Bacterial Pathogens and Antibiotics - Antibiotics and Painkillers

Question 1

Give an example of an antibiotic

Answer 1

penicillin

Question 2

what are antibiotics

Answer 2

they are medicines that help to cure bacterial disease by killing infective bacteria inside the body.
specific bacteria should be treated by specific antibiotics

Question 3

Are antibiotics effective - are there any concerns

Answer 3

antibiotic use has greatly reduced deaths from infectious bacterial disease
however the emergence of strains resistant to antibiotics is of great concern

Question 4

can antibiotics kill viral pathogens

Answer 4

no antibiotics cannot kill viral pathogens

Question 5

how do we deal with viral pathogens

Answer 5

painkillers and other medicines are used to treat the symptoms of disease but do not kill pathogens

Question 6

why don’t we just use drugs to kill viral pathogens

Answer 6

it is difficult to develop drugs that kill viruses without also damaging the body’s tissues