fundamentals of pharmacology Flashcards
pharmacodynamics =
what the drug does to the body - the mechanisms of action
pharmokinetics =
what the body does to the drug, how its absorbed, distributed and metabolised etc.
clinical uses =
what the drug can be used for
what is a drug
any chemical that has a biological effect
what are the characteristics of drugs (3)
1) drugs have a variety of effects/tissue sensitivity
2) drugs are potent - act in low concentrations due to receptors being able to amplify signals
3) chemical sensitivity (enantiomer + for adrenaline is 100 times more effective than the enantiomer -)
what are the general properties of receptors (3)
expressed in different tissues
amplify signals
highly selective targets
what is the definition of a receptor
a specific target molecule with which a drug interacts with to produce a cellular response
agonist =
a drug which binds to a recptor to produce a biological cellular response
antagonist =
drug that binds to a receptor but produces no biological response
what does atenolol do
it blocks adrenaline mediated increase in heart rate
what are the two steps in drug action
occupation (drug binding to receptor) - affinity
activation (producing a response) - efficacy
what do agonists have
affinity and efficacy
what do antagonists have
they have affinity but no efficacy
what are the two main ways of classifying drugs
according to clinical use
according to target receptors
what is prazosin
alpha 1 antagonist (decrease blood vessel contraction)
NA > A > Iso
