Preventing And Treating Disease Flashcards
What are unique proteins on the surface of cells called?
Antigens
How do immune systems recognize microorganisms?
By identifying antigens that are different from the body’s own
What do white blood cells produce to destroy pathogens?
Specific antibodies
What type of white blood cells remember the antibodies needed to destroy a particular pathogen?
Memory cells
What happens when a new pathogen enters the body?
There is a delay in finding the right antibody, leading to illness
What is the role of memory cells in the immune response?
They allow for rapid production of antibodies upon re-exposure to the same pathogen
What can serious pathogens do before antibodies are made?
They can kill you
What is the purpose of vaccination?
To stimulate the body’s natural immune response
What does immunisation involve?
Giving a dead or inactivated form of a disease-causing microorganism
What do vaccines stimulate white blood cells to produce?
Antibodies
What is herd immunity?
When a large portion of a population is immune, reducing the spread of the pathogen
What happens to herd immunity when the number of vaccinated individuals falls?
Herd immunity is lost
Fill in the blank: Vaccines are used to protect against _______.
Bacterial diseases
True or False: Memory cells help the immune system respond slowly to pathogens.
False
What is the consequence of not having enough antibodies when a pathogen enters the body?
The individual may become ill
What is the primary function of painkillers?
Relieve symptoms of disease but have no effect on viruses.
Do painkillers kill pathogens?
No, they do not kill the pathogen.
What is required for a person to get well from a disease?
The immune system needs to overcome the pathogen.
What are antibiotics used for?
To cure bacterial diseases.
What do antiseptics and disinfectants do?
Kill bacteria outside the body.
Why are antiseptics and disinfectants not used internally?
They are too poisonous and would kill the person and the pathogen.
When did antibiotics become widely available?
In the 1940s.
How do antibiotics work?
They kill bacteria that cause disease and damage bacterial cells without harming human cells.
What forms can antibiotics take?
Pill or syrup.
How do antibiotics reach pathogens in the body?
They enter the bloodstream.
What is the significance of using the right antibiotic?
Specific bacteria require a specific antibiotic that is effective against them.
True or False: Antibiotics can kill viruses.
False.
What challenge do evolving resistant strains of bacteria pose?
They render antibiotics ineffective against particular types of bacteria.
Fill in the blank: Antibiotics are not the answer to infectious diseases because they cannot kill _______.
viruses.
What is a consequence of antibiotic-resistant strains?
There is no longer a cure for certain bacterial diseases.
What is an example of a drug derived from plants?
Aspirin
Aspirin is based on traditional medicines from the bark of willow trees, known for their anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties.
Who discovered penicillin?
Alexander Fleming
Fleming discovered penicillin after noticing a mould that killed bacteria in his culture plates.
What did Ernst Chain and Howard Florey achieve?
They extracted penicillin successfully
They demonstrated penicillin’s ability to cure bacterial infections by treating a dying man.
What was the significance of Pfizer’s work with penicillin?
They produced penicillin on an industrial scale
This production was crucial for supplying penicillin during World War II.
What is a major challenge in finding new medicines?
Finding chemicals that kill bacteria without damaging human cells
This difficulty hampers the discovery of effective new drugs.
Where are most drugs synthesized?
In pharmaceutical industries
The synthesis often starts with chemicals extracted from plants or microorganisms.
Fill in the blank: Compounds showing promise as antibiotics can be _______ to produce more powerful molecules.
modified
True or False: Penicillin is no longer used today.
False
Penicillin is still used today for treating bacterial infections.
What is the initial source for many synthesized drugs?
Chemicals extracted from plants or microorganisms
These natural sources often serve as the starting point for drug development.
What are the four characteristics of a good medicine?
Effective, Safe, Stable, Successfully taken into and removed from the body
A good medicine should prevent or cure a disease, not be toxic, remain stable under normal conditions, and reach its target while being cleared from the system after use.
What is the first stage of drug testing called?
Preclinical testing
This stage involves testing not carried out on humans, often using cells, tissues, and live animals.
What is the purpose of giving very low doses of a drug to healthy volunteers during clinical testing?
To check if the drug is safe
This step is crucial before determining optimal dosages for treating diseases.
What is a double-blind trial?
A trial where neither the patients nor the doctors know who receives the active drug and who receives the placebo
This design helps eliminate bias in the treatment process.
What does the placebo group receive in a double-blind trial?
A dummy drug that looks like the test drug but has no active ingredient
Some patients may experience improvement due to their belief in receiving treatment.
What is the purpose of publishing drug test results in journals?
To allow peer review and prevent false claims
This process ensures that results are scrutinized by other scientists in the same field.
Fill in the blank: The optimal dosage is the best dose to treat the disease with the fewest _______.
side effects
Finding the optimal dosage is a critical step in clinical testing.
True or False: The preclinical testing phase involves testing on humans.
False
Preclinical testing is conducted on cells, tissues, and live animals, not humans.
What are the two main types of testing phases in drug development?
Preclinical testing and clinical testing
Preclinical testing is done before human trials, while clinical testing involves human subjects.
What is the role of peer review in the publication of drug test results?
To verify results and prevent false claims
Peer review ensures that the findings are credible and scientifically valid.
What are monoclonal antibodies?
Proteins produced to target particular cells or chemicals in the body
They rely on the immune system for their function.
What type of cells are combined to create hybridoma cells?
Lymphocytes from mice and tumour cells
Lymphocytes can make antibodies but cannot divide, while tumour cells can divide rapidly but cannot produce antibodies.
What is a hybridoma?
A cell that can divide to produce a large number of identical cells producing the same antibodies
Hybridomas are key to producing monoclonal antibodies.
What is the significance of combining mouse cells with human cells in monoclonal antibody production?
To produce antibodies less likely to be rejected by human cells
Human cells can recognize the genetic material in the monoclonal antibodies from the combined cells.
What are antigens?
Protein molecules on the surface of cells
They are targets for monoclonal antibodies.
What do monoclonal antibodies specifically bind to?
One specific antigen
This specificity allows them to target particular cells or chemicals.
What hormone is produced in early stages of pregnancy that monoclonal antibodies can detect?
Human chorionic gonadotropin
This hormone exits the body through urine, used in pregnancy tests.
How do monoclonal antibodies signal a positive pregnancy test?
By binding to hormones and producing a color change
This indicates the presence of the hormone in urine.
In what ways are monoclonal antibodies used in disease diagnosis?
To bind to specific antigens on pathogens, blood clots, or cancer cells
They help in early detection of problems before they affect the patient seriously.
How are monoclonal antibodies utilized in hospitals and laboratories?
To measure and monitor levels of hormones or other chemicals in the blood
This application is crucial for patient care.
What role do research scientists have with monoclonal antibodies?
To locate and identify specific molecules in cells or tissues
They may use antibodies linked to fluorescent dyes for visualization.
What happens after monoclonal antibodies bind to the desired molecule in research?
Scientists observe the buildup of fluorescence
This allows them to track the presence and location of specific molecules.
What are monoclonal antibodies used for?
Treatment of specific diseases
Monoclonal antibodies target specific types of cells.
How do monoclonal antibodies directly treat cancer?
Trigger the immune system to recognize, attack, and destroy cancer cells
What is one method of using monoclonal antibodies to block cancer cell growth?
Blocking receptors on the surface of cancer cells
What is another application of monoclonal antibodies in cancer treatment?
Carrying toxic drugs or radioactive substances to directly attack cancer cells
List three uses of monoclonal antibodies.
- Testing for pregnancy by detecting HCG hormones in urine
- Testing for diseases such as herpes, chlamydia, and HIV
- Treating conditions like cancer by delivering drugs directly to tumor cells
What is an advantage of monoclonal antibodies despite their initial production time?
Can be produced quickly
What is one limitation of monoclonal antibodies?
Unwanted side effects when identifying and treating medical conditions
True or False: Monoclonal antibodies are inexpensive to produce.
False
What ethical issue is associated with the production of monoclonal antibodies?
Use of animals in the production process
What happened during the drug trial in 2006 involving monoclonal antibodies?
Low doses resulted in organ failure
Fill in the blank: Monoclonal antibodies can help the immune system _______ cancer cells.
attack
