Topic 10 (medicine in modern britain) - ideas about the cause of disease and illness Flashcards
What was the aim of the scientists who conducted research during the called ‘drug revolution’?
Scientists aimed to develop drugs that would destroy the germs that caused disease, without harming the patient as well
What does it mean to say that some diseases and illnesses are inherited?
Inherited illnesses are caused by faulty genes so if a parent had certain conditions or illnesses, there is a chance that the child could inherit them too
What does it mean to say that some diseases are caused by lifestyle factors?
it means that certain aspects of a persons lifestyle can lead to them getting diseases e.g. overeating/alcohol etc
Describe the work of Crick and Franklin/Wilkins?
- Crick: discovered that DNA was made from a double helix, joined together by two bases
- Franklin/Wilkins: developed methods of photographing strands of DNA and was the first person to successfully capture an image of DNA
How did X-rays impact on diagnosis?
It allowed doctors to see inside a patients body, which meant doctors could see tumours and growths, as well as built-up amounts of fluid in the body
How did blood tests impact on diagnosis?
Blood tests allowed doctors to take an extract from a persons blood and send it off for clinical testing to identify germs/disease in the blood
How did CT scans impact on diagnosis?
CT scans allowed doctors to see inside a patients body without having to make an incision or employ invasive probing
How did improved diagnosis affect the germ theory?
New diagnosis meant that we could isolate separate germs that attack the body and could organise more effective treatments and atack them in a much more effective way
