NAGELHOUT CERTIFICATION EVALUATION
EXAMS 2026 PRACTICE SOLUTION A+
◉ Toxicology. Answer: the study of the harmful effects of chemicals
◉ Pharmacognosy. Answer: the study of the medicinal uses of
naturally occurring compounds (botox, digitalis, ephedrine)
◉ Pharmacy. Answer: the preparation and dispensing of drugs
◉ Pharmacogenetics. Answer: genetic influences by and on drugs
◉ Pharmacodynamics. Answer: physiological and biochemical
mechanism of action of drugs
◉ Pharmacogenomics. Answer: identifies discrete genetic
differences among individuals that play a critical role in drug
response
◉ Pharmacoepidemiology. Answer: the study of the use and effects
of drugs on large groups of people
,◉ Ligand. Answer: a chemical substance that binds to a specific
receptor
◉ What two types of ligands are there?. Answer: agonists and
antagonists
◉ What does an agonist do?. Answer: binds to a receptor and
STIMULATES the function that receptor serves
◉ What does an antagonist do?. Answer: binds to a receptor and
BLOCKS the function that receptor serves
◉ What is competitive binding?. Answer: reversible (most drugs)
◉ What is NONcompetitive binding?. Answer: NONreversible (drug
never lets go)
◉ What's an example of a noncompetitive drug binding?. Answer:
ASA binding to a platelet
◉ What is the effective dose in 50% of the population of a drug?.
Answer: ED50
◉ What is the toxic dose in 50% of the population?. Answer: TD50
, ◉ What is the lethal dose in 50% of the population?. Answer: LD50
◉ What ratio describes the therapeutic index?. Answer: LD50/ED50
(lethal dose/effective dose)
◉ What is the therapeutic window?. Answer: an estimation of drug
dosage which can treat disease effectively, while staying within the
safety range
◉ What else can describe the therapeutic window?. Answer:
TD50/ED50 (toxic dose/effective dose)
◉ Name the common chemical bonds in order of strongest to
weakest. Answer: Covalent>Ionic>Hydrogen>Hydrophobic>Van der
Waals
◉ What are the four things that a dose response curve can tell you?.
Answer: affinity (potency), efficacy, variability, and slope (VASE)
◉ What term can be described by the continued stimulation of cells
with agonists resulting in a state of desensitization?. Answer: down-
regulation or refractoriness
EXAMS 2026 PRACTICE SOLUTION A+
◉ Toxicology. Answer: the study of the harmful effects of chemicals
◉ Pharmacognosy. Answer: the study of the medicinal uses of
naturally occurring compounds (botox, digitalis, ephedrine)
◉ Pharmacy. Answer: the preparation and dispensing of drugs
◉ Pharmacogenetics. Answer: genetic influences by and on drugs
◉ Pharmacodynamics. Answer: physiological and biochemical
mechanism of action of drugs
◉ Pharmacogenomics. Answer: identifies discrete genetic
differences among individuals that play a critical role in drug
response
◉ Pharmacoepidemiology. Answer: the study of the use and effects
of drugs on large groups of people
,◉ Ligand. Answer: a chemical substance that binds to a specific
receptor
◉ What two types of ligands are there?. Answer: agonists and
antagonists
◉ What does an agonist do?. Answer: binds to a receptor and
STIMULATES the function that receptor serves
◉ What does an antagonist do?. Answer: binds to a receptor and
BLOCKS the function that receptor serves
◉ What is competitive binding?. Answer: reversible (most drugs)
◉ What is NONcompetitive binding?. Answer: NONreversible (drug
never lets go)
◉ What's an example of a noncompetitive drug binding?. Answer:
ASA binding to a platelet
◉ What is the effective dose in 50% of the population of a drug?.
Answer: ED50
◉ What is the toxic dose in 50% of the population?. Answer: TD50
, ◉ What is the lethal dose in 50% of the population?. Answer: LD50
◉ What ratio describes the therapeutic index?. Answer: LD50/ED50
(lethal dose/effective dose)
◉ What is the therapeutic window?. Answer: an estimation of drug
dosage which can treat disease effectively, while staying within the
safety range
◉ What else can describe the therapeutic window?. Answer:
TD50/ED50 (toxic dose/effective dose)
◉ Name the common chemical bonds in order of strongest to
weakest. Answer: Covalent>Ionic>Hydrogen>Hydrophobic>Van der
Waals
◉ What are the four things that a dose response curve can tell you?.
Answer: affinity (potency), efficacy, variability, and slope (VASE)
◉ What term can be described by the continued stimulation of cells
with agonists resulting in a state of desensitization?. Answer: down-
regulation or refractoriness
