Pharmacology Disc
ANSWERS
The study of drugs and their effects on the body is known as pharmacology.
Pharmacodynamics is the study of drug action mechanisms…how a drug affects our bodies.
Most drugs elicit a response based on how they interact with a specific protein, which occurs via a receptor protein embedded in the cell membrane or inside the cell within the cytoplasm or nucleus.
A drug can sometimes act as a ligand for a receptor.
A drug could be:
Agonist: mimics the native ligand and induces the typical physiological response (also known as a facilitator) – Agonist promotes normal protein function.
Antagonist: binds to the active site but does not activate the receptor (also known as a blocker or inhibitor) – An antagonist silences the protein and prevents it from functioning.
Drug potency is the strength of a drug at a specific dosage or the amount of a prescription needed to produce a particular effect. Potency can also be defined as a drug’s affinity for a receptor (high affinity = small amount of medication required).
Drug Efficacy: the maximum effect that a drug can achieve. Efficacy is also defined as the drug’s effect on the receptor and how well it acts as an agonist or antagonist.
PHARMACOKINETICS
Absorption is the process by which a drug moves from the administration site into the bloodstream.
Traveling through the bloodstream to reach target cells and molecules
Metabolism: the process by which enzymes modify a drug to render it ineffective.
Excretion: the removal of a drug from the body through urine or feces.
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