Drugs & Medicines

This lesson covers:

  1. What medications are 
  2. What painkillers are 
  3. What antibiotics are

What is the difference between antibiotics, antivirals, and antiseptics?

Illustration showing the action of antibiotics on bacteria with a red cross over a bacterium.

Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent bacterial infections. They work by killing bacteria or preventing them from spreading.

Illustration showing a virus with a cross over it, representing antiviral action.

Antivirals are used to treat viral infections. They don't directly destroy viruses, but stop them from reproducing.

Illustration of a scalpel with an antiseptic drop on the blade.

Antiseptics are used to sterilise surfaces by destroying any microorganisms living there. They can be used on items such as surgical equipment, or humans (for example when washing a wound).

A _________ is a drug that is used to prevent, treat or relieve the symptoms of disease.  


medication 

hallucinogen

antibody

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What is a pathogen?

A substance that damages cells 

An organism that transfers a disease from one organism to another

A microorganism that causes disease 

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Illustration of a painkiller tablet.

Do painkillers help to cure the underlying disease? 

Yes

No

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Which of the following types of drugs are used to relieve the symptoms of disease?

Statins 

Antibiotics 

Painkillers

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Which of the following drugs are used as painkillers?

(Select all that apply)

Penicillin 

Aspirin

Simvastatin 

Paracetamol 

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Illustration depicting measures to reduce antibiotic resistance spread

Which of the following measures could help to reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance?

(Select all that apply)

Patients taking antibiotics for the full prescribed course 

Giving more antibiotics to farm animals 

Doctors only prescribing antibiotics for serious bacterial infections 

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Illustration showing different types of organisms that antibiotics can kill.

Which type(s) of organisms can antibiotics kill?

Fungi

Viruses 

Bacteria

Protoctists

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How do antibiotics help to cure bacterial infections?

They reduce the symptoms caused by the bacteria

They bind to pathogens and encourage our immune cells to destroy them

They directly kill bacterial cells 

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True or false? Different antibiotics are effective against different strains of bacteria.

True 

False 

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Illustration showing the evolution of bacteria developing antibiotic resistance.

Occasionally, bacteria can evolve so that antibiotics no longer kill them. 


In these cases we say that the bacteria has developed .

antibiotic
resistance

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