B6 - preventing and treating diseases Flashcards
What is in vaccines
Dead or inactive pathogens or antigens
How does a vaccine work
The dead pathogen is injected into your body, and your white blood cells make the right antibody for that pathogen, so when you get the actual disease you already have the correct antibody
What did Edward Jenner do
Noticed milk maids who got cowpox became immune to smallpox, so gave people cowpox as a vaccine (antigens are similar)
What are antibiotics
Substances that kill or inhibit growth of bacteria, they can also inhibit protein synthesis or weaken cell walls
What did Alexander Flemming do
Discovered penicillin by leaving lid off bacteria culture
Why is overuse of antibiotics bad
The bacteria mutate and become resistant to it
How are new drugs discovered
They choose a disease they want to cure, then look for natural chemicals to cure it, then test it on cells to see if it is toxic, then on animals, then on human volunteers
What is a monoclonal antibody
An antibody taken from a single group of white blood cells with the correct antibody combined with tumour cells to reproduce quickly
What can monoclonal antibodies be used for
Pregnancy tests, Covid tests, treating disease, monitoring substance levels (drugs)
