B6. Preventing and treating disease

Question 1

What is vaccination?

Answer 1

Vaccination introduces dead or inactive pathogens into the body in order to induce immunity

Question 2

What role do white blood cells play in vaccination?

Answer 2

White blood cells recognise the antigens in a vaccine and produce specific antibodies

Question 3

How does vaccination lead to long-term immunity

Answer 3

Vaccination leads to long term immunity because when someone infected again by the same pathogen, white blood cells quickly produce the correct antibodies and the symptoms of infection do not arise

Question 4

What are antibiotics?

Answer 4

Antibiotics are medicinal drugs that kill pathogenic bacteria

Question 5

What is antibiotic resistance?

Answer 5

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria survive exposure to antibiotics that would normally kill them or inhibit their growth

Question 6

What is the role of painkillers in disease treatment?

Answer 6

Painkillers are used to treat the symptoms of disease but do not treat the source of any infection

Question 7

Why is it difficult to treat diseases caused by viruses?

Answer 7

It is difficult to treat diseases caused by viruses because viruses infect body cells. This means that destroying viruses without damaging body tissue is chao,enginf

Question 8

What are some traditional sources of medicinal drugs?

Answer 8

Digitalis originates from foxgloves
Aspirin originates from willow
Penicillin comes from penicillium mould

Question 9

How are most new drugs developed today?

Answer 9

Most new drugs are synthesised by chemists in the pharmaceutical industry, although the starting point may still be chemical extracted from a plant

Question 10

What is preclinical drug testing?

Answer 10

Preclinical drug testing is done in a laboratory using cells, tissues and live animals

Question 11

What is the purpose of clinical drug trials?

Answer 11

Clinical drug trials are conducted to test the safety, efficacy, and optimal dosage of new drugs

Question 12

What is a double-blind drug trial?

Answer 12

In a double-blind trial some patients are given a placebo, and neither the doctor nor the patient knows whether each patient is receiving the placebo or the active drug

Question 13

Define the term placebo

Answer 13

A placebo is an inert substance given to some participants in clinical trials instead of a true drug. Its role is to eliminate the effects of the brain and expectations on any results

Question 14

What is the purpose of testing new drugs on animals?

Answer 14

The purpose of testing new drugs on animals is to see the effect of medicines on a whole organism

Question 15

How are clinical trials conducted?

Answer 15

1. Very low doses of the drug are given to healthy volunteers to test safety
2. Patients with relevant medical conditions take part in the trial, often using a double-blind study, to test efficacy and find the lowest effective dose

Question 16

Define the term monoclonal antibody.

Answer 16

Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies that all come from clones of a single white blood cell. They are specific to one antigen

Question 17

Describe the main steps in the production of monoclonal antibodies

Answer 17

1. A mouse is injected with antigens to stimulate mouse lymphocytes to produce the required antibodies
2. The lymphocytes are combined with a tumour cell to make a hybridoma cell
3. The hybridoma cell is then cloned to produce many identical cells producing the same antibody

Question 18

What is a hybridoma cell?

Answer 18

A hybridoma cell is a cell produced by combining a lymphocyte with a type of tumour cell

Question 19

Define the term lymphocyte.

Answer 19

A lymphocyte is a type of white blood cell involved in the specific immune response

Question 20

Why can monoclonal antibody production be considered unethical?

Answer 20

Mice are used, raising ethical issues with the treatment of animals
There may be ethical concerns around the cultivation of tumour cells

Question 21

How can monoclonal antibodies be used?

Answer 21

In diagnosis
To measure the levels of specific hormones or other chemicals in the blood
To identify certain cells or molecules within the body
In the treatment of certain diseases

Question 22

How can monoclonal antibodies be used to indicate pregnancy?

Answer 22

Monoclonal antibodies can be used to indicate pregnancy by using them in pregnancy tests. The antibodies bind to a hormone released during pregnancy

Question 23

Why can monoclonal antibodies be used to identify and destroy cancer cells without harming healthy cells found in the same location?

Answer 23

Monoclonal antibodies can be used to identify and destroy cancer cells without harming healthy cells because the antibodies bind to specific proteins that are displayed by cancer cells but not by healthy body cells