B3- Fighting Disease- Drugs Flashcards
What are painkillers?
Drugs that relieve pain
Painkillers do not tackle the underlying cause of pain; they only help to reduce symptoms.
How do antibiotics work?
They kill or prevent the growth of bacteria
Antibiotics target specific types of bacteria, making it essential to use the correct one for treatment.
What has been the impact of antibiotic use on communicable diseases?
Greatly reduced the number of deaths caused by bacteria
This has significantly improved public health outcomes.
What can cause bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics?
Mutation of bacteria
This resistance means that some bacteria may survive antibiotic treatment.
What happens to bacteria during antibiotic treatment if some are resistant?
Only non-resistant strains will be killed
Resistant bacteria will survive, reproduce, and increase in population.
What is an example of a resistant bacterial strain?
MRSA (meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
MRSA causes serious wound infections and is resistant to meticillin.
How can the development of resistant strains be slowed down?
Avoid over-prescribing antibiotics
Antibiotics should only be prescribed for serious infections, not for minor ailments like a sore throat.
Why is it important to finish a full course of antibiotics?
To ensure all bacteria are eliminated
Stopping treatment early can allow resistant bacteria to survive.
What role do plants play in drug development?
They produce chemicals to defend against pests and pathogens
Some of these chemicals are used to treat human diseases.
What is aspirin derived from?
A chemical found in plants
Aspirin is used as a painkiller and to lower fever.
What is digitalis used for?
To treat heart conditions
Digitalis was developed from a chemical found in foxglove.
Who discovered penicillin?
Alexander Fleming
He noticed that mould on Petri dishes produced a substance that killed bacteria.
What is the modern approach to drug production?
Synthetically made by chemists in labs
The process may still start with a chemical extracted from a plant.
