Common Viral Diseases: Explore three important viral diseases: measles affecting humans with fever and rash symptoms, HIV/AIDS and its impact on the immune system, and tobacco mosaic virus affecting plant photosynthesis. Learn about transmission methods, symptoms, and prevention strategies for each viral pathogen.
Food Poisoning - Salmonella Infection: Explore how Salmonella bacteria cause food poisoning through contaminated food, examining the symptoms, transmission methods, and prevention strategies including vaccination of poultry in the UK.
Sexually Transmitted Infections - Gonorrhoea: Investigate gonorrhoea as a bacterial STD, covering its symptoms, transmission through sexual contact, antibiotic resistance issues, and prevention methods including barrier contraception.
Rose Black Spot Disease: Learn about rose black spot as a fungal disease, including its symptoms (purple/black spots on leaves), effects on plant growth through reduced photosynthesis, methods of transmission (water and wind), and treatment options using fungicides or removing affected leaves.
Malaria: A Protist Disease: Students explore malaria as a disease caused by protist pathogens, examining the complex life cycle involving mosquitoes as vectors, understanding the symptoms including recurrent fever episodes and potential fatality, and investigating prevention methods including controlling mosquito breeding and using protective nets.
Physical Barriers Against Pathogens: Learn how the skin, nose, trachea, bronchi and stomach act as the first line of defence to prevent pathogens from entering the body.
The Immune System Response: Understand how white blood cells defend the body through phagocytosis, antibody production and antitoxin production when pathogens enter the body.
How Antibiotics Work and Their Limitations: Learn how antibiotics like penicillin kill bacterial infections, why specific antibiotics target specific bacteria, and understand why antibiotics cannot treat viral diseases. Explore the growing concern of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Treating Symptoms vs Killing Pathogens: Understand the difference between painkillers that treat symptoms and medicines that kill pathogens. Discover why it's so challenging to develop effective antiviral drugs without harming healthy body tissues.
Immune System Problems and Allergic Reactions: Investigate how immune system defects increase susceptibility to infections and how immune reactions can trigger allergies like skin rashes and asthma.
Analysing Disease Data and Epidemiology: Learn to interpret disease incidence data using graphs, charts, and statistical methods, and understand the principles of sampling in epidemiological studies.
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What is Topic 5: Health, disease and the development of medicines?
Health, pathogens, immunity, medicines and monoclonal antibodies. 39 lessons in 5 subtopics.
What are the symptoms of Salmonella?
The symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning are fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea. The Food Poisoning - Salmonella Infection notes cover this in full.
What are the symptoms of gonorrhoea?
The main symptoms of gonorrhoea are a thick yellow or green discharge from the vagina or penis and pain or a burning sensation when urinating, and in some cases pelvic pain or swollen testicles. The Sexually Transmitted Infections - Gonorrhoea notes cover this in full.
What is COPD?
COPD is the collective name for emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The Risk Factors and Lifestyle Effects on Health (Part 1/2) notes cover this in full.
What are the side effects of statins?
Statins can cause side effects such as muscle pain. The Evaluating Cardiovascular Disease Treatments notes cover this in full.
What is a pathogen?
A pathogen is a microorganism that causes infectious disease. The Types of Pathogens and How They Spread notes cover this in full.
Who discovered penicillin?
Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by accident in 1928, when a mould killed bacteria in his petri dish. The How Antibiotics Work and Their Limitations notes cover this in full.
How long do antibiotics take to work?
Antibiotics take 24-48 hours to work, while painkillers work immediately. The Treating Symptoms vs Killing Pathogens notes cover this in full.
What is cancer?
Cancer is a disease caused by changes in cells that lead to uncontrolled growth and division. The Understanding Cancer and Tumour Types notes cover this in full.