Placebo - GCSE Biology Definition

Reviewed by: Lára Marie McIvor

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A placebo is a substance or treatment that looks like a real drug but does not contain any active ingredients. It is often used in clinical trials to test how effective a new drug is. In a typical trial, one group of people is given the real drug and another group is given the placebo, but neither group knows which one they are receiving. This helps scientists find out whether the effects of the drug are due to the medicine itself or the patient simply believing they are being treated. Understanding how placebos are used is important in GCSE Biology for studying how medicines are tested.

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Lára Marie McIvor

Reviewer: Lára Marie McIvor

Expertise: Biology, Psychology & Sociology Subject Lead

Lára graduated from Oxford University in Biological Sciences and has now been a science tutor working in the UK for several years. Lára has a particular interest in the area of infectious disease and epidemiology, and enjoys creating original educational materials that develop confidence and facilitate learning.

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