Drugs/testing/vaccines

• How do vaccines work?

  • A small quantity of dead, inactive pathogens are injected
  • The immune system still detects the antigens and produces antibodies for the disease
  • They then become memory cells which can be produced quickly if the real pathogen was reintroduced to your body
  • it would attack it quickly before it could harm you
• What is herd immunity?

  • The majority of the population is vaccinated, meaning the disease cant spread and it is contained
  • People who cant get the vaccine (ie elderly) are also protected due to the disease being contained as everyone around them is vaccinated
• What are painkillers 


  • Reduce pain and relieve symptoms
  • DONT cure disease/kill pathogens
• What are antibiotics 


  • bacteria specific - specific antibiotics only work on 1 type
  • treat the disease by killing pathogen
  • greatly reduces deaths
• What is aspirin?


  • Derived from willow tree bark
  • PAINKILLERS
• What is digitalis?


  • Treats heart problems
  • Derived from foxgloves
• What is penicillin?


  • ANTIBIOTIC
  • Alexander Fleming accidentally grew a fungus called penicillium which kills bacteria
• What is drug testing based off?

  • Efficacy - how effective the drug is
  • Toxicity - any harmful side effects
  • Dosage - what is the optimal concentration and intake
• What is stage 5 of drug trials

  • scientists go over recorded results to valdiate and eliminate any biasy
• What is double blind testing and why is it done?

  • Both the doctor and patient don't know who has the placebo drug or the real drug
  • 1/2 of the patients are given the placebo drug (fake)
  • Avoids bias and placebo affects
• What is stage 1 of drug testing?

  • Preclinical trials on skin cells in a lab
  • This tests efficacy and side effects/toxicity
• What is stage 2 of drug trials?

  • Preclinical part 2
  • On live animals
  • This tests efficacy, toxicity and doseage
• What is stage 3 of drug trials?

  • Clinical human trials
  • Tested on healthy volenteers so no underlying conditions interfer with the results
  • Doseage starts low and is slowly increased in order to find optimum doseage
• what is stage 4 of drug trials

  • Drug is given to patients with the condition
  • Placeobo drugs are given and a double blind study is carried out