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Questions and Answers
What is essential for a drug to be useful as a therapeutic or scientific tool?
What is essential for a drug to be useful as a therapeutic or scientific tool?
What is the primary function of protein receptors in pharmacology?
What is the primary function of protein receptors in pharmacology?
What is the result of a small chemical change in angiotensin, such as conversion of one of the amino acids from L to D form?
What is the result of a small chemical change in angiotensin, such as conversion of one of the amino acids from L to D form?
What is a common characteristic of proteins that function as drug targets?
What is a common characteristic of proteins that function as drug targets?
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What is the term used to describe the macromolecules with which drugs interact to produce their effects?
What is the term used to describe the macromolecules with which drugs interact to produce their effects?
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What is the primary way in which drugs affect a physiological system?
What is the primary way in which drugs affect a physiological system?
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What is the pattern of expression of protein receptors for various mediators?
What is the pattern of expression of protein receptors for various mediators?
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What is the reciprocal relationship between individual classes of drug and individual targets?
What is the reciprocal relationship between individual classes of drug and individual targets?
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What is a characteristic of all mediators, including angiotensin?
What is a characteristic of all mediators, including angiotensin?
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What is true about the specificity of drugs?
What is true about the specificity of drugs?
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Study Notes
Introduction to Pharmacology
- Pharmacology is the study of substances that interact with a specific molecule in the biologic system called a receptor, activating or inhibiting normal body processes.
- Medical pharmacology is the science of substances used to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease.
- Toxicology is the branch of pharmacology that deals with the undesirable effects of chemicals on living systems.
Definition of a Drug
- A drug is a chemical substance of known structure, other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect.
- Drugs may be synthetic chemicals, chemicals obtained from plants or animals, or products of genetic engineering.
Branches of Pharmacology
- Pharmacogenetics: the study of genetic influences on responses to drugs.
- Pharmacogenomics: the use of genetic information to guide the choice of drug therapy on an individual basis.
- Pharmacoepidemiology: the study of drug effects at the population level.
- Pharmacoeconomics: the branch of health economics that aims to quantify in economic terms the cost and benefit of drugs used therapeutically.
Factors to Know for Each Drug
- Classification (drug class)
- Pharmacodynamics (mechanism of action, pharmacological effects)
- Pharmacokinetics (administration, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion)
- Clinical use (indications)
- Adverse effects and toxicity
- Contraindications and precautions
- Drug interactions
- Any specific information related to drug use
The Cell as a Target for Drug Action
- Drug molecules must exert some chemical influence on one or more cell constituents to produce a pharmacological response.
- Drug molecules must bind to particular constituents of cells and tissues to produce an effect.
- The critical binding sites are called 'drug targets'.
- Most drug targets are protein molecules.
Drug Specificity
- For a drug to be useful, it must act selectively on particular cells and tissues.
- Drug targets generally show a high degree of ligand specificity; they bind only molecules of a certain precise type.
- The principles of binding site and ligand specificity can be recognized in the actions of mediators such as angiotensin.
Drug Action
- A drug is a chemical applied to a physiological system that affects its function in a specific way.
- With few exceptions, drugs act on target proteins, namely: receptors, enzymes, carriers, and ion channels.
- Specificity is reciprocal: individual classes of drug bind only to certain targets, and individual targets recognize only certain classes of drug.
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Description
This quiz covers the basics of pharmacology, including the study of substances that interact with biological systems, and the science of substances used to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases.
