vaccinations + medicine Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

What is a vaccination?

A

Contains a dead or inactivated form of the pathogen which stimulates white blood cells to produce antibodies to the pathogen.
In the case of a second infection, memory cells can rapidly produce the correct antibodies and prevent illness.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is herd immunity?

A

If a sufficiently high proportion of a population are immune to a disease (especially through vaccination), the spread of this disease will be limited.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the advantages of vaccinations?

A

● They have eradicated many deadly diseases eg. smallpox.
● Many epidemics can be prevented by
vaccinations.
● Herd immunity protects those who cannot have vaccinations.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are the disadvantages of vaccinations?

A

● Not guaranteed to work - might not protect against multiple strains of a pathogen.
● May be side effects or adverse reactions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What drugs are used to cure some bacterial

diseases?

A

Antibiotics - they can kill bacterial pathogens inside the body

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

How do antibiotics work?

A

Antibiotics, eg. penicillin, kill bacterial pathogens inside the body, but do not kill human cells.
Whilst some antibiotics kill a wide range of bacteria, it is important that the right antibiotic is used for specific bacteria.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Why can antibiotics not be used to treat viral diseases?

A

Antibiotics have no effect on viral pathogens as they live inside the host’s (human) cells. Therefore, it is difficult to design drugs that would kill the virus and
not destroy human cells at the same time.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is antibiotic resistance?

A

Antibiotic resistance occurs when mutations lead to individual bacteria being resistant to an antibiotic.
These bacteria are able to survive, reproduce and pass on their
alleles, leading to a greater proportion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
This is concerning as some types of bacteria are becoming resistant to all known antibiotics, so the diseases that they cause cannot be cured.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How can we prevent antibiotic resistance?

A

● Avoid overuse and unnecessary use of antibiotics - eg. antibiotics are often used for viral infections.
● Finish antibiotic courses - to ensure all bacteria is killed.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What effect do painkillers have on

infectious diseases?

A

Painkillers can only treat the symptoms but do not kill pathogens.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What antibiotic was discovered by Alexander Fleming from a type of mould?

A

Penicillin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are the four qualities of a good medicine?

A

● Effective
● Safe
● Stable
● Able to be taken in and removed easily

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What three main factors are tested for when

developing new drugs?

A

● Toxicity
● Efficacy
● Dose

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How is preclinical testing carried out?

A

In a laboratory - uses cells, tissues and live animals

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How is clinical testing carried out?

A
  • Uses healthy volunteers and patients. Firstly, the drug is tested at a low dose on healthy people
  • then tested on patients and on a larger scale to find the optimum dose
  • Often, one group receive a placebo (not the test drug) and the other group receive the actual drug, in order to assess its efficacy.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is the difference between a single-blind and a double-blind trial?

A

In a single-blind trial, only the doctor knows whether the patient is receiving the drug or the placebo.
In a double-blind trial, neither the patient nor the doctor knows. Double-blind trials help remove bias on the part of the doctor.

17
Q

What is a peer review?

A

Where the results of drug trials are checked over by scientists knowledgeable in this field.