Introduction to Drug Resistance and Evolution

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to drug resistance and evolution introduced in the lecture.

Drug Resistance

The reduction in effectiveness of a medication in curing a disease or condition, often due to the evolution of pathogens.

Malaria

A life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes.

Artemisinin

A medication derived from the sweet wormwood plant, used as a combination therapy in treating malaria.

Horizontal Gene Transfer

The transfer of genetic material between organisms in a manner other than traditional reproduction, common in bacteria.

Antibiotics

Compounds that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria, often used to treat bacterial infections.

AZT (Azidothymidine)

The first drug used to treat HIV, a nucleoside analog that inhibits the reverse transcriptase enzyme.

Selection Experiment

A scientific approach to study how certain traits or genes become more or less common in a population due to environmental pressures.

Mutations

Changes in the DNA sequence that can lead to changes in traits, which may confer advantages such as drug resistance.

Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR)

A term referring to a strain of bacteria that is resistant to at least five main classes of antibiotics.

Commensal Bacteria

Microorganisms that live in or on the human body without causing harm, often providing beneficial functions.

Plasmid

A small circular DNA molecule found in bacteria that can replicate independently of chromosomal DNA and often carries antibiotic resistance genes.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)

A preventive treatment for HIV-negative individuals at high risk for HIV infection, involving the use of antiretroviral medications.

Vector

An organism, often an insect, that transmits pathogens from one host to another.