B6 preventing and treating disease Flashcards
what are antigens
unique proteins on cell surface that recognise the different antigens on microorganisms
how do white blood cells help prevent disease
they make specific antibodies which join with the antigens and inactivate or destroy the pathogen
what are memory cells
white blood cells that ‘remember’ the right antibody needed to destroy a pathogen and then make the same antibody quickly to destroy the pathogen
what is a vaccine
made of dead or inactivated form of a disease causing microorganism which stimulates the body’s natural immune response to invading pathogens
what is herd immunity
when a large proportion of the population are vaccinated and therefore immune to a disease meaning the spread of that pathogen is reduced and may disappear
what are pain killers
they relieve symptoms but don’t kill pathogens or cure you
what are antibiotics
they work inside the body to kill bacterial pathogens without harming your body cells
what are antiseptics and disinfectants
they kill bacteria outside the body but are too poisonous to use inside the body as they would kill your body cells
why don’t antibiotics kill virus
because they don’t harm body cells and viruses are inside cells so it’s difficult to kill viruses without harming the cells
what is antibiotic resistance
a mutation in bacteria that enable it to not be killed by antibiotics
what is preclinical testing
testing chemicals for potential medicines on cells, tissues and live animals
what are clinical trials
medicine tested on healthy volunteers and patients that can then be prescribed by doctors if it passes
what are double blind trials
when 1/2 the patients/volunteers are given the new drug and half are given a placebo
what are lymphocytes
white blood cells that make antibodies but can’t divide
what are monoclonal antibodies
proteins that are produced to target particular cells or chemicals in the body
how are monoclonal antibodies used in pregnancy tests
by binding to the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin that is made in the early stages of pregnancy
how are monoclonal antibodies used in diagnosis of disease
they bind to specific antigens found on pathogens, blood clots or cancer cells
how are monoclonal antibodies used in measuring and monitoring
in hospitals and labs to measure/ monitor the levels or hormones or other chemicals in blood e.g. screening donated blood for HIV
how are monoclonal antibodies used in research
to locate/ identify specific molecules in cells or tissues. they produce the monoclonal antibodies linked to a fluorescent dye when they bind to the desired molecules you can see what’s happened by observing the build up of fluorescence
what are 3 ways that monoclonal antibodies are used to treat cancer
1) trigger the immune system to recognise, attack and destroy cancer cells
2) to block receptors on the surface of cancer cells to stop them growing and dividing
3) used to carry toxic drugs or radioactive substances for radiation therapy
what are 3 advantages of monoclonal antibodies
1) only bind to specific diseased or damaged cells
2) healthy cells not affected
3) so specific that they can be used to treat a wide range of conditions
what are the disadvantages of monoclonal antibodies
1) drugs being carried around the body can affect healthy cells
2) expensive
3) using mouse cells only at first triggered an immune response in humans which caused side effects and held back research
