Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics
14th Edition
• Author(s)Laurence Brunton; Bjorn
Knollmann
(Goodman & Gilman–Only | Exam-Ready |
Nursing-Focused)
Drug Discovery: From Medicinal Plants to Computer-Aided
Drug Design — 20 Nursing Pharmacology MCQs
1.
,A nurse learning about early drug development understands
that many modern drugs originated from natural sources.
Which approach BEST describes this historical strategy?
A. High-throughput synthetic polymer screening
B. Empirical testing of plant extracts for biologic effects
C. Structure-based molecular docking
D. Targeted gene editing of bacteria
Answer: B
Rationale: Historically, many drugs were discovered through
empirical observation of medicinal plants, where crude
extracts were tested for physiologic effects before active
compounds were isolated.
Source: Goodman & Gilman, 14th ed., Drug Discovery: From
Medicinal Plants to Computer-Aided Drug Design
2.
Which term describes a compound that shows promising
biologic activity and serves as a starting point for chemical
modification?
A. Prototype
B. Lead compound
C. Pharmacophore
D. Biologic scaffold
Answer: B
,Rationale: A lead compound is an initial molecule with
desirable activity that undergoes optimization to improve
potency, selectivity, and pharmacokinetics.
Source: Goodman & Gilman, 14th ed., Drug Discovery chapter
3.
Lead optimization most directly aims to improve which property
important for nursing medication safety?
A. Drug color stability
B. Patent exclusivity
C. Selectivity for the therapeutic target
D. Marketing approval speed
Answer: C
Rationale: Enhancing target selectivity reduces off-target
effects and adverse reactions, a key safety consideration in
medication therapy.
Source: Goodman & Gilman, 14th ed., Drug Discovery chapter
4.
Which concept explains how specific chemical features of a
molecule are responsible for its biologic activity?
A. Pharmacokinetics
B. Structure–activity relationship (SAR)
, C. Bioequivalence
D. First-pass metabolism
Answer: B
Rationale: Structure–activity relationships (SAR) examine how
molecular modifications influence pharmacologic activity.
Source: Goodman & Gilman, 14th ed., Drug Discovery chapter
5.
A pharmacophore represents:
A. The inactive portion of a drug molecule
B. The minimal structural features required for biologic activity
C. The drug’s metabolic pathway
D. The toxic metabolite of a drug
Answer: B
Rationale: A pharmacophore defines the essential molecular
features necessary for interaction with a biologic target.
Source: Goodman & Gilman, 14th ed., Drug Discovery chapter
6.
High-throughput screening (HTS) in drug discovery primarily
allows researchers to:
A. Conduct phase III clinical trials faster
B. Rapidly test thousands of compounds for activity at a target