B8 Preventing and treating disease

Question 1

What systems does the body have in place in order to prevent pathogens from getting into it?

Answer 1

Skin, mucus and hair in the nose, stomach acid

Question 2

3 Functions of W.B.C

Answer 2

Phagocytosis
Producing antibodies
Producing antitoxins

Question 3

What happens during phagocytosis?

Answer 3

Phagocyte is attracted to the area of infection, engulfs a pathogen, and releases enzymes to digest the pathogen

Question 4

In what 2 ways do lymphocytes fight pathogens?

Answer 4

Antitoxins
Antibodies

Question 5

What are antigens?

Answer 5

Proteins on the surface of a pathogen

Question 6

How do antitoxins work?

Answer 6

Lymphocytes produce antitoxins that bind to the toxins produced by some pathogens

This neutralises the toxins

Question 7

How do antibodies work?

Answer 7

Antibodies target specific pathogens by binding to the pathogens antigens

Question 8

What does a vaccine contain?

Answer 8

Small quantities of dead or inactive pathogen

Question 9

How do vaccines protect you against a specific pathogen?

Answer 9

Vaccines stimulate the body to produce antibodies against a specific pathogen

If the same pathogen re-enters the body, W.B.C rapidly produce the correct antibodies (memory cells)

Question 10

What is herd immunity?

Answer 10

When most of a population is vaccinated against a disease, so it is less likely to spread

Question 11

What is an antibiotic?

Answer 11

Drugs that kill bacteria

Question 12

Where does aspirin come from?

Answer 12

Willow trees

Question 13

Where does the heart drug digitalis come from?

Answer 13

Foxglove plants

Question 14

What 3 things are new drugs tested for?

Answer 14

Toxicity
Efficacy
Dosage

Question 15

Stages of clinical trials

Answer 15

Pre-clinical trials
Clinical trials
Peer review
Double blind trials

Question 16

What happens during pre-clinical trials?

Answer 16

Drug is tested in cells, tissues and live animals

Question 17

What happens during clinical trials?

Answer 17

1.Healthy volunteers receive very low doses to test whether the drug is safe and effective
2. Large numbers of healthy volunteers and patients receive the drug to find optimum dosage

Question 18

What happens during double blind trials?

Answer 18

Neither the patient or doctor knows whether they have received the drug or the placebo

Question 19

What is a placebo?

Answer 19

Medicine with no effect that is given to patients instead of the real drug in a trial