Defence against disease

Question 1

how do viruses make us ill?

Answer 1

by going into our cells and causing cell damage

Question 2

how do bacteria make us ill?

Answer 2

by producing toxins that are like small poisons that make us ill

Question 3

what is in the first line of defence?

Answer 3

NON-SPECIFIC
the body’s natural barriers to infection, including skin, tears and mucus

Question 4

what is in the second line of defence?

Answer 4

NON-SPECIFIC
phagocytosis

Question 5

what is in the third line of defence?

Answer 5

SPECIFIC
lymphocytes produce:
- antibodies that bind to antigens so that the pathogens are clumped together for…
- antitoxins to neutralise toxins

Question 6

what is in a vaccine?

Answer 6

small quantities of inactive, dead or weakened forms of a pathpgen

Question 7

how do vaccines work?

Answer 7

by stimulating the production of antibodies from the white blood cells specific to that pathogen without causing too much harm => if same pathogen re-enters then it knows what antibodies to make to ramps up production

Question 8

what is a hybridoma?

Answer 8

a ell made by fusing begign tumour cell with specific lymphocyte

Question 9

how are MABs made?

Answer 9

infecting mouse with pathogen constaing specific antigen, which will cause iit to make lymphocytes for it, then extract them, then mix with tumour cell => creates hybridoma in which the MABs can be extracted from

Question 10

what are some uses for MABs?

Answer 10

• pregnancy/COVID tests
• measure hormone levels in blood
• to treat cancer

Question 11

what are problems with MABs?

Answer 11

can cause extremely bad side effects, can cause an immune response, or can be seen as unethical due to animal harm

Question 12

how long can it take from discovery to the full scale role out of a new drug?

Answer 12

up to 12 yrs

Question 13

what are pre-clinical trials done on and what for?

Answer 13

done on cells and animals to check for efficacy and safety

Question 14

what are clinical trials done on and what for?

Answer 14

on healthy volunteers then patients to check for efficacy side effects and optimum dosage

Question 15

what does the efficacy of a drug mean?

Answer 15

how well it works

Question 16

what does the safety of a drug mean?

Answer 16

how safe it is; how adverse may the side effects be

Question 17

what does the dosage of the drug mean?

Answer 17

the quantity of drug needed for it to work effectively without causing really bad side effects

Question 18

what does a double blind trail mean?

Answer 18

neither the administrator nor the patient knows if they’re are getting the real drug or placebo

Question 19

why do a double blind trial?

Answer 19

to remove unconscious bias

Question 20

what is a peer review and why do it?

Answer 20

allowing work to be scrutinised by other parties to check for errors or false claims

Question 21

where were drugs traditionally extracted from?

Answer 21

plants and other microorganisms

Question 22

why does digitalis originate from?

Answer 22

plant foxglove

Question 23

aspirin

Answer 23

bark from a willow tree

Question 24

penicillin

Answer 24

penicillium mould by Alexander Fleming

Question 25

why are low doses of the drug given at the start of clinical trials?

Answer 25

to check if it safe

Question 26

who discovered the vaccine for smallpox?

Answer 26

edward jenner

Question 27

what do antibiotics cure?

Answer 27

bacterial diseases

Question 28

what causes antibiotic resistance?

Answer 28

random mutations in the bacterium
overuse of antibiotics
failing to complete the fully prescribed course by a doctor
use of antibiotics in farming

Question 29

why can’t bacteria kill viral pathogens?

Answer 29

because antibiotics work outside of the cells in he body but viruses live inside the cells of the body

Question 30

what do painkillers do?

Answer 30

treat the symptoms but don’t cure the disease