MTC Flashcards
Briefly describe the importance of functional groups
Functional groups dictate the biological function of drugs by playing a major role in binding (lock and key model)
What is polarisation?
Different atoms have different electronegativities (electron attractions), this causes different polarities to form in molecules
What are the stages of drug action?
- Absorption (into bloodstream)
- Distribution (to target sites)
- Binding (to target site)
- Metabolism
- Excretion
What qualities does a molecule need to be absorbed and distributed (in blood)?
- Non-polar (hydrophobic) to absorb through GIT membrane
- Polar (hydrophilic) to dissolve in aqueous blood
What are the two main inhibition modes? Briefly describe
- Reversible inhibition: inhibition occurs due to intermolecular interaction– can be reversed
- Irreversible inhibitions: inhibition occurs due to covalent bonding– very difficult to reverse
Lipinski’s Rule predicts whether a drug can be orally bioavailable or not. What are the four crietia?
- Hydrogen Bond donors (OH, NH) < 5
- Hydrogen Bond acceptors (O, N) <10
- Molecular weight <500g/mol
- Partition coefficient log P <5
What is the pKa value?
The pKa value is a measure of how readily an acid will dissociate or how readily a base will protonate
Differentiate between a strong acid and a weak acid
Strong acids differentiate completely in water; weak acids differentiate incompletely in water
What does a high and low pKa indicate?
High pKa -> strong base
Low pKa -> strong acid
Differentiate between pH and pKa
pH is a measure of the proton concentration of an environment– this can be altered
pKa is a measure of the strength/weakness of an acid/base– it is a characteristic of molecule or functional group
Name one functional group present in an acidic and basic functional group respectively
Acidic – carboxylic acid (-COOH)
Basic – amino groups (-NH)
In what form do functional groups diffuse across the plasma membrane?
Functional groups must be neutral (non-ionised) in order to diffuse through the lipid bilayer
Under what conditions can an acidic drug be absorbed?
The pH < pKa as the acid would be protonated in this state (HA)
Under what conditions can a basic drug be absorbed?
The pH > pKa as the base would be deprotonated in this state (B)
What is a prodrug?
A prodrug is an inactive precursor to the active form that is metabolised into the active drug
What is a conformation?
A conformation is a geometric change caused by the rotation of a single bond
Name the two possible conformations. Which one is the most stable and why?
Staggered and eclipsed conformations. Staggered conformations are the most stable geometrical conformation as hydrogens are as far away from each other as possible (minimising electron repulsion)
What is isomerism?
Isomerism occurs in molecules that have identical molecular formulae but different structures
What is stereoisomerism?
Stereoisomerism occurs when there is difference in 3D structure in molecules with identical molecular formulae
What are enantiomers?
Enantiomers are stereoisomers that are mirror images and non-superimposable
What defines a chiral centre?
A chiral centre is a carbon that has four single bonds, each to unique substituent groups
What are diastereoisomers?
Stereoisomers that are incomplete mirror images of each other
The substituents of an enantiomer increase in priority in a clockwise direction. What enantiomer is this?
It is a R-enantiomer (rectus)
The substituents of an enantiomer increase in priority in a counter-clockwise direction. What enantiomer is this?
It is a S-enantiomer (sinister)
What is a racemic mixture?
A mixture of both R and S enantiomers in a varying ratio
What defines a D-amino acid and a L-amino acid?
D-amino acids have the amino group (-NH2) on the right side of the Fischer projection
L-amino acids have the amino group (-NH2) on the left side of the Fischer projection
What enantiomer of an amino acid occurs naturally?
L-amino acids
What defines a D-carbohydrate and a L-carbohydrate?
D-carbohydrates have the hydroxyl (-OH) on the right side of the Fischer projection
L-carbohydrates have the hydroxyl (-OH) on the left side of the Fischer projection
What enantiomer of carbohydrates occur naturally?
D-carbohydrates
What is an anomer?
A diastereoisomer of cyclic carbohydrates
Name the four major compounds in order of energy source prioritisation
Sugars, fatty acids, amino acids and nucleotides
What is a condensation reaction and what is its purpose?
A chemical reaction where water is released. Condensation reactions join monomer to create polymers
What is hydrolysis and what is its purpose?
A chemical reaction where water is added. Hydrolysis separate polymers into monomers
What are monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides?
- Monosaccharides: 3 or more carbon chain sugars (monomers)
- Disaccharides: two monosaccharides linked by glycosidic bond
- Oligosaccharides: 3-20 monosaccharide sugar
- Polysaccharides: polymers made up of hundreds and thousands monosaccharides
What is a glycosidic linkage?
A condensation reaction between two monosaccharides that creates a bond (disaccharide)
What are fats and oils made up of?
Fats and oils consist of triglycerides: glycerol molecule with fatty acid chains
Describe saturated and unsaturated fats
- Saturated: fatty acid hydrocarbon chains have all bonds filled (i.e. all single bonds)
- Unsaturated: fatty acid chains may contain a double bond (i.e. not all carbon bonds filled)
How are steroids synthesised?
Steroids are synthesised from cholesterol
What are cholesterols, steroids and lipids synthesised from?
They’re all synthesised from glucose