Paul Ehrlich — Questions and answers

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What 'world-changing idea' did Dr. Ehrlich believe we could find in the laboratory?

Choices

  1. A way to make chemicals smell better.
  2. A chemical key for every disease's lock. ✓
  3. A new type of gas lamp.
  4. A better way to clean microscope slides.

Answer: A chemical key for every disease's lock.

From page 1

What important clue did Dr. Ehrlich discover by studying dyes?

Choices

  1. Dyes could make cells look beautiful.
  2. Dyes could change their color over time.
  3. Dyes could selectively stain some cells while leaving others untouched. ✓
  4. Dyes were only useful for making art.

Answer: Dyes could selectively stain some cells while leaving others untouched.

From page 2

According to Dr. Ehrlich's 'side-chain theory,' what do cells have that can bind to specific substances like drugs?

Choices

  1. Tiny hands that can grab onto anything.
  2. Special 'locks' called side-chains that act as receptors. ✓
  3. A secret code like DNA.
  4. Colors that attract different chemicals.

Answer: Special 'locks' called side-chains that act as receptors.

From page 3

What does our body produce to fight off germs and toxins, according to Ehrlich's extended theory?

Choices

  1. Specialized 'side-chains' called antibodies. ✓
  2. Tiny, customized germs.
  3. More foreign invaders.
  4. Natural medicines from plants.

Answer: Specialized 'side-chains' called antibodies.

From page 4

What was the main goal of Ehrlich's quest to create artificial 'magic bullets'?

Choices

  1. To find a natural cure for all diseases.
  2. To synthesize and test thousands of compounds to make pretty colors.
  3. To design a chemical weapon specifically against a disease. ✓
  4. To understand what Marie Curie meant by her quote.

Answer: To design a chemical weapon specifically against a disease.

From page 5

How many attempts did Ehrlich and Hata make before successfully finding Compound 606?

Choices

  1. 6 attempts.
  2. 60 attempts.
  3. 605 attempts. ✓
  4. 606 attempts.

Answer: 605 attempts.

From page 6

What significant change did Salvarsan bring to medicine in 1910?

Choices

  1. It made scientists only rely on natural remedies.
  2. It ended the search for new drugs.
  3. It allowed scientists to rationally design drugs. ✓
  4. It showed that the 'magic bullet' was just a theory.

Answer: It allowed scientists to rationally design drugs.

From page 7

What guiding principle in medicine did Paul Ehrlich's work establish?

Choices

  1. That understanding small interactions has no big impact.
  2. The idea of selective toxicity and the 'magic bullet'. ✓
  3. That all diseases can be cured with one type of medicine.
  4. That scientists should only study how dyes stain cells.

Answer: The idea of selective toxicity and the 'magic bullet'.

From page 10