edition (BRAND NEW) Essays, Questions and verified correct answers 100%
2025/2026
, Chapter 1 (Basic Principles)
1. Which of the following best defines pharmacology?
A. The study of poisons and toxins
B. The study of drug action on living systems
C. The study of disease mechanisms
D. The study of genetic influences on disease
B. The study of drug action on living systems
• A: Incorrect. Toxicology is specifically the study of poisons and toxins.
• B: Correct. Pharmacology broadly refers to how drugs interact with biological systems.
• C: Incorrect. Pathology deals with mechanisms of disease.
• D: Incorrect. Genetics studies inheritance, not pharmacology.
2. The term “pharmacodynamics” refers to:
A. What the body does to the drug
B. The process of drug metabolism
C. What the drug does to the body
D. The study of drug absorption
C. What the drug does to the body
• A: Incorrect. This defines pharmacokinetics.
• B: Incorrect. Metabolism is a subset of pharmacokinetics.
• C: Correct. Pharmacodynamics covers receptor binding, drug effects, and mechanisms of
action.
• D: Incorrect. Absorption is only one part of pharmacokinetics.
3. Pharmacokinetics primarily involves:
A. Receptor interactions
B. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
,C. Mechanisms of drug action
D. Adverse drug effects
B. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion
• A: Incorrect. Receptor interaction is pharmacodynamics.
• B: Correct. The ADME framework defines pharmacokinetics.
• C: Incorrect. Mechanism of action = pharmacodynamics.
• D: Incorrect. Adverse effects are part of toxicology.
4. Which of the following best defines a drug?
A. Any substance that causes addiction
B. A chemical that alters biologic function when introduced to a living organism
C. A natural chemical produced by the body
D. Only synthetic chemicals used for therapy
B. A chemical that alters biologic function when introduced to a living organism
• A: Incorrect. Not all drugs cause addiction.
• B: Correct. This is the standard definition of a drug.
• C: Incorrect. Endogenous chemicals like insulin can be hormones, not necessarily
considered "drugs" unless given exogenously.
• D: Incorrect. Drugs can be natural, semi-synthetic, or synthetic.
5. Which phase of drug development involves the first testing of a new drug in humans?
A. Preclinical studies
B. Phase I clinical trials
C. Phase II clinical trials
D. Phase III clinical trials
B. Phase I clinical trials
• A: Incorrect. Preclinical studies are done in animals.
• B: Correct. Phase I involves healthy volunteers to test safety and pharmacokinetics.
• C: Incorrect. Phase II evaluates efficacy in patients with the disease.
• D: Incorrect. Phase III expands efficacy/safety testing on large populations.
6. Which regulatory body in the United States is primarily responsible for approving new
drugs?
A. NIH
, B. FDA
C. CDC
D. WHO
B. FDA
• A: Incorrect. NIH funds research but does not approve drugs.
• B: Correct. The Food and Drug Administration regulates drug approval.
• C: Incorrect. CDC focuses on public health/disease control.
• D: Incorrect. WHO provides international health guidance but not approval.
7. The main purpose of Phase II clinical trials is to assess:
A. Toxicity in animals
B. Drug efficacy and dose range in patients
C. Drug safety in healthy volunteers
D. Post-marketing surveillance
B. Drug efficacy and dose range in patients
• A: Incorrect. Toxicity in animals is preclinical.
• B: Correct. Phase II determines efficacy and dosing in diseased patients.
• C: Incorrect. Phase I checks safety in healthy humans.
• D: Incorrect. Post-marketing = Phase IV.
8. The “placebo effect” refers to:
A. The toxic effects of an inactive compound
B. Improvement of symptoms due to expectation of treatment
C. The adverse effects of drugs
D. The mechanism of drug action
B. Improvement of symptoms due to expectation of treatment
• A: Incorrect. Placebos are inactive and not toxic.
• B: Correct. Placebo responses arise from psychological/expectation effects.
• C: Incorrect. Adverse effects are pharmacological or toxicological.
• D: Incorrect. Placebo is not related to drug mechanism.
9. Which of the following terms describes the amount of drug needed to produce an effect?
A. Potency
B. Efficacy