Pharmaceutical chemistry Flashcards
Drugs are?
Substances that alter the biochemical processes in the body.
What type of drugs are used in medicines?
Those that have beneficial effects.
What does a medicine usually contain?
The drug plus other ingredients such as fillers to add bulk or sweeteners to improve the taste.
How do drugs generally work?
By binding to specific protein molecules.
Where do you find the receptors that drugs bind to?
On the surface of the cell (receptor) or can be specific enzyme molecules within a cell.
What is an agonist?
Mimics the natural compound and binds to the receptor molecules to produce a response similar to the natural active compound.
What is an antagonist?
Prevents the natural compound from biding to the receptor and so blocks the natural response from occurring.
Enzyme inhibitors?
Many drugs that act on enzymes are classified as enzyme inhibitors and act by binding to the active site of the enzyme and blocking the reaction normally catalysed there.
The overall shape and size of a drug is such that it…
Interacts with a receptor binding site or the active site of an enzyme. The types of interactions formed can include van der walls forced and/ or ionic bonds
What allows the drug molecule to form interactions with a receptor binding site or to an enzyme active site?
Structural fragment
What does a structural fragment normally consist of
Different functional groups correctly orientated with respect to eachother.
How can we identify the structural fragment involved in the drug action?
By comparing the structure of drugs that have similar effects on the body.
