4.1.9 development and use of drugs Flashcards
antibiotic
chemical which prevents growth of microorganisms
–> antibacterial or antifungal
personalised medicine
development of designer medicines for individuals
synthetic biology
re-engineering of biology
–> could be production of new molecules that mimic natural processes, or the use of natural molecules to produce new biological systems that don’t exist in nature
why are new drugs needed
- new diseases are emerging
- there are many diseases with no effective treatments
- some antibiotic treatments are becoming less effective
which antibiotic was accidentally discovered & who by
= penicillin by alexander fleming
which 2 individuals purified penicillin
florey & chain
where does morphine originate from
- origins in use of sap from unripe poppy see-heads
- as long ago as neolithic times
- these opiate drugs reduce nervous action in CNS
where does willow-bark extract originate from
- used to relieve pain & fever
- way was found (1897) to reduce effect of stomach bleeding by adding acetyl group
- led to development of ibuprofen/aspirin
examples of animals using plants for medicinal properties
- monkeys, bears etc. rub citrus oils on their coats as insecticides & antiseptics –> prevent insect bites/infection
- birds line nests with medicinal leaves to protect chicks from blood sucking mites
what other research has been conducted
the way microorganisms cause disease
an example of a way microorganisms cause disease & how research/new medicine production can stop this
- many microorganisms use the receptors on plasma membranes
- if the binding between the pathogen/receptor site can be blocked, the disease-causing pathogen cannot gain access to cell
what 2 methods have huge potential for future medicines
- sequencing technology
- molecular modelling
describe personalised medicine
(using certain technology) we may be able to sequence genes from an individual with a particular condition & develop specific drugs
give an example of a form of synthetic biology
development of new molecules (esp. enzymes) that mimic biological systems