1. What are antibiotics ?
Answer
Antibiotics are medicines that help to cure bacterial disease by killing (infective) bacteria inside the body.
2. Describe how the hairs in nose and the hydrochloric acid in the stomach defend against pathogens.
Answer
Hairs around the nostrils act as a filter for inhaled air removing dust and pathogens.
The acid in the stomach kills any pathogens ingested in food and drink, or in swallowed mucus.
3. Gonorrhoea is a disease caused by bacteria. How is it spread, and what are its symptoms ?
Answer
It is a sexually transmitted disease (STD), and some symptoms include thick yellow or green discharge from the vagina or penis, and pain during urination.
4. What happens in late-stage HIV infection or AIDS ?
Answer
The body’s immune system becomes so badly damaged it can no longer deal with cancers or with infections.
5. The measles vaccine can cause side effects, including a rash, high temperature, and feeling unwell for two or three days. Rare side effects may include seizures and severe allergic reactions. Some people are concerned about vaccinating their children due to these potential risks. Evaluate the use of the measles vaccine.
Answer
The side effects of the vaccine are quite mild and complications are rare, whereas the complications of measles infection are more serious. Although the vaccine can cause seizures, the risk of seizures is much higher if you have the infection. There is a risk of death from getting measles, but no risk of death associated with the vaccine. In conclusion, people should have their children vaccinated against measles as it is a potentially fatal disease that cannot be treated, so it is worth the small risk of side effects that the vaccine can cause.
6. From which organisms were aspirin, digitalis, and penicillin extracted ?
Answer
Aspirin is extracted from the willow tree. Digitalis is extracted from the foxglove plant. Penicillin is extracted from mould.
7. At the start of clinical trials, phase 1 involves a small number of healthy volunteers. Why are healthy individuals used instead of patients with the disease ?
Answer
Patients may be taking other medications, which means that side effects could be mistaken for symptoms of the disease rather than effects of the new drug.
8. There are three phases of clinical trials. Phase 2 and phase 3 are further clinical trials that use large numbers of patients. What is the main purpose of these clinical trials ?
Answer
To find the optimum dosage of the new drug.
9. The results of testing and trials are only published after scrutiny by peer review. What does peer review mean ?
Answer
Peer review involves other scientists looking at the data to check that claims are valid and to detect false claims.