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B3 G) Drugs
B3 G) Drugs
Some drugs cure diseases and other relieve the symptoms of the diseases. For example, painkillers relieve pain, but do not actually kill/ deal with the pathogen. Examples of painkillers are paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Other drugs either kill or reduce the pathogen’s ability to multiply/ grow. For example, antibiotics kill and interfere with the growth and reproduction of bacteria. There are many different types of antibiotics that affect different types of bacteria. Therefore, it is essential that an individual takes the correct antibiotic for the type of bacteria that we are infected with. Antibiotics only kill bacteria and not viruses. A common exam question would be something like “why can’t we use antibiotics to treat an individual that is infected with influenza”. The answer to this question is that antibiotics only work on bacteria and influenza is a virus, which means that antibiotics will not work. Examples of antibiotics are penicillin, cephalosporin and tetracyclines.
Other drugs either kill or reduce the pathogen’s ability to multiply/ grow. For example, antibiotics kill and interfere with the growth and reproduction of bacteria. There are many different types of antibiotics that affect different types of bacteria. Therefore, it is essential that an individual takes the correct antibiotic for the type of bacteria that we are infected with. Antibiotics only kill bacteria and not viruses. A common exam question would be something like “why can’t we use antibiotics to treat an individual that is infected with influenza”. The answer to this question is that antibiotics only work on bacteria and influenza is a virus, which means that antibiotics will not work. Examples of antibiotics are penicillin, cephalosporin and tetracyclines.
Viruses reproduce in our bodies by invading our cells. This makes it hard to develop drugs that fight off viruses because it is tricky to just kill the virus and not the cells that the viruses have invaded.
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
Bacteria can mutate – a mutation is a change in the DNA of an organism. Sometimes a mutation can result in the bacteria becoming resistant to a certain antibiotic – they will not be killed when we use that particular antibiotic.
Let’s now suppose that an individual has a bacterial infection and whilst they have the bacterial infection, the bacteria has mutated. When we treat the individual with antibiotics, the antibiotics will kill the non-resistant strain of the bacteria, but the antibiotics will not kill the resistant strain of the bacteria. As the resistant strain of the bacteria survives, they will reproduce. This results in the resistant strain of the bacteria becoming more prevalent/ common in the population. Future individuals that become infected with this bacterium are more likely to be infected with the resistant strain of the bacteria. This is problematic because we will be unable to use antibiotics to treat the resistant strain of bacteria. This may result in infected individuals suffering long term damage or maybe even dying. An example of a resistant strain of bacteria is MRSA (meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which is resistant to the antibiotic meticillin.
Bacteria can mutate – a mutation is a change in the DNA of an organism. Sometimes a mutation can result in the bacteria becoming resistant to a certain antibiotic – they will not be killed when we use that particular antibiotic.
Let’s now suppose that an individual has a bacterial infection and whilst they have the bacterial infection, the bacteria has mutated. When we treat the individual with antibiotics, the antibiotics will kill the non-resistant strain of the bacteria, but the antibiotics will not kill the resistant strain of the bacteria. As the resistant strain of the bacteria survives, they will reproduce. This results in the resistant strain of the bacteria becoming more prevalent/ common in the population. Future individuals that become infected with this bacterium are more likely to be infected with the resistant strain of the bacteria. This is problematic because we will be unable to use antibiotics to treat the resistant strain of bacteria. This may result in infected individuals suffering long term damage or maybe even dying. An example of a resistant strain of bacteria is MRSA (meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which is resistant to the antibiotic meticillin.
The development of antibiotic resistant strains of different bacteria is concerning because we are seeing a greater increase in new strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria than the increase in new antibiotics. This may mean that in the future, we end up in a position where we have many antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria and none or few antibiotics to treat them. We can slow down the rate of new antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria occurring by reducing overprescribing of antibiotics. Doctors reduce overprescribing by only prescribing antibiotics when they are actually needed; they won’t prescribe antibiotics when they are not necessarily needed/ the bacterial infection would clear up on its own without antibiotics. Also, when you are prescribed antibiotics for a bacterial infection, it is important that you finish the whole course of antibiotics rather than stopping when you feel better. Both reducing overprescribing and finishing the whole course of antibiotics will reduce the number of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria developing.
Where Do Drugs Come From
Many of the drugs that we use have been discovered by studying plants that were used in traditional cures for certain diseases. For example, the painkiller aspirin was developed from willow. Also, digitalis is used to treat heart conditions and it was developed from a chemical in foxgloves.
Also, some drugs are chemicals that are extracted from microorganisms. For example, penicillin was discovered from a mould called penicillium notatum. Penicillium notatum produces penicillin which is an antibacterial substance that kills bacteria. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928.
Most of the chemicals used in modern drugs are made in big labs. But the initial processes in finding the chemicals for drugs may start from extracting chemicals from plants.
Around 25% of the drugs that we use today have derived from rainforest plants. The Amazon Rainforest is the most abundant greenhouse on the planet with over 80,000 plant species. There are still thousands of species of plants in the rainforest that we can research in more detail to find potential chemicals that we can use for drugs to treat certain diseases. The development of new drugs is another reason why rainforests should be preserved (other reasons why rainforests should be preserved are that they have high levels of biodiversity, they take in a lot of carbon dioxide, they are an essential part of the water cycle etc.).
Many of the drugs that we use have been discovered by studying plants that were used in traditional cures for certain diseases. For example, the painkiller aspirin was developed from willow. Also, digitalis is used to treat heart conditions and it was developed from a chemical in foxgloves.
Also, some drugs are chemicals that are extracted from microorganisms. For example, penicillin was discovered from a mould called penicillium notatum. Penicillium notatum produces penicillin which is an antibacterial substance that kills bacteria. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928.
Most of the chemicals used in modern drugs are made in big labs. But the initial processes in finding the chemicals for drugs may start from extracting chemicals from plants.
Around 25% of the drugs that we use today have derived from rainforest plants. The Amazon Rainforest is the most abundant greenhouse on the planet with over 80,000 plant species. There are still thousands of species of plants in the rainforest that we can research in more detail to find potential chemicals that we can use for drugs to treat certain diseases. The development of new drugs is another reason why rainforests should be preserved (other reasons why rainforests should be preserved are that they have high levels of biodiversity, they take in a lot of carbon dioxide, they are an essential part of the water cycle etc.).