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Biology - B1 > Medicines And Drugs > Flashcards

Medicines And Drugs Flashcards

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0
Q

What are drugs?

A

They are substance that alter the way in which the body works

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1
Q

What do drugs do?

A

They change the chemical processes in peoples’ bodies so that they may become dependant or addicted to the drug and suffer withdrawal symptoms without them.

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2
Q

What are the uses of drugs

A

Some drugs are used for medical purposes to that diseases, whilst others are ‘recreational’ drugs, which are used for pleasure

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3
Q

Give a definition of medicines

A

By understanding how the body works and what causes a disease, we can develop drugs that alter the processes in the body to treat it

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4
Q

What are the four essential that all new drugs are rigorously tested to ensure that they are:

A

1) Effective-prevent/treat the disease
2) Safe-not poisonous or have to many side affects
3) Stable-can be stored and used under normal conditions
4) Able to be taken in and removed by the body

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5
Q

Who many years may it take for a drug to be developed through all four stages?

A

Up to 12 years

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6
Q

What is the main type of trial conducted in stage 4?

A

Double-blind trail-this is when a large group of volunteers with the particular disease are given either the new medicine or a placebo

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7
Q

What is a placebo?

A

It is something that doesn’t contain the drug

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8
Q

Why is it called a double-blind trail ?

A

Because neither the patient nor the doctor treating them knows which they have been given
This way the researchers can see a fair indication of if the drug works with or without any bias on the part of the doctor or the patient

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9
Q

Why are the test for new drugs so important?

A

In case the drug causes any damage

They are tested for toxicity, efficacy and for dose

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10
Q

Give an example of when doctors didn’t follow the test properly

A

Thalidomide

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11
Q

When was thalidomide developed and what was it’s opposed to help?

A

1950s as a sleeping pill and then treat morning sickness in pregnant women

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12
Q

What went wrong in thalidomide?

A

Even though they tested it on adults and seemed to have no side affects it was not tested to see what effects it had on developing babies. Unfortunately, many babies born to mothers who took the drug were born with severe limb abnormalities. The drug was banned.

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13
Q

What was the result of the discovery of the effect Thalidomide had?

A

The drug was banned
Drug testing has become much more rigorous
More recently, thalidomide has been used successfully in the treatment of leprosy and other diseases

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14
Q

What are statines?

A

They are a group of drugs that lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood
By stopping the liver from producing these bad cholesterol forms, they can greatly reduce cardiovascular and circulatory diseases

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15
Q

What is cardiovascular disease?

A

It is when the arteries become narrow

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16
Q

What are the advantages of statins ?

A

The cholesterol levels are reduced by 50%

The chances of having a stroke or heart attack can be lowered by 25%-40%

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17
Q

What are the disadvantages of statins?

A

There are possible side affects if liver damage but these are very slight

People may stop trying to eat healthily as they think that the drug will do it all for them

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18
Q

Many modern medicines have been derived from …………….

A

Natural sources

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19
Q

Is it possible that non-prescribed ‘herbal’ remedies can be used in treating disease?

A

Yes

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20
Q

Give an examples where a non-prescribed ‘herbal’ medicine has worked to treat a desease?

A

St. John’s wort is herb that has been shown to be just as effective in treating depression as the modern medicine equivalent (Prozac)

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21
Q

Why should we be cautions when taking non-prescribe medicines?

A

They might not contain any actual active ingredients, so it may do nothing to help the disease
Their ‘natural ingredients’ may contain dangerous chemicals that actually cause damage

22
Q

What do recreational drugs affect ?

A

The nervous system making you relaxed and happy

23
Q

Give three examples of legal recreational drugs

A

Caffeine
Nicotine
Alcohol

24
Q

How does caffeine effect the body?

A

It stimulates the nervous system making you more alert, energetic and increases heart rate the blood pressure

25
Q

Give examples where caffeine is found?

A

Tea, coffee, coca cola and red bull

26
Q

What type of drug is nicotine and where can it be found?

A

It is a stimulant and is found in the tobacco within cigarettes

27
Q

Why is nicotine very bad for your health?

A

Because it causes cancers (especially lung cancer) and cardiovascular disease.
Smoking whilst pregnant can also lead to a low birth weight of the body and contains carbon monoxide which reduces the ability of the blood to carry oxygen

28
Q

What type of drug is alcohol?

A

A depressant

29
Q

How do depressants effect the body?

A

It slows down the response in the brain making you calm and relaxed

30
Q

What are the long term and short term effects of drinking alcohol ?

A

Long term use can lead to liver damage

It also gives rise to numerous social problems, as impaired judgement can lead to violence and road accidents

31
Q

Give three illegal drugs

A

Cocaine, heroin, cannabis

32
Q

What type of drug is cocaine and what does it do to you?

A

It is a stimulant making you feel very alert and energetic

33
Q

What can heroine do and what type of drug is it?

A

It is a depressant that can actually stop you from feeling any pain or discomfort

34
Q

What type of drug is canabis/marijuana and what does it cause?

A

It is a depressant that is illegal in most countries but still widely used
It can cause mental illnesses, such as hallucinations, and has been linked with causing depression and mental illness

35
Q

What is the main problem associated with drugs?

A

They make you addicted to them, this occurs because They affect the chemical prosecutor within the body. This is why when you stop taking the drug you suffer from mental or physical withdraw symptoms. Heroin and cocaine are very addictive

36
Q

Give some examples of withdraw symptoms

A

Headaches
Aches and pains
Sweating

37
Q

There are a number of different types of drugs that can be used by athletes and sports people to improve their performance give some examples

A 
Anabolic steroid
EPO (erythropoietin)
Stimulants 
Depressants 
Pain killers
38
Q

When are anabolic steroids taken and what do they help do?

A

They are taken during training and can help to build up more muscle mass

39
Q

What type of athletes are anabolic steroids useful to?

A

Athletes that require stronger or faster muscles

40
Q

What is EPO (erythropoietin) and what does it do?

A

It is a hormone

It increases the red blood cell production

41
Q

Why EPO (erythropoietin) good for cyclists or long distance runners?

A

It is good for stamina, as the blood can carry more oxygen to the muscles

42
Q

What type of EPO (erythropoietin) is banned and what is the ‘although’ to this?

A

Artificial

Although it can be naturally produced it by training at high altitude

43
Q

What do stimulants do during performance ?

A

They are used to sharpen focus and boost reflexes

44
Q

Are stimulants legal or illegal?

A

Many are not illegal, but still cannot be used by athletes or sports people

45
Q

What do depressants do?

A

They can slow down heart rate and reduce the shaking of the hands

46
Q

What sport are depressants useful for and what does it then lead to?

A

They are useful for darts and shooting, so many are also banned from use

47
Q

When are painkillers taken and what do they allow athletes to do?

A

They are taken during training or in competitions to allow the athletes to keep going despite an injury

48
Q

Why may painkillers be dangerous?

A

They can be dangerous as it often causes further permanent damage

49
Q

Give four reasons why sports people and athletes still take drugs even though can cause you damage or are illegal ?

A
  • They want to win and think they should do everything they can to be the best
  • if others use them, then they feel they have to use them to have a chance of competing
  • they feel that any health risks are worth it, as it is their body and they should be able to do what they want with it
  • Some claim to be given the drug without their knowledge by their coaches
50
Q

Which type of drug (legal or illegal) have a greater overall impact on health?

A

Legal drugs (prescribed and non-prescribed) because far more people use them.

51
Q

Which has an overall greater effect on health legal or illegal drugs?

A

Legal drugs because more people use them

51
Q

What are new drugs tested for?

A

Toxicity
Efficacy
Dose

51
Q

When new medical drugs are devised, they have to be extensively tested and trialled before being used. Drugs are tested in a series of strangers to find out it they are safe and effective. What are these stages?

A

In the laboratory, using cells then tissues and then live animals

Once this is done and perfected, in clinical trails involving healthy volunteers and then patients. Very low doses of the drug are given at the start of the clinical trial. If the drugs found to be safe, further clinical trials are carried out to find the optimum dose of the drug. In some double blind trials, some patients are given a placebo. Neither the doctors nor the patients know who has receives a placebo and who has received the drug until the trial is complete

Biology - B1 (17 decks)

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