Matric Notes Biology Class 10th Ch 18 Pharmacology Short Questions

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Q1. What is drug addiction and what are the effects of addiction?

Drug addiction: It is also called as substance use disorder. It is a disease that affects a person's brain and behaviour and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medication. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs.

Effects of drug addiction: The sad truth is that more deaths, illnesses, and disabilities are caused by substance abuse than by any other preventable health condition. Prolonged drug dependence interferes with just about every organ in the human body, and while different drugs have different damaging effects, these are some of the common conditions substance abuse can cause: 

• Damaged immune system, which increases susceptibility to infection 
• Cardiovascular conditions, including heart attacks and collapsed veins 
• Nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain 
• Liver overexertion or liver failure 
• Seizures and strokes 
• Widespread brain damage that can interfere with memory, attention, and decision-making, as well as permanent brain damage

Q2. Differentiate between antibiotic and vaccines?

Ans. Antibiotics

• Antibiotics are antimicrobial molecules or compounds which are used to treat infections caused by bacteria, fungi, protozoa etc.
• Antibiotics kill bacteria, mainly used to treat bacterial infections.
• Available in different forms like tablets, capsules, syrup, drops, ointments
• Antibodies are given after getting infected.
• Its side effects include diarrhoea, nausea and allergy.
• Antibiotic can be used against multiple bacterial infections.
• It destroys the biochemistry of the bacteria.

Vaccines

• Vaccine is an inactive form of a germ (a small amount of a dead or inactivate germ) used to provide immunity to a specific disease.
• Vaccines kill viruses, mainly used to prevent viral infections.
• Vaccines are given through injection, in some cases given orally or nasally.
• Vaccine is a preventive measure which is given in advance before the manifestation of an infection
• Its side effects include swelling, mild fever etc.
• A vaccine provides immunity against a particular infection.
• It improves the natural immunity against germs

Q3. Enlist the bad effects of nicotine, caffeine and cocaine. Are these addictive?

Ans. Addictive drug: the drug that make a person dependent on them or addicts are called addictive drugs. Nicotine, caffeine and cocaine comes under the category of addictive drugs.

a) Nicotine: Nicotine is a chemical that contains nitrogen, which is made by several types of plants, including the tobacco plant. It is also produced synthetically.

Effects: Nicotine has a range of effects on the body. Nicotine makes the pancreas to produce less insulin, causing a slight increase in blood sugar or glucose. It increases the heart rate, heart muscle oxygen consumption rate, and heart stroke volume. These are known as pharmacologic effects.

b) Caffeine

• Caffeine increases the amount of acid in our stomach and may cause heartburn or upset stomach.
• Extra caffeine doesn’t get stored in our body either. It’s processed in the liver and exits through your urine. This is why a person might have an increase in urination shortly after having caffeine.
• An overdose of caffeine may cause rapid or irregular heartbeat and breathing trouble.
• Caffeine in large amounts may interfere with absorption and metabolism of calcium. This can contribute to bone thinning (osteoporosis).
• If we consume too much, caffeine may cause also our muscles to twitch.
• Too much caffeine can also cause slowed fetal growth and increased risk of miscarriage. a) Cocaine (C17H21NO4): Cocaine is a powerfully addictive, psychoactive, stimulant drug. On the street it is usually sold as a fine, white powder. Effects:Cocaine abuse can lead to acute cardiovascular or cerebrovascular emergencies, such as an irregular heart rhythm, heart attack or stroke, which may result in sudden death.

Q4. What are the responsibilities of society to deal with drug addicts?

Ans. Responsibility of society to deal with drug addicts:

• The drug addict can be saved if the society on the whole performs its shares of duties. 
• We should give them proper attention and adequate treatment 
• The drug addict need our sympathy and affection 
• We should try to keep them in gaining confidence. It will take a long time, we should show patience and forbearance. 
• We should not make fun of addicts. 
• Different kinds of youthful activities should be provided. These activities will take the youth away from drugs.

Q5. How are vaccine prepared?

Ans. Vaccines: A material containing weakened or killed pathogens and is used to produce immunity to a disease by stimulating the production of antibodies is called a vaccine. 

Preparation of vaccine: vaccines are created through a general three-step process:

1. Antigen is generated. Viruses are grown in primary cells (i.e. chicken eggs for the influenza vaccine), or on continuous cell lines (i.e. human cultured cells for hepatitis b vaccine); bacteria is grown in bioreactors (i.e. HIV vaccine).

2. Antigen is isolated from the cells used to create it.

3. Vaccine is made by adding adjuvant, stabilizers and preservatives. Adjuvants increase immune response of the antigen, stabilizers increase the vaccine’s storage life and preservatives allow for the use of multi-dose vials.

Q6. Give two examples of drugs, which are extracted from plants.

Drug: Any substance that when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal body functions is known as drug.

Drugs from plants: Many important drugs are obtained from plants. These medicines include antibiotics, cardiotonic and certain analgesics etc.

Examples

• Digitalis

Function: it is a cardiotonic which is used to stimulate the heart.

Source: it is made from the leaves of purple flowered plant, foxglove.

• Morphine

Function: it is a pain reliever.

Source: it is obtained from opium, which comes from the juice of poppy plant.

• Marijuana

It’s an addictive illegal drug obtained from plan Cannabis sativa. It cause anxiety, dizziness, fear, and increased heart rate, memory loss, less coordination, poor sense of balance.

Q7. Define drug addiction. What are the three major categories of drugs, which can cause addiction?

Ans. Drug addiction: It is also called as substance use disorder. It is a disease that affects a person's brain and behaviour and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medication. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs.

Categories of addictive drugs: The following are major categories of addictive drugs:

a) Sedatives
b) Narcotics
c) Hallucinogens

i. Sedatives: These drugs induce sedation by reducing irritability or excitement.

Mode of action: These drugs interact with central nervous system to depress its activities.

Effects: sedative drugs induce dizziness, lethargy, slow brain function and depression. Ong term use of sedative drugs induces suicidal thoughts.

ii. Narcotics: Narcotics are strong pain killers.

Prescription: These drugs are often prescribed in conjunction with other less potent pain killers like paracetamol or aspirin

Usage: These are used to relieve pain for patients with chronic diseases like cancer. These are also used to relieve acute pain after operations. But some people may abuse narcotics for ecstatic effects.

Examples: Morphine: it is derived from opium (poppy). It acts directly on central nervous system to relieve pain. Morphine has a high potential for addiction.

Codeine: It is also derived from opium.

Heroin: it is the most commonly abused narcotic. It is semisynthetic drug from morphine. It effects on central nervous system and cause drowsiness.

iii. Hallucinogens: Hallucinogen are the drugs that cause changes in perception, thought, emotions, and consciousness.

Mode of action: Physiologically, hallucinogens effect on the sympathetic nervous system causing dilation of pupils, constriction of some arteries and rise in blood pressure.

Examples:

Mescaline: It is derived from cactus

Psilocin: It is derived from mushroom.

Marijuana (Hashish): It is a hallucinogen, which is smoked.

Sources: It is obtained from the flowers, stem, leaves of marijuana plant cannabis sativa, and cannabis indica.

Effect: Small doses of marijuana result in a feeling of wellbeing that lasts for two to three hours, while high doses increase heart rate. It also weakens short term memory.

Q8. Define analgesic, antibiotics, and sedatives.

• Analgesic: These are also known as painkiller because it reduce pains like headaches, sore muscles, arthritis and other aches and pains.

Explanation: Different analgesics are used having own advantages and risks. Some painkillers act directly on affected area to relieve pain while others act in brain to stop the sensation of pain. Painkillers are based on two naturally occurring drugs i.e. aspirin and opiates.

• Antibiotic: The word antibiotic comes from the Greek Anti (against) and Bios (life). An antibiotic is a drug that kills the growth of bacteria.

Explanation: Antibiotics cure disease by killing bacteria or by stopping their growth. The first antibiotic (penicillium) was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928.

• Sedative: These drugs induce sedation by reducing irritability or excitement.

Explanation: Sedative drugs slows down the brain function. It block the brain chemical that conduct nerve impulse between brain cells, so it reduce anxiety and induce sleep i.e. Diazepam

Q9. Differentiate between bactericidal and bacteriostatic antibiotics.

Ans. Bactericidal

• Substance that can kills bacteria
• Disrupt cell wall structure and formation
• Minimum bactericidal concentration needs to kill bacteria
• Cause bacterial cell to die therefore decrease
• Immune system either unaffected or results in inflammatory response due to release of toxins from bacterial cell content
• Low doses may have bacteriostatic effects
• Irreversible cell death
• Examples: derivatives of penicillin, vancomycin etc.

Bacteriostatic

• Substance that inhibit the growth of bacterial cell
• Inhibit any further growth, DNA replication or other metabolic fu
• Minimum inhibitory concentration needed to retard bacterial cell growth
• Number of bacterial cell remains same until natural or immune response related death of cells
• Stimulate immune system to deal with infection
• Low doses ineffective, very high doses may be bactericidal
• Reversible action
• Examples: tetracycline, sulphonamides etc.

Q10. Define narcotics and give examples.

Narcotics: A drug that is small doses dulls the senses, relieve pain and bring on sleep. Narcotics are strong pain killers.

Prescription: These drugs are often prescribed in conjunction with other less potent pain killers like paracetamol or aspirin.

Usage: These are used to relieve pain for patients with chronic disease like cancer. These are also used to relieve acute pain after operations.

Examples:

Morphine: It is derived from opium (poppy). It acts directly on central nervous system to relieve pain. It has a high potential for addiction.

Codeine: It is also derived from opium. It is used in cough syrups. Inside body it changes into morphine and has same effect like other narcotics.

Heroin: it is the most commonly abused narcotic. It is semi-synthetic drug from morphine. It effects on central nervous system and causes drowsiness. It is taken in injection and through smoking. It gives a feeling of wellbeing, relaxation and sedation. Its use lead to respiratory depression and ultimately death.