I/GCSE Biology:

Treating and preventing disease

In I/GCSE Biology, medicines help to relieve symptoms (e.g. lozenges for sore throat) but don’t not kill the pathogen

• Antibiotics =  medicines that help cure diseases caused by B
• AB kill B inside body
• Penicillin was first AB discovered
• AB can’t kill viruses
• V’s  live and reproduce inside cells = hard to develop a medicine which kills the V but doesn’t damage body cells or tissues
• Effect of a AB measured in a lab
• Done by placing small discs of paper containing antibiotics on a dish containing B growing on gel
• Clear zone is where AB has been killed
• Results in body may be different to results on gel (body is more complicated)

In I/GCSE Biology,

• Immunity can be gained w/o ever having the disease
• When baby – immunized against whooping cough, measles and polio
• Immunization (vaccination) = injecting or swallowing a vaccine.
• Dead or inactive form of the pathogen.
• Vaccine doesn’t make you ill but WBC still produce Antibodies and destroy the pathogen.

Step 1 – Weak or dead microbes are injected into body

Step 2 – Antibodies produced which destroy microbes and their toxins

Step 3 – You’re immunized, next time REAL disease comes, antibodies are released before you become ill.

You got it~

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