3e- Pharmaceutical chemistry

Question 1

What are drugs?

Answer 1

Substances that alter the biochemical processes in the body

Question 2

What are medicines?

Answer 2

Drugs that have beneficial effects

Question 3

What does a medicine usually contain?

Answer 3

The drug with the beneficial effect plus other ingredients such as fillers to add bulk or sweeteners to improve the taste

Question 4

How do drugs generally work?

Answer 4

By binding to specific protein molecules, these protein molecules can be found on the surface of a cell (receptor) or can be specific enzyme molecules within a cell

Question 5

What can drugs that act on receptors be classified as?

Answer 5

Agonists or antagonists

Question 6

What does an agonist drug do?

Answer 6

Mimics the natural compound and binds to the receptor molecules to produce a response similar to the natural active compound

Question 7

What does an antagonist drug do?

Answer 7

Prevents the natural compound from binding to the receptor, and so blocks the natural response from occurring

Question 8

What can many drugs that act on enzymes be classified as?

Answer 8

Enzyme inhibitors

Question 9

How do enzyme inhibitors work?

Answer 9

By binding to the active site of an enzyme and blocking the reaction normally catalysed there

Question 10

What types of interactions can form when a drug interacts with a receptor binding site or the active site of an enzyme?

Answer 10

Van der Waals forces and/or ionic bonds

Question 11

By comparing the structures of drugs that have similar effects on the body, what can be identified?2

Answer 11

The fragment that is involved in the drug action