B6 - Preventing and treating disease

Question 1

What are the proteins on the surface of a cell called

Answer 1

antigens

Question 2

How do antibodies kill pathogens

Answer 2

white blood cells make antibodies that join to antigens and inactivate them

Question 3

What is the process of immunisation

Answer 3

a vaccine containing dead or inactive form of disease is injected
- immune system is stimulated and produces antibodies
- these are stored by memory cells

Question 4

What is the function of memory cells

Answer 4

remember the antibodies for a particular pathogen sp they can be produced quickly

Question 5

What does the MMR vaccine protect against

Answer 5

measles, mumps, rubella

Question 6

What is herd immunity

Answer 6

the idea that if a large proportion of the population is immune, then the pathogen will rarely spread even if some people aren’t immune

Question 7

What are the function of painkillers
- what are two common examples

Answer 7

relieve pain
- aspirin and paracetamol

Question 8

What are some drugs that kill bacteria outside the body
- why can’t we use them

Answer 8

antiseptics and disinfectants
- they are too poisonous in the body

Question 9

What drugs are used to kill bacteria in the body

Answer 9

antibiotics

Question 10

how to antibiotics work

Answer 10

damage bacterial cells without damaging human cells

Question 11

How can antibiotics be effective really fast

Answer 11

direct injection into bloodstream

Question 12

Why are antibiotics not effective against viruses

Answer 12

viruses live and reproduce inside other cells. It is hard to develop drugs that kill onlythe virus

Question 13

Why are some bacteria not able to be killed by antobiotics

Answer 13

they have mutated to become resistant

Question 14

What were drugs traditionally extracted from
- what is used now

Answer 14

plants or microorganisms e.g. moulds
- adapted chemicals from plants, microorganisms and animals

Question 15

What are two common drugs extracted from foxgloves
- what impact do they have on the body

Answer 15

digitalis and digoxin
- helps strengthen the heartbeat

Question 16

what is the issue with lots of traditional medicine

Answer 16

they are actually poisonous

Question 17

What does aspirin originate from

Answer 17

a compound in the bark of willow trees

Question 18

How was penicillin discovered

Answer 18

• Fleming left the lid off of one of his moulds of bacteria.
• a clear ring had formed in the jelly
• he realised something killed the bacteria
• he called that substance penicillin
• 10 years later Chain and Florey extracted penicillin

Question 19

who discovered penicillin

Answer 19

alexander fleming

Question 20

What mould is penicillin from

Answer 20

penicillium

Question 21

How are most drugs made nowadays

Answer 21

synthesised in the pharmaceutical industry

Question 22

What are the three things that must be measured for in new drugs

Answer 22

• toxicity
• efficacy
• dosage

Question 23

What are the stages of trials for new medicine

Answer 23

preclinical - animals, tissues, cells
clinical - on healthy people, infected, volunteers

Question 24

What are the stages of a double blind trial

Answer 24

some people are given a placebo, some have the actual drug. Neither the patient nor the doctor knows which is which. health is monitored carefully

Question 25

What happens after a medicine has been confirmed in a double blind trial

Answer 25

peer review, the most effective and cost-efficient ones are used

Question 26

What are hybridoma cells

Answer 26

combining mice cells with cancer cells

Question 27

What are monoclonal antibodies

Answer 27

proteins used to target particular cellsor chemicals

Question 28

What cells are combined for monoclonal antibodies

Answer 28

T-lymphocytes and cancer cells to make hybridomas, which divide fast and produces antibodies. These are cloned to make monoclonal antibodies

Question 29

What are 5 common uses of monoclonal antibodies

Answer 29

• pregnancy tests
• diagnosis of diseases
• monitoring levels in the body
• research for molecules
• treating disease

Question 30

How to pregnancy tests work

Answer 30

monoclonal antibodies bind to HCG (produced in pregnancy) if it is present and a colour change occurs

Question 31

how do monoclonal antibodies discover disease

Answer 31

they are made to bind to specific antigens, and carry markers which makes it easy to see where they have collected. This is used to detect problems

Question 32

How to drug tests work

Answer 32

monoclonal antibodies bind to the drug if present

Question 33

What are three ways monoclonal antibodies can be used to kill cancer cells

Answer 33

• direct use of antibodies to trigger immune system to destroy cancer cells
• using monocolonal antibodies to block receptors on the surface of cancer cells which stops them growing and dividing
• carry drugs or radioactive substances for radiation therapy

Question 34

What are the benefits of using monoclonal antibodies

Answer 34

only bind to a specific pathogen
- can produce lots of them

Question 35

What are the disadvantages of using monoclonal antibodies

Answer 35

• costly
• not widely available
• mouse cells cause side effects
• producing correct ones are hard