B6(6.1-6.6) Preventing and Treating Disease Flashcards
What non-specific systems does the body use to prevent pathogens getting into it?
-skin
-cilia and mucus in the nose, trachea, and bronchi
-stomach acid
What three functions do white blood cells have?
-phagocytosis, producing antibodies, producing
antitoxins
What happens during phagocytosis?
-phagocyte is attracted to the area of infection, engulfs a
pathogen, and releases enzymes to digest the pathogen
What are antigens?
-proteins on the surface of a pathogen
Why are antibodies a specific defence?
-antibodies have to be the right shape for a pathogen’s
unique antigens, so they target a specific pathogen
What is the function of an antitoxin?
-neutralise toxins produced by pathogens by binding
to them
What does a vaccine contain?
-small quantities of a dead or inactive form of a pathogen
How does vaccination protect against a specific
pathogen?
-vaccination stimulates the body to produce antibodies
against a specific pathogen – if the same pathogen
reenters the body, white blood cells rapidly produce the
correct antibodies
What is herd immunity?
-when most of a population is vaccinated against a
disease, meaning it is less likely to spread
What is an antibiotic?
-a drug that kills bacteria but not viruses
What do painkillers do?
-treat some symptoms of diseases and relieve pain
What properties of new drugs are clinical trials designed to test?
-toxicity, efficacy, and optimum dose
What happens in the pre-clinical stage of a drug trial?
-drug is tested on cells, tissues, and live animals
What happens in the clinical stage of a drug trial?
-Healthy volunteers receive very low doses to test whether the drug is safe and effective.
-If safe, larger numbers of healthy volunteers and patients receive the drug to fi nd the optimum dose
What is a placebo?
-medicine with no effect that is given to patients instead
of the real drug in a trial
What is a double-blind trial?
-a trial where neither patients nor doctors know who
receives the real drug and who receives the placebo
What is a monoclonal antibody?
-A monoclonal antibody is an antibody produced by a
single clone of cells.
Give two examples in which monoclonal antibodies
can be used for.
-Treating cancer, in pregnancy tests
