Chaper B6- Preventing And Treating Disease Flashcards
What are antigens?
The unique proteins on the surface of every cell
What other names is vaccination known as?
Immunisation
What is a vaccine?
Dead or inactive pathogenic material used in vaccination to develop immunity to a disease in a healthy person
What does a vaccination do?
Stimulates your white blood cells to produce the antibodies needed to fight the pathogen and prevent you from getting ill
What is the benefit of a vaccination?
Saves lives as if your body comes into contact with the disease it can produce the right antibodies very rapidly that can fight it off and keep you healthy
What disease has been wiped out by vaccines?
Smallpox
Describe the process of a vaccination
Small amounts of dead pathogens are injectors into your body often by injections
The antigens in the vaccine stimulate your white blood cells into making antibodies, which destroy the antigens without any risk of you getting the diseases
You are then immune from the disease if you are subject to future infection as your body can rapidly respond and make the correct antibody
What is herd immunity?
If a large proportion of the population is immune to a disease, then the spread of the pathogen is reduced. This is called herd immunity
What happens if the number of people having vaccines falls?
Herd immunity disappears
Give an example of herd immunity disappearing
The whooping cough in the 1970’s- many parents heard the vaccine was unsafe and numbers fell from 80% vaccinated to 30%. In ten following years many children died to whooping cough.
Give examples of painkillers
Aspirin
Paracetamol
Do painkillers cure your any faster?
No- you have to wait for your immune system to overcome the pathogens before you get better
When did antibiotics first become available?
1940’s
How do antibiotics work?
Killing the bacteria that cause disease whilst they are inside your body- they damage the bacterial cells without harming your cells.
How do you take antibiotics?
Pill form
Syrup form
Straight into the bloodstream (if urgent)
Does an antibiotic work on all bacteria?
no- specific bacteria should be tested using specific antibiotics that are effective against them
Can antibiotics kill viruses?
No as viruses reproduce inside a cell, and so to kill the virus is to harm your own cells and tissues at the same time
What is antibiotic resistance?
Strains of bacteria are becoming resistant to the antibiotics- this means they no longe have an effect so cannot cure the disease.
Give examples of plant medicines
Digoxin- comes from foxgloves plant. Has been used since 18th century to strengthen the heartbeat. However large amounts can be poisonous
Aspirin- originated from a compound found in willow trees- is anti inflammatory and pain relieving. In 1897 Felix Hoffman synthesised acetyl salicylic acid, which had fewer side effects than the willow bark. It did till commonly used today
What year was penicillin discovered?
1928
Who discovered penicillin?
Alexander Fleming
What did Fleming notice?
After one holiday, when he had left his culture plates without a lid, he noticed a ring in the jelly around some of the spots of mould, and realised something had killed the bacteria. He tried to extract this penicillin but failed
What did Ernst Chain and Howard Florey do?
Set out trying to extract penicillin. They were successful, and gave it to a patient dying of a blood infection. He recovered for a bit until the penicillin ran out and he died. Despite his death, they had proven that penicillin could kill bacterial disease in people
What potential medicines are scientists looking into?
The noni fruit
Soil samples
