Science A Bio

New drugs have to be throughly tested before they are sold as medicines  (to test if they cure disease or relieve symtoms)

first tests are in labs on cells and tissues or organs 

if they work they test on animals,healthy human volenteers and finally on paitients

healthy people are given a low dose of the drug to find out if its safe

Placebos do not contian drugs, half patient take a drug and have take a placebo to check if it really has an effect on patients

double-bind trial, neither the doctor nor paitent knows who is given the drug 

Thalidomide was developed as a sleeping pill

doctors relaised it good control morning sickness for pregnant women

unfortunatly it had not been tested for use in pregnancys

some babies where born with limb anormalities as a result of their mothers talking thalidomide (drug was banned)

however now used for other conditions like leprosy but not on pregnant women

Statins are drugs which lower the amount of 'bad' cholesterol carried in the blood

they are given to older people and taken daily

trials show heart disease and strockes have gone down by 40%

herbs are often used instead of prescirbed medicnine 

a herb called st'johns wort is sometimes taken to treat depression instead of anti-depressants such as prozac

useful drugs made from natural substances,

when we develop new drugs to help people we have to test them over a long period of time to make sure there are no serious side effects

recreational drugs are used for peoples peasure (heroin and cocaine)they are addictive and illegal

if you try to stop taking addictive drugs you will suffer with withdrawal symptom

recreational drugs affect the brain and nervous system .

niceotine and caffiene are legal drugs which are also recrational

there is evidence that cannabis can cause medical illness in some people

teenagers risk of getting depression

illegal bought from dealers

brings in contact with hard drug contacters such as heroin

nearly all heroin users previously smoked cannabis

some athletes use drugs to improve on their performance

steroids are gs which are used to bulid up muscle mass

other drugs may be used to increase stamina

many performance-enhancing drugs are very expensive this gives an unfair advantage to those who can afford them

using performance enhancing drugs can damage the body permenatlty and even lead to death

most people think its unethical to take drugs to enhance performance