Topic 5: Health, Disease and the Development of Medicines

Question 1

Agar plate

Answer 1

A Petri dish containing agar and nutrients used to culture microorganisms.

Question 2

Antibiotic

Answer 2

A chemical or compound produced by a living organism that kills or prevents the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics have no effect on the cells of the host organism.

Question 3

Antibodies

Answer 3

Proteins produced by B-lymphocytes in response to a specific antigen, triggering an immune response.

Question 4

Anticoagulants

Answer 4

Drugs that reduce clotting of the blood, lowering the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Question 5

Antigen

Answer 5

A unique chemical present on the surface of a cell that induces an immune response.

Question 6

Antihypertensives

Answer 6

Drugs that lower blood pressure, reducing damage to artery walls and the build-up of atheromas.

Question 7

Antiseptics

Answer 7

Chemicals secreted by plants which kill bacterial and fungal pathogens.

Question 8

Aseptic techniques

Answer 8

A range of techniques used to culture microorganisms under sterile conditions in order to minimise contamination.

Question 9

Aspirin

Answer 9

A chemical found in the bark and leaves of willow trees that is used as a painkiller.

Question 10

Autoclave

Answer 10

A device used to sterilise equipment under high temperatures.

Question 11

Single-blind trial

Answer 11

A study performed in which the participants do not know whether they are receiving the new drug or the placebo. This prevents a patient’s bias affecting the results.

Question 12

B-lymphocyte

Answer 12

A type of white blood cell that produces antibodies specific to a particular antigen.

Question 13

Body mass index (BMI)

Answer 13

A value based on height and mass used to categorise an individual as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese.

Question 14

Carbon monoxide

Answer 14

A chemical found in cigarette smoke that lowers the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen. This results in an increased heart rate, raising the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Question 15

Cardiovascular disease

Answer 15

A group of diseases affecting the heart or blood vessels.

Question 16

Cell wall

Answer 16

An outer layer made of cellulose that strengthens plant cells and serves as a physical barrier against pathogens.

Question 17

Chalara ash dieback

Answer 17

An airborne fungal disease that infects ash trees resulting in dark lesions on bark and blackened leaves which wilt and eventually die.

Question 18

Chlamydia

Answer 18

An infection caused by the bacteria Chlamydia, which is spread through sexual contact and may result in infertility.

Question 19

Cholera

Answer 19

A water-borne disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, the toxins of which cause severe diarrhoea leading to dehydration.

Question 20

Cilia

Answer 20

Hair-like structures found on ciliated epithelial cells that waft substances across the surface of the tissue in one direction.

Question 21

Cirrhosis

Answer 21

Scarring of the liver tissue resulting from the breakdown of alcohol into toxic products in the liver.

Question 22

Clinical testing

Answer 22

Drug testing carried out on healthy human volunteers to check for any side effects and then on patients to determine the drug’s efficacy and to establish an optimum dose.

Question 23

Communicable disease

Answer 23

A disease that is caused by a pathogen which can be spread between individuals (either directly or indirectly).

Question 24

Coronary bypass

Answer 24

A surgical procedure involving the use of a blood vessel from another region of the body (e.g. leg, arm) to divert blood around a blockage in the coronary artery.

Question 25

Culture

Answer 25

The growth of living matter in vitro under suitable conditions.

Question 26

Diagnostic testing

Answer 26

The detection of foreign antigens in a sample of tissue, or the analysis of pathogenic DNA, to allow accurate identification of specific pathogens.

Question 27

Disease

Answer 27

A disorder of the body or mind that negatively affects an individual’s health.

Question 28

Distribution

Answer 28

The spread of living organisms in an ecosystem.

Question 29

Double-blind trial

Answer 29

A study performed where neither the researcher nor the patient know whether the patient is taking the drug or a placebo. This prevents bias from both patients and researchers.

Question 30

Ebola

Answer 30

A disease caused by the Ebola virus which is transmitted via infected bodily fluids. Symptoms include a fever, diarrhoea, vomiting and internal bleeding.

Question 31

Growth medium

Answer 31

A solid or liquid nutrient-rich medium used in the cultivation of microorganisms. It contains carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Question 32

Health

Answer 32

A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being (as defined by the World Health Organization, WHO).

Question 33

Herd immunity

Answer 33

When the vaccination of a large proportion of the population provides some protection to unvaccinated individuals who are less likely to catch the disease.

Question 34

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Answer 34

An infectious virus that is spread by direct contact with infected body fluids. It destroys white blood cells, weakening the immune system and may lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).

Question 35

Hybridoma cell

Answer 35

A hybrid cell that results from the fusion of a B-lymphocyte with a myeloma cell. It is used to rapidly produce large quantities of monoclonal antibodies.

Question 36

Hydrochloric acid

Answer 36

The primary constituent of stomach acid. Its acidic pH kills any pathogens that are swallowed.

Question 37

Inhibition zone

Answer 37

The circular area around an antibiotic-soaked paper disk on an agar plate in which the bacteria do not grow.

Question 38

Inoculating loop

Answer 38

A tool used to safely transfer, smear or streak a small sample from a microorganism culture.

Question 39

Immune system

Answer 39

The body’s defence against pathogens once they have entered the body. It aims to prevent or minimise disease caused by pathogens.

Question 40

Immunisation

Answer 40

The deliberate exposure of an individual to a dead or inactive pathogen. This triggers the production of antibodies and memory lymphocytes, providing immunity against a disease.

Question 41

Lysogenic pathway

Answer 41

One of two pathways by which viruses replicate within host cells, characterised by the integration of viral DNA into the host cell genome.

Question 42

Lysozyme

Answer 42

An enzyme found in tears that digests bacterial cell walls, killing bacteria and protecting the eye.

Question 43

Lytic pathway

Answer 43

One of two pathways by which viruses replicate within host cells. Viral DNA is injected into the host cell and replicated using host cell machinery.

Question 44

Malaria

Answer 44

A disease caused by a protist that lives within two hosts: mosquitoes and humans. It results in damage to red blood cells and causes recurrent episodes of fever.

Question 45

Malnutrition

Answer 45

A condition resulting from a diet lacking in, or too rich in nutrients.

Question 46

Memory lymphocyte

Answer 46

A type of white blood cell that remains in the blood and provides immunological memory to a specific antigen on a pathogen.

Question 47

Monoclonal antibodies

Answer 47

Antibodies that are clones from a single parent B-lymphocyte and that are specific to one protein antigen.

Question 48

Mucus

Answer 48

A viscous, slimy fluid that lines the surface of many tissues in the body and traps pathogens.

Question 49

Myeloma cell

Answer 49

A type of tumour cell that fuses with a B-lymphocyte to form a hybridoma cell.

Question 50

Nicotine

Answer 50

A chemical found in cigarette smoke that raises heart rate and blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Question 51

Non-communicable disease

Answer 51

A disease that cannot be spread between individuals. It is caused by the interaction of a number of risk factors.

Question 52

Non-specific defences

Answer 52

General physical and chemical barriers that defend the body against many different types of pathogens.

Question 53

Pathogen

Answer 53

A disease-causing organism, e.g. viruses, fungi, bacteria, protists.

Question 54

Placebo

Answer 54

A substance that is indistinguishable from the real drug but has no effect on the recipient.

Question 55

Pre-clinical drug testing

Answer 55

Drug testing carried out in a laboratory using human cells and tissues to determine its toxicity and efficiency, and then on live animals to establish a safe dose.

Question 56

Pregnancy test kit

Answer 56

A test that uses monoclonal antibodies to detect HCG in a woman’s urine.

Question 57

Primary immune response

Answer 57

The response of the immune system to a pathogen when it is first encountered.

Question 58

Quinine

Answer 58

A chemical secreted from the bark of the cinchona tree that is used as an antimalarial drug.

Question 59

Risk factor

Answer 59

A variable associated with a greater chance of developing a disease or infection.

Question 60

Secondary immune response

Answer 60

The response of the immune system to a pathogen when it is encountered for a second (third, fourth...etc.) time.

Question 61

Sexually transmitted infection (STI)

Answer 61

An infection that is spread through sexual contact or direct contact with infected genital fluids.

Question 62

Side effects

Answer 62

Additional effects that a drug has, different from those intended.

Question 63

Specific immune response

Answer 63

The second line of defense against pathogens triggered by foreign antigens.

Question 64

Statins

Answer 64

A class of drugs used to decrease blood cholesterol levels, reducing the rate of fatty deposit build-up in the arteries.

Question 65

Stent

Answer 65

A small, hollow tube that can be surgically implanted into the lumen of arteries to keep them open.

Question 66

Stomach ulcers

Answer 66

A disease caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacterium which is transmitted orally by eating infected foods or drinking infected water.

Question 67

Susceptible

Answer 67

Describes an individual that is at an increased risk of contracting a disease.

Question 68

Symptom

Answer 68

A change experienced by an organism that indicates disease.

Question 69

Transplant

Answer 69

A medical procedure in which an organ or tissue in an individual is replaced.

Question 70

Tuberculosis

Answer 70

An airborne bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that damages lung tissue and weakens the immune system.

Question 71

Tumour markers

Answer 71

Proteins present on the cell surface membranes of cancer cells that are not found on normal body cells.

Question 72

Viruses

Answer 72

Non-living infectious agents that invade host cells and take over cell metabolism, replicating within them.

Question 73

Waist-to-hip ratio

Answer 73

The ratio of the circumference of the waist to the circumference of the hips.

Question 74

Waxy cuticle

Answer 74

A waxy layer that reduces water loss from the leaf surface and provides a surface barrier to prevent the entry of pathogens.

Question 75

White blood cells

Answer 75

Cells of the immune system that protect the body from invading pathogens.