Pharmaceuticals Flashcards
what is a drug?
substances that can alter the biochemical processes in the body
what is a medicine?
drugs that have a beneficial effect
what additional ingredients might a medicine contain besides the drug?
fillers (to add bulk)
sweeteners (to improve taste)
how much of the active ingredient is typically present in a medicine?
the amount of active ingredient is very small
how do drugs generally work in the body?
drugs work by binding to specific protein molecules
these can be on receptors on the cell surface or enzymes within a cell
how are drugs that act on receptors classified?
they can be an agonist or an antagonist
what is an agonist?
mimics the natural compound and binds to the receptor molecules to produce a response similar to the natural active compound
mimics - similar
what is an antagonist?
prevents the natural compound from binding to the receptor, blocking the natural response from occurring
prevents - blocking
how do enzyme-inhibiting drugs work?
they bind to the active site of an enzyme, blocking the reaction that would normally occur there
what must chemists consider when designing more effective medicines?
the structure of compounds that are active for a particular receptor or an enzyme’s active site
how do functional groups influence drug designs?
functional groups allow the compound to interact with the active site through van der waal forces and ionic bonds
why is the number of carbon atoms in a drug important?
too few or too many carbon atoms can prevent the functional groups from interacting correctly with the active site
what is a structural fragment (pharmacophore) of a medicine?
part of a molecules structure which allows it to interact with a receptor
how can chemists identify the structural fragment of a drug?
by comparing the structures of drugs with similar effects on the body
what is a receptor?
protein molecule on a cell/enzyme
