Study of substances that interact with living systems
through chemical processes, especially by binding to reg-
ulatory molecules and activating/inhibiting normal body
processes
Pharmacology
These substances may be chemicals administered to
achieve a beneficial therapeutic ettect on some process
within a patient or a toxic ettect on regulatory processes
in parasites (broad definition) infecting the patient
Science of substances used to prevent, diagnose and treat
Medical Pharmacology
diseases
Branch of pharmacology dealing with undesirable ettects
Toxicology of chemical's on living systems, from individual cells to
humans to complex ecosystems
Contains a known quantity of an identified pure active
substance. Drugs are intended to have a selective action
but this ideal is seldom achieved, as there is always a risk
Drugs of adverse ettects connected with using any drug.
Any substance that brings about a change in biological
functions through its chemical actions
The study of what the drugs do to the body (mechanism
and magnitude of drug ettect), includes receptor binding,
signal transduction, biological ettect and dose response
Pharmacodynamics relationship
These properties determine the group in which a drug is
classified
The study of what the body does to the drugs, includes ab-
Pharmacokinetics sorption, distribution, biotransformation and excretion
, Drugs disposition in the body and focuses on the changes
in the drug plasma concentrations
In the late 18th and 19th centuries, and its
student began to develop the methods of ex- Francois Magendie, Claude Bernard
perimental physiology and pharmacology
a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, stimulates a
Agonist
response
Antagonist inhibits the action of the receptor
Receptor target molecule with which a drug interacts in the body
chemical messengers that are manufactured by the en-
Hormones docrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and attect
other tissues
Xenobiotics substances that are foreign to a biological system
Poisons Drugs that have almost exclusively harmful ettects
Poisons of biological origin (from plants and animals) in
Toxins
contrast to poisons of inorganic origin (lead, arsenic)
What characteristics are required by drug molecules that Size, reactivity/electric charge, shape, atomic composition,
interact with a receptor? design in relation to its biological receptor
D + R -> drug receptor ettector complex -> ettect
D + R -> drug receptor ettector complex -> ettector mole-
cule -> ettect
Pharmacodynamic Principles D + R -> drug receptor ettector complex -> activation of
coupling molecule -> ettector molecule -> ettect
Inhibition of metabolism of endogenous activator -> in-
creased activator action on an ettector molecule -> in-
creased ettect
Partial Agonist