What were the two traditional sources of medicines?
Plants and microorganisms.
AQA GCSE Biology - Foundation (8461) · 4.3.1.9
Revise AQA GCSE Biology - Foundation (8461) specification point 4.3.1.9, Discovery and development of drugs, with free active-recall flashcards. Flip through the set or review every question and answer below.
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What were the two traditional sources of medicines?
Plants and microorganisms.
Which plant is the source of the heart drug digitalis?
Foxgloves.
Compounds associated with which plant were used to develop the painkiller aspirin?
Willow.
Who discovered penicillin?
Alexander Fleming.
What organism was penicillin discovered from?
Penicillium mould.
How are most new drugs now produced?
They are synthesised by chemists in the pharmaceutical industry.
What role can a chemical extracted from a plant play in drug development?
It can provide a starting point for developing a new drug.
Who takes part in clinical trials of potential medicines?
Healthy volunteers and patients.
What three things do clinical trials investigate about a potential medicine?
Its safety, effectiveness and dose.
Why are very low doses given at the start of a clinical trial?
To reduce the risk of harmful effects.
When do further clinical trials investigate a drug’s optimum dose?
After the drug has been found to be safe.
What is the optimum dose of a drug?
A dose that produces the intended effect while keeping harmful effects acceptably low.
What is a placebo, and what is its role in a clinical trial?
It contains no active drug and provides a comparison for assessing the drug’s effects.
In a double-blind trial, who does not know which participants receive the drug or placebo?
Neither the participants nor the people administering the treatment know during the trial.
Why are clinical trials conducted double-blind?
To help reduce bias when results are assessed.
When does preclinical drug testing take place?
Before a potential medicine is tested in people.
What three kinds of biological material are used in preclinical drug testing?
Cells, tissues and live animals.
What three things do preclinical drug tests investigate?
Whether the drug is toxic, whether it has the intended effect, and what doses may be suitable for further testing.
What decision does preclinical drug testing provide evidence for?
Whether to proceed to clinical trials.
What can preclinical testing not establish with certainty about a drug?
That it will be safe and effective in humans.