Pharmacology Exam 1 Updated Actual Questions and Correct
Answers (2026-2027)
Question 1.
pharmacokinetics
Correct Answer: relationship between drug dosage and concentration in plasma
over time, determines onset, duration, and intensity of drug
Question 2.
pharmacodynamics
Correct Answer: relationship between drug concentration over time and
therapeutic response
Question 3.
chemical specificity for receptors
Correct Answer: specificity between receptors and bonds, EX strict structural
requirements for binding
Question 4.
receptor saturability
Correct Answer: only a finite number of receptors that can be occupied
Question 5.
receptor affinity
Correct Answer: measure of attraction between drug and receptor
Question 6.
drug potency
Correct Answer: dose required to have certain effect, related to affinity of
receptor
Question 7.
ED50
Correct Answer: dose which produces 50% of maximum effect, used to compare
drugs in terms of potency
,Question 8.
drug efficacy
Correct Answer: maximal effect achievable for a drug, related to number of
receptor/complexes formed, intrinsic activity of drug in activating receptor
Question 9.
full agonist
Correct Answer: affinity to, and full activator, of receptor (high intrinsic
activity/efficacy), increases activity above basal level of receptor where
receptor has a constitutive (intrinsic basal) level of activity in the absence of a
ligand
Question 10.
inverse agonist
Correct Answer: affinity to, and full activator of receptor (high intrinsic
activity/efficacy), but has exact opposite effect of full agonist (metoprolol),
decreases activity below basal level of receptor where receptor has a
constitutive (intrinsic basal) level of activity in the absence of a ligand
Question 11.
partial agonist
Correct Answer: affinity to receptor but only partially activates a receptor,
produces less than the ceiling effect of a full agonist
Question 12.
pure antagonist
Correct Answer: affinity to receptor but produces no activation, dose curve is a
straight line across the bottom of an XY graph (EX oraverse vasodilates,
overcoming the vasocontriction of the LA)
Question 13.
neutral antgonist
Correct Answer: has no activity in the absence of an agonist or inverse agonist
but can block either's activity
, Question 14.
competitive antagonist
Correct Answer: lacks efficacy, competes with agonists for binding sites,
inhibitory effect can be overcome by increasing concentration of competing
agonist
Question 15.
every drug produces a variety of effects, we hope we can get separation from things we
want and adverse side effects, this is different for every patient
Question 16.
know the second slide on page 10 of principles of drugs
Correct Answer: which drugs is most potent, least potenet, most efficient and
least efficient
Question 17.
physiological antagonism
Correct Answer: stimulates competing/opposite physiological responses which
counteract the effects of a therapeutic drug, the inhibitory effect can *NOT* be
overcome by increasing the agonist dosage (EX epi is used during anaphylaxis
to produce physiological responses instead of an antihistamine which is only a
competing antagonist)
Question 18.
exam will ask you to explain interactions between drugs in reference to physiological
antagonism that were explained in lectures
Question 19.
therapeutic index
Correct Answer: the difference between a dose that produces a therapeutic
effect and a dose that produces a lethal toxicity, this has to do with a population
Question 20.
which drug is a safer drug? a drug with a therapeutic index of 2 or therapeutic index of 10
Correct Answer: the therapeutic index of 10 is safer, there is a larger range of
dosages we can give without toxicity
Answers (2026-2027)
Question 1.
pharmacokinetics
Correct Answer: relationship between drug dosage and concentration in plasma
over time, determines onset, duration, and intensity of drug
Question 2.
pharmacodynamics
Correct Answer: relationship between drug concentration over time and
therapeutic response
Question 3.
chemical specificity for receptors
Correct Answer: specificity between receptors and bonds, EX strict structural
requirements for binding
Question 4.
receptor saturability
Correct Answer: only a finite number of receptors that can be occupied
Question 5.
receptor affinity
Correct Answer: measure of attraction between drug and receptor
Question 6.
drug potency
Correct Answer: dose required to have certain effect, related to affinity of
receptor
Question 7.
ED50
Correct Answer: dose which produces 50% of maximum effect, used to compare
drugs in terms of potency
,Question 8.
drug efficacy
Correct Answer: maximal effect achievable for a drug, related to number of
receptor/complexes formed, intrinsic activity of drug in activating receptor
Question 9.
full agonist
Correct Answer: affinity to, and full activator, of receptor (high intrinsic
activity/efficacy), increases activity above basal level of receptor where
receptor has a constitutive (intrinsic basal) level of activity in the absence of a
ligand
Question 10.
inverse agonist
Correct Answer: affinity to, and full activator of receptor (high intrinsic
activity/efficacy), but has exact opposite effect of full agonist (metoprolol),
decreases activity below basal level of receptor where receptor has a
constitutive (intrinsic basal) level of activity in the absence of a ligand
Question 11.
partial agonist
Correct Answer: affinity to receptor but only partially activates a receptor,
produces less than the ceiling effect of a full agonist
Question 12.
pure antagonist
Correct Answer: affinity to receptor but produces no activation, dose curve is a
straight line across the bottom of an XY graph (EX oraverse vasodilates,
overcoming the vasocontriction of the LA)
Question 13.
neutral antgonist
Correct Answer: has no activity in the absence of an agonist or inverse agonist
but can block either's activity
, Question 14.
competitive antagonist
Correct Answer: lacks efficacy, competes with agonists for binding sites,
inhibitory effect can be overcome by increasing concentration of competing
agonist
Question 15.
every drug produces a variety of effects, we hope we can get separation from things we
want and adverse side effects, this is different for every patient
Question 16.
know the second slide on page 10 of principles of drugs
Correct Answer: which drugs is most potent, least potenet, most efficient and
least efficient
Question 17.
physiological antagonism
Correct Answer: stimulates competing/opposite physiological responses which
counteract the effects of a therapeutic drug, the inhibitory effect can *NOT* be
overcome by increasing the agonist dosage (EX epi is used during anaphylaxis
to produce physiological responses instead of an antihistamine which is only a
competing antagonist)
Question 18.
exam will ask you to explain interactions between drugs in reference to physiological
antagonism that were explained in lectures
Question 19.
therapeutic index
Correct Answer: the difference between a dose that produces a therapeutic
effect and a dose that produces a lethal toxicity, this has to do with a population
Question 20.
which drug is a safer drug? a drug with a therapeutic index of 2 or therapeutic index of 10
Correct Answer: the therapeutic index of 10 is safer, there is a larger range of
dosages we can give without toxicity