Drugs

Question 1

What are the different categories and sub categories for drugs?

Answer 1

Recreational (alcohol, cocaine)
~> legal
~> illegal

Non recreational (paracetamol, ibuprofen)
~> prescribed (penicillin)
~> non prescribed

Question 2

What is a drug

Answer 2

A substance that affects chemical reactions in the body

Question 3

How did drugs used to be found/made

Answer 3

Extracted from plants and micro organisms

Question 4

Name three types of naturally occurring drugs

Answer 4

Digitalis ~> foxgloves

Aspirin ~> willow

Penicillin ~> mould (fungi)

Question 5

How are drugs made today

Answer 5

Most are synthesised in the lab

Question 6

How was penicillin discovered

Answer 6

Alexander Fleming (1928)
• He accidentally discovered penicillin while researching bacteria.
• He noticed that Staphylococcus bacteria were being killed by a mold (Penicillium notatum) that had grown on his petri dish.

2. Howard Florey and Ernst Chain (1938-1940s)
   • They developed and purified penicillin, turning it into a usable antibiotic.
   • They tested it on mice and later on humans, proving its effectiveness.
3. Mass Production (1940s, World War II)
   • Large-scale production was supported by American drug companies during WWII.
   • It became the first widely used antibiotic, saving millions of lives.