Sciences - Co-ordinated (Double) - 0654 CIE

Drugs

Overview

When you take medicine for a sore throat or a chest infection, you are putting a drug into your body to change what is happening inside it. Some of the most important medicines ever discovered are antibiotics, which kill the bacteria that cause infections, but their power is under threat.

In this lesson you will learn what a drug is, how antibiotics treat bacterial infections, why they do nothing against viruses, and how antibiotic resistance develops. You will also see why doctors now urge us to use antibiotics only when they are truly needed.

Objectives

Describe a drug as any substance taken into the body that modifies or affects chemical reactions in the body
Describe the use of antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial infections
State that some bacteria are resistant to antibiotics which reduces the effectiveness of antibiotics
State that antibiotics kill bacteria but do not affect viruses
[Supplement] Explain how using antibiotics only when essential can limit the development of resistant bacteria such as MRSA

Lesson Note

Antibiotics transformed medicine, making once-deadly infections treatable. But bacteria can become resistant, and resistant strains like MRSA are very hard to treat. Understanding how antibiotics work and how resistance spreads is important for your health and is a common exam topic.

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Lesson Evaluation

Congratulations on completing the lesson on Drugs. Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.

You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.

A drug is any substance taken into the body that: A. only cures bacterial infections B. modifies or affects chemical reactions in the body C. is always illegal D. only affects the brain Answer: B
Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by: A. viruses B. bacteria C. fungi only D. all pathogens equally Answer: B
Antibiotics have no effect on: A. bacteria B. viruses C. bacterial cell walls D. bacterial protein synthesis Answer: B
Antibiotic resistance in bacteria first arises by: A. taking too few antibiotics in one dose B. random mutation C. the antibiotic creating it D. the patient's diet Answer: B
Which practice helps to limit the development of resistant bacteria? A. using antibiotics for every cold B. stopping a course early C. using antibiotics only when essential D. sharing antibiotics with others Answer: C