Preventing and Treating

• What happens in autoimmune diseases?

  The immune system stops recognizing "self" cells and starts to destroy them.
• How many autoimmune diseases are there?

  There are over 100 autoimmune diseases.
• What are the probable causes of autoimmune diseases?

  The causes are probably a mixture of genetics and environmental factors.
• How are autoimmune diseases usually treated?

  They are usually treated with immunosuppressant drugs.
• What is a downside of using immunosuppressant drugs?

  They make the body more vulnerable to communicable diseases.
• What are some examples of autoimmune diseases and their affected parts?

  • Type 1 diabetes: β cells in pancreas
  • Rheumatoid arthritis: Synovial joints (hands, wrist, knee, ankles, feet)
  • Lupus: Can affect any organ (liver, brain, lungs) and often attacks joints and skin
• What treatments are available for Type 1 diabetes?

  Insulin pumps or injection, immunosuppressant drugs, pancreas transplant.
• What treatments are available for rheumatoid arthritis?

  Anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, pain relief, immunosuppressant drugs.
• What treatments are available for lupus?

  Anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, pain relief, immunosuppressant drugs, and other drugs depending on symptoms.
• What is natural active immunity?

  It is the immune response of your body to being exposed to pathogens.
• What is natural passive immunity?

  It is immunity passed from mother to baby through placenta or colostrum.
• What is artificial active immunity?

  A safe form of an antigen is injected into an individual.
• What is artificial passive immunity?

  Antibodies to a disease are formed in one individual and injected into another.
• How are vaccines made?

  Pathogens are made safe using dead or inactivated viruses, weakened strains, detoxified toxins, antigens, or genetically engineered antigens.
• What happens after a vaccine is injected into the blood?

  The body produces antibodies and memory cells to fight off the pathogens.
• What triggers a secondary immune response?

  A second exposure to the pathogen triggers a secondary immune response.
• How do vaccines help prevent epidemics and pandemics?

  • Long-term immunity from vaccines can prevent epidemics.
  • A pandemic occurs when a disease spreads across several countries.
  • Mass vaccination can lead to herd immunity.
  • Herd immunity protects unvaccinated individuals.
• Why do vaccination programs need to change over time?

  Pathogens that reproduce frequently accumulate mutations that may change their antigens.
• What percentage of a population needs to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity against measles?

  About 95% of a population needs to be vaccinated.
• What is aspirin derived from?

  Aspirin is synthesized from salicylic acid, which comes from tree bark.
• What are morphine and codeine derived from?

  They are derived from opium found in poppies.
• What is penicillin derived from?

  Penicillin is derived from a type of fungus.
• Why is maintaining biodiversity important for medicine?

  It may lead to undiscovered plants or microorganisms that could provide treatments for diseases.
• What is personalized medicine?

  It aims to tailor medicines to each patient for better effectiveness and fewer side effects.
• What is drug design?

  It is the process of finding new medications based on knowledge of a biological target.
• How does drug design utilize computer modeling?

  It frequently relies on computer modeling techniques and bioinformatics.
• How can knowledge of genomes lead to personalized medicines?

  It can help develop treatments that target vulnerabilities in pathogens and individuals.
• What is synthetic biology?

  It involves genetically engineering organisms to produce medicines and drugs.
• What is nanotechnology in medicine?

  It uses small non-living particles to deliver drugs to specific places.
• When was penicillin discovered?

  Penicillin was discovered and developed in the 1920s.
• What is selective toxicity in antibiotics?

  It damages the metabolism of bacteria without affecting human cells.
• What is antibiotic resistance?

  It is the ability of an organism to not be affected by a lethal dose of a chemical.
• What causes antibiotic resistance?

  It is caused by random mutations in bacteria.
• What happens when bacteria become resistant to antibiotics?

  The mutant form becomes the norm, leading to more resistant bacteria in subsequent generations.
• How quickly can bacteria multiply?

  Bacteria can multiply rapidly, e.g., once every 20 minutes.
• What is MRSA?

  MRSA is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
• How is Clostridium difficile harmful?

  It produces toxins that damage the lining of the intestines, causing bleeding and diarrhea.
• What are some new treatments being sought for antibiotic-resistant bacteria?

  Using bacteriophages, Manuka honey, altering resistance genes, and using AI to develop new drugs.
• What are the methods for investigating the efficacy of antibiotics?

  1. Swab taken to provide a sample of bacteria.
  2. Microbes grown on an agar plate.
  3. Filter discs put onto the plates.
  4. Incubation at 25 degrees Celsius for 48 hours.
  5. Antibiotic diffuses out of the paper.
  6. Microbe is killed, producing an area of inhibition.
  7. Greater diameter of the clear area indicates more effective antibiotic.
• What are the two examples of antibiotic-resistant bacteria you need to know?

  • MRSA: Carried by 30% of the population, can cause boils and septicemia.
  • Clostridium difficile: Found in the gut, can cause severe gastrointestinal problems.