Antibiotics and painkillers Flashcards – AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy (8464) — Biology — Higher

What is a drug?

Any substance taken into the body that modifies or affects chemical reactions in the body.

What are antibiotics?

Drugs used to treat bacterial infections by killing bacteria.

Why are antibiotics ineffective against viral infections?

Antibiotics do not affect viruses.

How does antibiotic resistance affect the treatment of bacterial infections?

It reduces the effectiveness of antibiotics against infections caused by the resistant bacteria.

How do viruses use body cells to reproduce?

They reproduce inside body cells, using the cells’ machinery to make more viruses.

Why is it difficult to develop antiviral drugs that do not damage body tissues?

Viruses use host-cell machinery, so targeting the virus or its reproduction can also harm the cells it uses.