Intro to Pharmacology Flashcards
what is pharmacology
the study of the action of drugs on the function of living systems
what are the different elements of pharmacology
pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
what is a drug
a chemical substance or natural product that affects the function of cells, organs, systems or the whole body
how can drugs be described as
bioactive
when did pharmacology first emerge as a scientific discipline
in the mid 19th century
what was used as medicine before drugs were discovered
herbal and other remedies
what did the 1692 collection of choice remedies list
concoctions of worms, dung, urin and moss from a dead mans skull
what makes drugs poisonous
their dosage
what are some different sources of the drugs
natural products
serendipity
changing the structure of an existing molecule
using an existing drug in a new disease
computer aided design
studying disease processes
what are examples of natural products of drugs
plants and animals
what does serendipity mean
discovered by accident
what are structure activity relationships
changing the structure of an existing molecule
describe the discovery of pencillium
1928 - alexnader fleming first noted the antibacterial properties of it
1938 - howard florey and ernst chain isolated penicllin from the mould and tested it in human volunteers
what drug is produced from willow trees and give the function
aspirin - painkiller
what drug is produced from cocoa plants and give the function
cocaine - local anaesthetic
what drug is produced from the cinchona tree and give the function
quinine - anti malarial
what drug is produced from poppies and give the function
morphine - painkiller
what drug is produced from foxgloves and give the function
digoxin- heart failure
what drug is produced from guggul trees and give the function
statins - cholesterol lowering
what drug is produced from leeches and what does it do
hirudin, an anticoagulent
what drug is produced from cone snails and what does it do
ziconotide, powerful painkiller
what drug is produced from bothrops jararaca
a peptide which lowers blood pressure, which is a forerunner for ACE inhibitors
what is sildenafil
viagra
when was viagra invested
1989 through accidental repurposing
what are the three types of drug names
chemical
generic
proprietary
what are chemical names for drugs
IUPAC name that describes the chemical structure of the drug
what are general names for drugs
international non proprietary name given to a molecule
what are proprietary names for drugs
trade names given to an approved drug by the manufacturer
when are drugs given code names
during their development as a way to disguise their identity
what is pharmacokinetics
looking at what the body does to the drug, ie the fate of the drug molecule following administration to a living organism or how a drug molecule is affected by exposure to living cells
what is pharmacodynamics
what the drug does to the body, the mechanism of drug action or what happens to cell, organs, systems as a result of drug exposure
what is nitrous oxide
an inhaled gas with an analgesic effect which can help with the pain of labour or tooth extraction
what does amyl nitrate do
reduce anginal symptoms through inhalation
why canaspirin not be used in children
causes reyes syndrome, which leads to liver or brain damage
what are the drug effects on the level of the cell
effects on receptors, ion channels, enzymes, transporters and DNA
what are the impacts of drugs at the level of the organ and organ system
effects on heart, liver, kidney, CV, central nervous system etc
what is the impact of drugs at the level of the organism
therapeutic effects on disease state or process, as well as adverse effects or side effects
what is the impact of drugs on the level of society
cost, misuse and drug resistance (antimicrobial stewardship)
how many different cell types in the body
200
what are the primary tissues
- muscles
- nerves
- epithelium
- bone
- connective
how do many drugs work
by mimicing the action of endogenous molecules like neurotransmitters and hormones. can also block this activity
which sites do drugs commonly work at
receptors
ion channels
enzymes
transporters
how do drugs act
they are small chemical molecules that interact chemically with cellular constituents. they must bind to their targets in order to produce an effect
will a drug work if it is not bound
no
what can drugs target aside from receptors and ion channels
circulating proteins
DNA
bacterial cell wall
what is the primary use of receptors
cell to cell communication
what is cell cell comunication important in the context of
neurotransmission
effects of chemical mediators in the bloodstream
hormone and growth factor signalling
what is a receptor
recognition molecule for a chemical mediator through which a response is transduced
what is the common structure of receptors
protein or complex of proteins that is expressed on the surface of cells, although there are some exceptions to this
how do many drugs act in order to do
minimise effects or mimic them