing a new drug.
Pre clinical trials, clinical trials, peer review, and double blind trial.
Explain pre clinical trials
The new drug will be tested in a lab on cells, tissues and organs , if that is successful, it will then be tested on live animals.
Explain clinical trials
Human volunteers will be given a small dosage to test for its safety and effectiveness, if this is successful, bigger clinical trials will take place with more volunteers and higher doses.
Explain peer review
The results of the clinical trials will be tested and checked by researchers before being published.
Explain double blind trials
A group of patients are split, some are given the drug being tested and the others will be given a placebo. Their effects on the patients will be documented. Neither the doctors or patients will know who’s been given the real drug or placebo until the trial is over to reduce bias.
What three components does drug testing test for ?
It’s toxicity, efficacy, and dose.
How were drugs originally extracted compared to modern times?
Drugs were traditionally extracted from plants and microorganisms whereas today most modern drugs are now synthesised by chemists in laboratories.
How and who discovered penicillin?
Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin accidentally from penicillium mould.
What does the painkiller aspirin originate from?
Willow trees
What does the heart drug digitalis originate from ?
Foxglove plants.
What are monoclonal antibodies used for (give two examples)
Used to treat certain cancers and used in pregnancy testing kits.
Explain, in depth how monoclonal antibodies are produced in the lab.
The lab mouse will be injected by the antigen being targeted, the mouse will produce lymphocytes in response. Lymphocytes do not replicate well by mitosis , so they are combined with tumour cells(which do replicate well by mitosis) to create a hybridoma cell. These can divide to make an antibody which can later be cloned and used for many purposes.
Name two negatives of monoclonal antibodies.
1)they are expensive to produce
2) some people may have a reaction to it because it is produced from a mouse.
Name the two main types of White blood cell
Lymphocytes and Phagocytes.
What is the function of a white blood cell?
White blood cells, produced by the immune system , fights pathogens that have entered the body.
Explain the difference between antibiotics and painkillers.
Antibiotics actually kill the bacteria, whereas painkillers simply just treat the symptoms of viral diseases, but do not kill pathogens.
Explain why a doctor might want to avoid prescribing their patient with antibiotics?
Because of antibiotic resistance.
What is antibiotic resistance?
When the bacteria mutates to avoid being affected by the antibiotics.
What are antibiotics?
Medicines that can kill bacteria in the body.
Does antibiotics affect viruses?
No!
What do drugs that kill viruses often do ?
Damage the body’s tissues. We don’t want that!
