Clopidogrel is a drug that helps to prevent blood clots. People inherit different alleles of a gene that affects how well clopidogrel works.
Scientists studied patients in three genotype groups.
The Table shows the results.
Table
| Genotype group | Alleles of the gene | Percentage of patients for whom clopidogrel worked |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | two normal alleles | 90 |
| 2 | one normal allele and one reduced-function allele | 60 |
| 3 | two reduced-function alleles | 20 |
Explain how knowing a patient's genome could help a doctor to treat the patient.
Use data from the Table in your answer.
Our increasing understanding of the human genome can also be used to predict the likelihood of a person developing a disease.
Suggest one benefit and one risk of telling a person that they have alleles that increase their risk of developing a disease.
Cystic fibrosis is caused by a faulty allele. Scientists are developing gene technology to put a working allele into the cells lining the lungs.
Explain one practical consideration and one ethical consideration of using this gene technology.
181 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Biology 6.3 Monitoring and maintaining health, covering 6.3.1 Health and disease, 6.3.2 Interactions between diseases, 6.3.3 Spread of communicable diseases, 6.3.4 Common infections and diseases, 6.3.5 Physical plant defence responses, 6.3.6 Chemical plant defence responses, 6.3.7 Detecting and identifying plant diseases, 6.3.8 White blood cells and platelets, 6.3.9 Non-specific defence systems, 6.3.10 The immune system, 6.3.11 Monoclonal antibodies, 6.3.12 Vaccines and medicines, 6.3.13 Aseptic techniques, 6.3.14 Discovery and development of new medicines, 6.3.15 Causes of non-communicable diseases, 6.3.16 Treatments for cardiovascular disease, 6.3.17 Lifestyle factors and non-communicable diseases, 6.3.18 Cancer, 6.3.19 Stem cells in medicine, 6.3.20 Gene technology in medicine, and 6.3.21 The human genome and medicine. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.