Chapter #X - Drugs

Question 1

Drug

Answer 1

Any substance taken into the body that modifies or affects chemical reactions in the body

Question 2

Do drugs have a posotive or negative health effect?

Answer 2

They can have positive or negative health effects.

Question 3

If drugs have no effect on health are they drugs?

Answer 3

No, they are not drugs by defenition

Question 4

What types of diseases are drugs used to adress?

Answer 4

They may be used to address acute or chronic diseases or conditions.

Question 5

Medicinal drugs

Answer 5

Drugs which are used to treat the symptoms or causes of a disease - for example, antibiotics

Question 6

What does the liver have to do with drugs?

Answer 6

The liver is the primary site for drug metabolsim

Question 7

Antibiotics

Answer 7

A medicinal drug that is effective against bacteria, by inhibiting bacterial cell processes.

Question 8

How do antibiotics work?

Answer 8

• by targeting processes and structures that are specific to bacterial (prokaryotic) cells
• by disrupting cellular processes of the bacteria, such as stopping cell division, breaking the cell wall or cell membrane, inhibiting their metabolism, etc.

Question 9

Do antibiotics affect viruses? Why or why not?

Answer 9

They affect only bacteria, not viruses as viruses do not have the features that antibiotics target e.g. cell wall

Question 10

What was the first antibiotic discoverd?

Answer 10

Penicillin

Question 11

How does penecillion work?

Answer 11

• Penecillin interfers with the building of bacterial cell walls
• It causes the cell to rupture when it tries to grow

Question 12

Why is it a problem if bacteria become resistant to antibiotics?

Answer 12

Because some infection may become untreatable.

Question 13

Explain in steps how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.

Answer 13

Question 14

What is Staphylococcus aureus

Answer 14

• A bacteria which lives on skin in most of us.
• It is harmless but can cause dangerous infections if it gets into the body.

Question 15

What is an example of a bacteria which is becoming resistant to antibiotics?

Answer 15

MRSA(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)

Question 16

What happens when we use antibiotics more frequently?

Answer 16

The more we use antibiotics, the more likely resistant populations will develop

Question 17

Why is it important to restrict the use of antibiotics?

Answer 17

It is important to restrict the use of antibiotics to reduce the likelihood of resistant bacteria developing.

Question 18

How does reducing antibiotic use affect resistant bacteria?

Answer 18

Less use of antibiotics means less selective advantage for resistant bacteria, leading to less resistance.

Question 19

How can you reduce antibiotic resistance?

Answer 19

• Only use antibiotics when essential
• Complete the full course of prescribed antibiotics
• Restrict the use of antibiotics
• Isolate patients with infections of resistant bacteria
• Improved healthcare/sanitation

Question 20

What is one of the most dangerous bacteria?

Answer 20

One of the most dangerous bacteria is MRSA: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus because it has become very resistant to antibiotica and develops quickly.

Question 21

What is the worst-case scenario of antibiotic resistance?

Answer 21

• Certain strains of bacteria may become resistant to several antibiotics – including entire groups of antibiotics.
• Scientists try to stay one step ahead of the evolution process that leads to antibiotic resistance
• However, some bacteria have already developed resistance even to “last-resort” antibiotics, like Vancomycin.
• Infections with multidrug-resistant strains of bacteria are more likely to happen in hospitals.