Antibiotics and Painkillers

Question 1

Describe how antibiotics, such as penicillin help to
cure bacterial disease.

Answer 1

Antibiotics are substances that slow down or stop the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics damage the bacterial cells but do not damage the host cells.

Question 2

Explain why it is important that specific bacteria
are treated using specific antibiotics

Answer 2

Different bacteria cause different diseases. One antibiotic may only work against one type of bacteria, or a few types. This means that a range of different antibiotics is needed for the treatment of the whole range of bacterial diseases.

Question 3

Explain why the emergence of strains resistant to
antibiotics is of great concern

Answer 3

Commonly prescribed antibiotics are becoming less resistant because of overuse, failure to complete the course and agricultural use. The development of new antibiotics stopped years ago, as they were hailed as the solution to a very difficult disease control problem. Some limited success with new antibiotic search has occurred recently.

Question 4

Explain why antibiotics cannot be used to treat
viral infections.

Answer 4

Viral diseases cannot be cured by antibiotics, as they reproduce inside the host cells.

Question 5

Explain what painkillers are used for

Answer 5

Painkillers are chemicals that relieve the symptoms but do not kill the pathogens

Question 6

Explain why it is difficult to develop drugs that kill
viruses

Answer 6

It is very difficult to develop antiviral drugs, as they might damage the host cell whist killing the virus.