Pharmacology Basics

What is Pharmacology?

• Study of the effects of drugs on living organisms
• Examines the interactions between drugs and biological systems
• Includes the study of pharmacokinetics (what the body does to the drug) and pharmacodynamics (what the drug does to the body)

Types of Pharmacology

• Clinical Pharmacology: study of drugs in humans, focusing on therapeutic effects and side effects
• Experimental Pharmacology: study of drugs in laboratory settings, focusing on mechanisms of action and pharmacological effects
• Molecular Pharmacology: study of the molecular mechanisms of drug action
• Toxicology: study of the adverse effects of drugs and other substances

Pharmacokinetics

• Absorption: process by which a drug enters the bloodstream
• Distribution: movement of a drug throughout the body
• Metabolism: process by which a drug is broken down or transformed into a more water-soluble form
• Excretion: process by which a drug is eliminated from the body

Pharmacodynamics

• Receptor Binding: binding of a drug to a specific receptor on a cell surface
• Signal Transduction: process by which a drug-receptor interaction triggers a response in the cell
• Dose-Response Relationship: relationship between the dose of a drug and its effect on the body
• Potency: measure of the concentration of a drug required to produce a specific effect
• Efficacy: measure of the maximum effect of a drug

Drug Interactions

• Synergism: interaction between two or more drugs that increases their effect
• Antagonism: interaction between two or more drugs that decreases their effect
• Additive Effect: interaction between two or more drugs that produces a combined effect equal to the sum of their individual effects

Drug Development and Approval

• Preclinical Trials: testing of drugs in laboratory settings and animal models
• Clinical Trials: testing of drugs in human subjects
• FDA Approval: process by which the US Food and Drug Administration grants approval for a drug to be marketed and sold

Other Key Concepts

• Bioavailability: measure of the fraction of a dose that reaches the bloodstream
• Half-Life: time required for the concentration of a drug to decrease by half
• Therapeutic Index: measure of the safety of a drug, calculated by dividing the toxic dose by the therapeutic dose

What is Pharmacology?

• Study of the effects of drugs on living organisms, examining interactions between drugs and biological systems
• Includes pharmacokinetics (what the body does to the drug) and pharmacodynamics (what the drug does to the body)

Types of Pharmacology

• Clinical Pharmacology: study of drugs in humans, focusing on therapeutic effects and side effects
• Experimental Pharmacology: study of drugs in laboratory settings, focusing on mechanisms of action and pharmacological effects
• Molecular Pharmacology: study of the molecular mechanisms of drug action
• Toxicology: study of the adverse effects of drugs and other substances

Pharmacokinetics

• Absorption: process by which a drug enters the bloodstream
• Distribution: movement of a drug throughout the body
• Metabolism: process by which a drug is broken down or transformed into a more water-soluble form
• Excretion: process by which a drug is eliminated from the body

Pharmacodynamics

• Receptor Binding: binding of a drug to a specific receptor on a cell surface
• Signal Transduction: process by which a drug-receptor interaction triggers a response in the cell
• Dose-Response Relationship: relationship between the dose of a drug and its effect on the body
• Potency: measure of the concentration of a drug required to produce a specific effect
• Efficacy: measure of the maximum effect of a drug

Drug Interactions

• Synergism: interaction between two or more drugs that increases their effect
• Antagonism: interaction between two or more drugs that decreases their effect
• Additive Effect: interaction between two or more drugs that produces a combined effect equal to the sum of their individual effects

Drug Development and Approval

• Preclinical Trials: testing of drugs in laboratory settings and animal models
• Clinical Trials: testing of drugs in human subjects
• FDA Approval: process by which the US Food and Drug Administration grants approval for a drug to be marketed and sold

Other Key Concepts

• Bioavailability: measure of the fraction of a dose that reaches the bloodstream
• Half-Life: time required for the concentration of a drug to decrease by half
• Therapeutic Index: measure of the safety of a drug, calculated by dividing the toxic dose by the therapeutic dose