B6- Preventing And Treating Disease Flashcards
What is a vaccination?
The introduction of small amounts of dead or inactive forms of a pathogen into your body to get the white blood cells to produce the correct antibiotics. This means the immune system would be quicker at destroying the pathogen
What is herd immunity?
A large amount of the population is immune to a disease the pathogen is reduced and the disease would disappear. However if the amount of vaccinations fall then herd immunity is lost and the disease comes back and effects more people.
What are painkillers?
They treat the symptoms of the disease but do not kill the pathogen.
What do antiseptics and antibiotics do?
Antiseptics kills bacteria outside the body but not inside as it is too dangerous. Antibiotics work inside the body to kill the bacteria and help you get better.
Why cant you treat resistant bacteria?
The antibiotics now used have no effect on the bacteria cells and if they keep on being resistant and the antibiotics don’t kill them then millions of people will die again.
What drugs come from plants?
Digitalis is extracted from foxgloves and has been used to strengthen the heartbeat and is still used today.
Aspirin originates from a compound found in the bark of willow trees. This is a pain-relieving and inflammatory drug.
How was penicillin discovered?
Alexander Fleming was growing bacteria for study when after coming back from holiday saw a left out culture plate had mould growing on it and was killing the bacteria. It was called after the fungus penicillium.
What happens when you test a new drug?
The new drug could take up to 12 years and are tested in a lab to find if they are toxic and if they are efficient. Many fail at this stage. It is then tested on humans to see if it works on the organism
What is clinical testing?
Humans are then used to see if they work and are given a low dosage just incase of side effects. If it is safe then bigger clinical trials would take place.
What is blind testing?
Some people are given a placebo and others are given the real drug. The doctor and patient do not know of they have been given the real drug or not. This makes it a fair test.
What is a placebo?
Not containing the tested drug and may contain a different drug that is already used to treat the disease.
