Development of Medicines Practice Questions

Which statement explains why antibiotics cannot be used to treat influenza?

A antibiotics are broken down by the acid in the stomach

B antibiotics inhibit cell processes that only take place in bacteria

C viruses have a cell wall that antibiotics cannot pass through

D viruses reproduce more quickly than antibiotics can act

Name the piece of equipment used to sterilise the nutrient agar and the petri dishes before the investigation.

The inoculating loop is passed through a Bunsen flame immediately before and immediately after transferring the bacteria. Explain why.

In schools, the sealed plates are incubated at $25\,^\circ\text{C}$ and not at $37\,^\circ\text{C}$. Give one reason why.

Write the letters A, B, C and D in the correct order.

Describe what happens during preclinical testing.

Give one thing that is tested when the medicine is first given to healthy volunteers.

Calculate Ravi's BMI. Give your answer to 1 decimal place and state which category he is in.

Ravi decides to take more exercise. Explain how this could reduce his BMI.

Give the meaning of the term non-communicable disease.

Give two lifestyle factors that increase a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Explain how smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Describe a method the student could use to compare the effect of the three plant extracts on the growth of the bacteria.

Give two variables the student must control to make the comparison a fair test.

The clear zone around the disc soaked in antiseptic P had a diameter of $18$ mm.

Calculate the cross-sectional area of this clear zone using $\pi r^2$. Give your answer to 3 significant figures and include the unit.

The clear zone around the disc soaked in antiseptic Q had a cross-sectional area of $113\ \text{mm}^2$.

Calculate the diameter of this clear zone. Give your answer in mm.

Describe how monoclonal antibodies are produced.

Explain why all the antibodies collected are identical.

Explain how the test shows a blue line in the test window when a woman is pregnant.

A line appears in the control window whether or not the woman is pregnant. Suggest why this line is needed.

Describe the relationship shown by the data in the table.

Explain how drinking large amounts of alcohol over many years can lead to liver disease.

Explain why these data alone do not prove that drinking alcohol causes liver disease.

Describe what happens during preclinical testing of the new medicine.

In the clinical trial, half of the patients were given the new medicine and half were given a placebo. Explain why a placebo was used.

Explain what is meant by a double-blind trial and give one advantage of using one.

Calculate Jack's waist : hip ratio. Give your answer to 2 decimal places and state his risk category.

Jack's BMI is $24.8$, which is in the healthy weight range. Explain why the waist : hip ratio may give a better indication of Jack's risk of cardiovascular disease than his BMI.

Explain why vancomycin can be used to treat bacterial infections in humans.

Evaluate these three treatments for Mr Ahmed's cardiovascular disease.

Calculate the mean diameter of the clear zone for antiseptic C. Explain what you have done with the result from repeat 2.

Explain why the student included a disc soaked in sterile water.

The student concluded that antiseptic B would be the best one for a hospital to use on wounds. Give two reasons why this conclusion may not be valid.

Explain how monoclonal antibodies can be used to find the position of a tumour in a patient's body.

Monoclonal antibodies carrying a drug can be used to treat cancer. Explain the advantages of this treatment compared with radiotherapy or with drugs given to the whole body.