medicine Flashcards
what do antibiotics do
kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria
when are antibiotics used
used by humans to treat bacterial diseases
why are antibiotics useful
as use has increased, death rates from bacterial diseases have decreased rapidly
what is a problem with antibiotics
the genetic variation in the bacteria can cause antibiotic resistant mutations
explain how bacteria become antibiotic resistant
some have a mutation that allows them to become resistant, so they are more likely to survive and pass this allele on
why is antibiotic resistance a problem
problem for people who become infected by bacteria as antibiotics will not easily kill them
what does an increased use of antibiotics mean
more resistant bacteria, creation of superbugs
what is MRSA
a bacteria that causes serious wound infections and is heavily resistant
how do you reduce antibiotic resistance
doctors are told to limit prescribing antibiotics
patients are told to finish the course of antibiotics to ensure all bacteria have been killed
what are many medical drugs manufactured using
natural compounds from plants and animals
why is maintaining biodiversity important for the development of medicine
only a small proportion of organisms have been studied, some plants or microorganisms may provide compounds for diseases that are not curable like AIDs
what happens to medicine if we do not protect biodiversity
species may die out before having the chance of being studied
why are drugs more effective for some people than others
everyone has different genes which respond differently to drugs
what are personalised medicines
medicines which are tailored to individual DNA
what is the purpose of personalised medicines
if doctors have your genetic material they can predict how you will respond to to drugs and provide the most effect one
