15 Drugs

Question 1

describe a drug

Answer 1

any substance taken into the body that modifies or affects chemical reactions in the body

Question 2

describe a pathogen

Answer 2

an organism that causes disease (including bacteria and viruses). bacteria have cell walls while viruses do not

Question 3

describe how antibiotics treat bacterial infection

Answer 3

antibiotics kill bacteria/slow down reproduction so that the body’s immune system can destroy them. they interfere with cell wall production, and don’t kill viruses because they do not have cell walls

Question 4

how does antibiotic resistance occur?

Answer 4

overuse and being prescribed when not really necessary, failing to complete prescribed course, antibiotic use in farming to prevent disease when animals are not sick

bacteria mutate so they can produce an enzyme to break down the antibiotic. non resistant bacteria killed with antibiotic but resistant bacteria use the resources made available. this is seen in MRSA, which can kill people with low immunity.

Question 5

how does bacteria become resistant to antibiotics?

Answer 5

bacteria mutates. there is variation in the ability to survive antibiotic treatment, and bacteria with little resistance die. bacteria with resistance survive and breed, which passes on the resistant gene. this is an example of natural selection.

Question 6

how to prevent antibiotic resistance?

Answer 6

• responsible use
• improved detection to avoid spread
• isolating infected patients
• development of new antibiotics

Question 7

why do doctors give patients antibiotics?

Answer 7

to kill pathogens. bacteria can cause infections, and antibiotics prevent growth of bacteria by breaking down the cell wall to inhibit metabolism