Drugs

Drugs
Any substance taken into the body that modifies or affects the
chemical reactions in the body.

Antibiotics Misused drugs Anabolic

Medicinal drugs: Alcohol and heroin
hormones
How antibiotics 1)Effect of excessive alcohol
kill the consumption and abuse of (steroids)
bacteria. heroin Anabolic steroids
How to 2)Effect of heroin on the 1) The use of anabolic
function of synapses in the steroids is banned... why?
minimize the
brain. 2) Other long term
development Tobacco smoking effects of taking anabolic
resistant 1) The long-term effect of steroids.
bacteria. these chemicals.
2) The main components of
tobacco smoke and their
effects on man health.
3) Evidence for the Link
between smoking and lung
cancer
Antibiotics
Medicinal drugs:
-These are substances that kill bacteria but do not harm host
cells.
 -Most antibiotics are made by fungi or bacteria that live in the
soil.
 -Penicillin antibiotic is one made by penicillium fungus.
 How do antibiotics kill bacteria?
1. Penicillin kills bacteria by stopping them from making
their cell walls, so they absorb water and burst open.
2. Other antibiotics kill bacteria by preventing them from
making proteins, thus preventing their growth and
reproduction.
3. Bacteria frequently mutate and evolve resistance
against antibiotics e.g. MRSA bacteria, this means that
antibiotics are no longer able to kill bacteria, therefore
new antibiotics should be developed otherwise people
would die.
4. Antibiotics do not affect viruses; because viruses have
no cell walls or other cellular structures, that antibiotics
could target and disrupt their function.
How to minimize
the development
resistant
bacteria:
1. Antibiotics should be used only when essential.
2. Antibiotics should not be used for treatment of viral
infections.
3. People should complete the courses of antibiotics;
why?
Because all bacteria need to be killed, any remaining
bacteria will reproduce, and have chance to mutate and
become resistant, all population will be resistant, so
disease recurs and antibiotic is no longer effective.
 Misused drugs
Alcohol and heroin
1. Both alcohol and heroin are brain depressants, they release
inhibition, make people feel more relaxed, and give sense of
wellbeing, in addition heroin is a powerful pain killer.
2. Alcohol is drunk and is quickly absorbed through the stomach,
some alcohol (90%) is broken-down in the liver.
3. Heroin is smoked, sniffed or injected into blood.
Effect of excessive alcohol consumption and
abuse of heroin:
1. Both are considered powerful brain depressants (fall off in any
activity requiring skill) with misleading sense of confidence.
2. Addiction: the person cannot manage to live without taking these
drugs.
3. Severe withdrawal symptoms (if drugs are not taken); such as
Sleeplessness, hallucinations, muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting,
headaches, aggression, sweating.
4. Alcohol Prolongs reaction time (may be doubled) and slows down
reflex actions, also causes impaired judgment, and over confidence.
5. Negative social effect; domestic violence, family’s breakdown,
losing jobs or difficulty getting jobs, increase road accidents, and
violent crimes.
6. Health problems; prolonged alcohol consumption causes liver
cirrhosis, liver cancer, stomach ulcer, heart disease and heart
failure and brain damage leads to loss of memory and confusion,
reduced fertility.
7. Consumption of alcohol during pregnancy causes low birth
weight baby or abortion.
8. Heroin taken by injection may transmit HIV when sharing needles.
 Effect of heroin on the function of synapses
in the brain:
In the brain there are neurotransmitters known as endorphins
which reduce the sensation of pain, hunger, thirst and affect the
mood (endorphins production increases during exercising).
1. Heroin is metabolized into morphine in the brain cells.
2. Morphine has similar shape to endorphin molecules released at
synapses.
3. Morphine molecules binds complementary to receptors of
endorphins at the synapse, giving same effect as natural
endorphin.
4. On the other hand, intake of heroin reduces the production of
natural endorphins therefore if users stop using heroin they
suffer unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking contains many harmful chemicals such as tar, nicotine,
CO, and carbon particles.
The long term effect of these chemicals:
1. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which includes
chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
2. Lung cancer.
3. Coronary heart disease.
The main components in tobacco smoke and
their effects on man health:
1. Tar:
-Tar contains many carcinogens; which causes mutation of cells leading
to lung cancer.
-Tar inhibits movement of cilia and increases mucus production, leading
to buildup of mucus that trap bacteria inside lungs, and increasing
chance of infection known as COPD.
2. Nicotine:
-A brain stimulant, makes a person feels
alert.
-Increases blood pressure, heart rate and
incidence of coronary heart disease.
3. Carbon monoxide:
-It combines permanently with hemoglobin
forming carboxyhemoglobin which reduces
the amount of oxygen carried by
haemoglobin to tissues.
Evidence for the Link between the smoking and
lung cancer
In 1950 people begin to realise that there is a link between cigarette
smoke and lung cancer:
-The link made because the only factor that was common between
patients with lung cancer in 20 hospitals was smoking.
-Other studies also showed that there is always a correlation
between heavy smoking and dying of lung cancer.
-These studies did not actually prove
that smoking is the cause of lung cancer
(not causation relationship), because
heavy smokers may be living in polluted
areas, or have an increased tendency to
lung cancer which all contribute to lung
cancer.
-Experimental studies, are needed to
confirm the evidence proved to be very
difficult.
-Research showed that tar contains
carcinogens that affect DNA which
control cell division
 Anabolic hormones (steroids)
Steroid hormones include reproductive hormones, testosterone,
estrogen and progesterone.
Many steroid hormones are anabolic hormones which mean that
they stimulate building up of large molecules from small ones;
such as building proteins from amino acids.
Anabolic steroids :
Are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, they:
1. Promotes protein synthesis thus increases growth and strength of
muscles which help the trainer to train harder and for longer time.
2. Increases the aggression which gives advantages in competition.
3. Increases bone density.
The use of anabolic steroids is banned because:
1. It gives unfair advantages.
2. Sports would become a competition between synthetic chemicals
rather than between individuals.
Other long term effects of taking anabolic steroids:
1. Reduces the ability to destroy pathogens.
2. Damages the liver and kidney.
3. Masculinization in women.
4. Sterility.