A number of factors influenced the changes and developments that occured in the search for a cure to infectious disease. In brief, these factors were:

Technology

The Industrial Revolution provided Scientists with new forms of microscope, dyes that could be used to track and identify germs, laboratories and techical equiptment for use in medical experimentation. Industrailisation and mechanistation also resulted in the rapid spread of ideas along with a faster rate of production.

Good Luck

Some of the discoveries were down to chance. Fleming, for example, wasn't searching for penicillin when he came across it.

Competition

Scientists were becoming very eager to make breakthroughs before their competitors did. An example of this drive to suceed is the repeated clashes between Pasteur and Koch.

War

Medical advancements were often funded by governments eager to reduce death rates during wars. The development of penicillin is an example of this.

Sections within this unit

What is an Infectious Disease? A Glossary of Infectious Diseases, Edward Jenner, Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch, Vaccination, The Development of Drugs, Paul Ehrlich, Gerhard Domagk, Alexander Fleming, Howard Florey and Ernst Chain, The importance of Penicillin, Factors affecting the development of drugs and treatments.

Activities within the Unit

 

Glossary vocabulary test	This activity checks your knowledge of infectious disease
Drag and Drop game	Do you know who developed each form of medicine?
Breakthrough against Infectious Disease	Use the information in this unit to answer a detailed question, then see how it compares with a suggested response. Ideal revision tool.
Currently being tested.
Investigation	How did a Cow called Daisy save the world?
The Fleming Myth	An inquiry into the development of Penicillin.
Pasteur versus Koch	Which of these fierce rivals was the greatest?
Source based activities	A range of source based questions with prompts to help you improve your written answers.

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