infection and disease- topic 3 Flashcards
what to antibodies do
destroy pathogens and bind with specific antigens
what do antitoxins do
destroys toxins released by pathogens
what are antigens
protein ‘name tags’ on pathogens to identify them
how do vaccinations work
by injecting a small, weakened version of the pathogen to stimulate antibodies and a quicker secondary immune response
what is herd immunity
when enough individuals are immune in a population to prevent the spread of a pathogen
what are antibiotics
drugs that kill bacteria
what are painkillers
drugs that reduce the symptoms of disease
what’s a placebo
a fake drug, one that doesn’t produce any actual effects
what is peer review
when scientists check each others work to prevent bias and false conclusions
what are the two stages of pre clinical trials
stage 1- human cells and tissues
stage 2- live animals
what are the stages of clinical trials
stage 3- drug trials involving healthy people, start healthy low dose then increase
stage 4- then give to patients, checking toxicity, efficacy, and dosage
what is efficacy
how effective a drug is
what is toxicity
how harmful a drugs side effects are
dosage
the concentration or frequency a drug should be taken
what are antivirals
drugs that prevent viruses from spreading
what are resistant bacteria
bacteria that have randomly mutated to become resistant. resistant strains growth is increased by the overuse of antibiotics. e.g MRSA
what plant does aspirin come from
its a painkiller- comes from willow bark
what plant does digitalis come from
its heart medication- comes from foxgloves
what does penicillin come from
its an antibiotic- comes from fungus
nitrate ions deficiency symptoms
nitrates needed to make amino acids that are needed for protein synthesis. a lack of nitrate leads to stunted growth