GCSE Combined Science (AQA)

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Antibiotics & Painkillers

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Infection and Response Communicable Diseases

Antibiotics & Painkillers

2:43 Fighting Communicable Diseases
Spec 4.3.1.8
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  • Antibiotics are medicines that cure bacterial diseases by killing bacteria inside the body.
  • Different antibiotics work in various ways, such as weakening bacterial cell walls or disrupting bacterial reproduction.
  • The first antibiotic discovered was penicillin.
  • Specific antibiotics are required to treat specific bacteria; not all antibiotics work on all bacteria.
  • Antibiotics have significantly reduced deaths from bacterial diseases, allowing many people to recover fully.
  • Antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria are emerging, posing a new challenge.
  • Antibiotics do not kill viruses and have no effect on viral infections like the common cold.
  • Other medicines, like painkillers, may treat symptoms of diseases but do not kill pathogens.
  • Painkillers treat symptoms such as pain, inflammation, and fever, making patients more comfortable but not affecting the underlying pathogen.
  • It's important to distinguish between antibiotics, which kill bacteria, and painkillers, which only alleviate symptoms, especially for exam purposes.

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