Module 1- Introduction to pharmacology Flashcards
What is pharmacology
Study of substances that affect or alter living systems through chemical processes
Drug
Any substance received by a biological system that is not received for nutritive purposed (i.e. chemicals, biologicals, and herbals)
Pharmacodynamics
Effects of a drug on the body (mechanism of action that causes these effects)
Pharmacokinetics
How the body handles the drug (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion)
what are the 2 reasons drugs are administered
- to achieve a beneficial effect on an individual
- to exert a selectively toxic effect on the individual
What are the two areas of pharmacology?
- Pharmacodynamics
- Pharmacokinetics
Most drugs influence biological systems by…
interacting with and binding to receptors
What are endogenous ligands
Substances ordinarily found in the body (i.e., hormones and neurotransmitters)
Where do receptors bind
Bound to and activated by endogenous ligands
What are 4 types of receptors
- Regulatory proteins
- Transporters
- Enzymes
- Structural proteins
Regulatory Proteins
Proteins that mediate the actions of endogenous chemical signals
What is meant by signalling mechanisms
Once an endogenous ligand or drug binds to and activates its receptor, the activated receptor triggers a series of biochemical events that results in the pharmacological effect
What are the 4 common signalling mechanisms
- ligand gated ion channels
- G-protein coupled receptors
- regulated transmembrane enzymes
- intracellular receptors
Ligand gated ion channels
Regulatory proteins used to transport sodium, chloride, and other ions across the cell membrane when an endogenous ligand or drug binds to the receptor
G-protein coupled receptor
Receptors that undergo a conformational change when an endogenous ligand or drug binds, activating a second messenger system
Regulated Transmembrane Enzymes
Receptors that activate an enzyme inside the cell when an endogenous ligand or drug binds
Intracellular Receptor
Receptors that move into the nucleus when bound to an endogenous ligand or drug increasing gene expression
Transporters
Proteins that transport endogenous substances across cell membranes
Note: Drugs targeting transporters often inhibit the function of the transporter
Enzymes
Proteins that catalyze biological reactions
Note: drugs targeting enzymes often inhibit the catalytic function of the enzymes
Structural Proteins
Proteins that contribute to the cell structure
Note: Drugs can bind to structural proteins in a cell and disrupt their normal function
Antacids
Commonly used to neutralize stomach acids through a simple acid-base neutralization
Chemotherapy Drugs
a # of chemo drugs do not bind to specific receptors, but kill cancer cells by chemically disrupting normal cell function
5 drug classifications
- Agonists
- Partial agonists
- Allosteric activator
- Competitive antagonist
- Non-competitive antagonist
Agonist
Binds to and activates the receptor, producing a full response