B14 - Drugs Flashcards
drug definition
any substance taken into the body that modifies or affects chemical reactions in the body
what is used for the treatment of bacterial infections?
antibiotics
why is the effectiveness of antibiotics reduced? how? [2]
some bacteria are resistant to antibiotics (like MRSA) due to mutations and development
what do antibiotics kill? what do they not affect?
they kill bacteria
they don’t affect viruses
antibiotics definition
chemicals made by fungi or bacteria to kill bacteria
how do antibiotics work? [2] examples? [2]
they target processes and structures that only occur in prokaryotes, to stop them
–> cell wall synthesis
–> protein synthesis
why don’t antibiotics work against viruses?
viruses don’t have cell walls, cell membranes, or cell bound organelles
why don’t antibiotics harm human cells?
animal cells don’t have cell walls
what is the halo effect around the discs where the growth of bacteria is prevented, called?
zone of inhibition
what is a control antibiotic soaked in? why is a control needed? [3]
-water
-to make sure the antibiotic is killing the bacteria, not other factors such as paper, air, or water
how does bacteria become resistant to antibiotics? (name + process) [4]
natural selection:
1) in a population of bacteria, one bacterium mutates to become antibiotic resistant
2) antibiotic kills all bacteria except that one resistant bacterium
3) the antibiotic resistant bacterium reproduces, forming a population of antibiotic resistant bacteria
what is a mutation?
change in the DNA
what is MRSA?
example of a mutated, antibiotic resistant bacterium
why is the MRSA a problem?
can create superbug thats resistant to many antibiotics
–> can’t be killed
what are superbugs?
bacterium that’s been mutated multiple times to become antibiotic resistant
