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Option D: Medical Chemistry
For HL students only
1a. [1 mark]
Steroids are lipids with a steroidal backbone. The structure of cholesterol is shown in section 34 of the data booklet.
Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is used to identify functional groups in organic compounds.
Deduce the wavenumber, in cm−1, of an absorption peak found in the IR spectrum of testosterone but not in that of cholesterol.
1b. [3 marks]
Describe a technique for the detection of steroids in blood and urine.
1c. [2 marks]
Explain how redox chemistry is used to measure the ethanol concentration in a breathalyser.
2a. [3 marks]
The discovery of penicillins contributed to the development of antibiotics.
Explain how the beta-lactam ring is responsible for the antibiotic properties of penicillin. Refer to section 37 of the data booklet.
2b. [1 mark]
Outline the impact of antibiotic waste on the environment.
2c. [1 mark]
Suggest a concern about the disposal of solvents from drug manufacturing.
2d. [2 marks]
Discuss two difficulties, apart from socio-economic factors, associated with finding a cure for AIDS.
3a. [1 mark]
Taxol is an anticancer drug.
State the feature of Taxol that is a major challenge in its synthesis. Use section 37 of the data booklet.
3b. [1 mark]
Describe how the challenge in (a) was resolved by pharmaceutical companies.
4a. [1 mark]
Nuclear medicine uses small amounts of radioisotopes to diagnose and treat some diseases.
State two common side effects of radiotherapy.
4b. [2 marks]
Explain why technetium-99m is the most common radioisotope used in nuclear medicine.
4c. [2 marks]
25.0 μg of iodine-131, with a half-life of 8.00 days, was left to decay.
Calculate the mass of iodine-131, in μg, remaining after 32.0 days. Use section 1 of the data booklet.
5. [2 marks]
Aspirin can be obtained from salicylic acid.
Unreacted salicylic acid may be present as an impurity in aspirin and can be detected in the infrared (IR) spectrum.
Name the functional group and identify the absorption band that diff erentiates salicylic acid from aspirin. Use section 26 of the data booklet.
Name:
Absorption band:
6a. [1 mark]
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections have been successfully treated with penicillin and penicillin derivatives.
Identify the feature in penicillin responsible for its antibiotic activity.
6b. [1 mark]
The widespread use of penicillin and its derivatives has led to the appearance of resistant S. aureus strains.
Outline how these bacteria inactivate the antibiotics.
6c. [1 mark]
Outline how the structure of penicillin has been modified to overcome this resistance.
7a. [1 mark]
Mild heartburn is treated with antacids such as calcium carbonate.
Formulate an equation for the neutralization of stomach acid with calcium carbonate, CaCO3 (s).
7b. [2 marks]
Acid secretion can be regulated by other types of drugs such as omeprazole and ranitidine. Outline how each of these drugs acts to reduce excess stomach acid.
Omeprazole:
Ranitidine:
8a. [2 marks]
Opium and its derivatives have been used for thousands of years as strong analgesics.
Explain how opiates act to provide pain relief.
8b. [2 marks]
Discuss how the difference in structure of two opiates, codeine and morphine, affect their ability to cross the blood–brain barrier. Use section 37 of the data booklet.
9a. [2 marks]
Technetium-99m, a widely used radionuclide, has a half-life of 6.0 hours and undergoes gamma decay to technetium-99.
Determine the percentage of technetium-99m remaining after 24.0 hours.
9b. [2 marks]
Technetium-99 decays further, emitting beta radiation. Formulate the equation for the decay of technetium-99.
9c. [1 mark]
Most of the nuclear waste generated in a hospital is low-level waste (LLW).
Outline what is meant by low-level waste.
9d. [1 mark]
Outline the disposal of LLW.
9e. [1 mark]
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an application of NMR technology using radiowaves.
Suggest why MRI is much less dangerous than imaging techniques such as X-rays and radiotracers. Use section 3 of the data booklet.
10a. [2 marks]
Medicines and drugs are tested for effectiveness and safety.
Distinguish between therapeutic window and therapeutic index in humans.
Therapeutic window:
Therapeutic index:
10b. [2 marks]
Explain why diamorphine (heroin) is more potent than morphine using section 37 of the data booklet.
If you need the markscheme, including the examiners' reports for each question, and more exam and teaching materials on this topic, contact me through the contact page