B14 - Drugs Flashcards
What is a drug? [2]
any substance taken into the body that modifies or affects chemical reactions in the body
What are antibiotics and what do they do? [2]
- chemicals made by fungi or bacteria
- kill bacteria
What is the use of antibiotics? [1]
for the treatment of bacterial infections
Why do antibiotics not work against viruses? [2]
viruses do not have cell walls, cell membranes or cell organelles
Why do antibiotics not harm human cells? [1]
human and animal cells don’t have cell walls
How do antibiotics work? [2]
- by targeting processes and structures that only occur in prokaryotes
- prevent cell wall synthesis, prevent protein synthesis, prevent DNA replication
How do bacteria become resistant? [1]
natural selection
What is a mutation? [1]
change in the DNA
What is MRSA? [1]
a resistant bacteria
How is the effectiveness of antibiotics reduced? [1]
by some bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics
How do antibiotics help with MRSA? [1]
using antibiotics only when essential can limit the development of MRSA and other resistant bacteria
