Quiz 3

Question 1

What is drug binding?

Answer 1

The process by which drugs interact with specific receptors or proteins in the body. A drug can bind to its target to initiate or block a biological response.

Question 2

What is depot binding (drug interaction)?

Answer 2

Depot binding occurs when a drug binds to inactive sites, such as fat, bone, or plasma proteins. This can prolong the drug’s duration in the body by preventing it from reaching active sites.

Question 3

What is inactivation?

Answer 3

Inactivation refers to the process by which a drug loses its pharmacological activity, often due to metabolic processes.

Question 4

What is metabolism?

Answer 4

Metabolism is the body’s process of breaking down substances, including drugs, primarily in the liver.

Question 5

What is biotransformation?

Answer 5

The chemical alterations a drug undergoes in the body, typically through enzymatic reactions.

Question 6

What is microsomal enzymes?

Answer 6

These are enzymes found in the liver that play a critical role in the metabolism of drugs, particularly in Phase I reactions (oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis).

Question 7

What is tolerance?

Answer 7

Tolerance is a reduced response to a drug after repeated use, leading to the need for a higher dose to achieve the same effect.

Question 8

What is sensitization?

Answer 8

Sensitization is the opposite of tolerance, where repeated exposure to a drug increases the effect, requiring lower doses for the same impact.

Question 9

What is enzyme induction?

Answer 9

This occurs when a drug increases the production of certain enzymes, speeding up its own metabolism or that of other drugs.

Question 10

What is inhibition?

Answer 10

A drug reduces the effect of another by blocking receptors or interfering with its metabolism.

Question 11

What is cross-tolerance?

Answer 11

Cross-tolerance occurs when tolerance to one drug leads to tolerance to another drug, often due to similar mechanisms of action or shared pathways.

Question 12

What is cross-sensitization (drug interaction)?

Answer 12

This happens when sensitization to one drug leads to an increased response to another drug, again often due to shared pathways or mechanisms.

Question 12

What is genetic polymorphisms?

Answer 12

Variations in genes that can affect how individuals metabolize drugs, leading to different responses and side effects among people.

Question 13

What is drug competition (drug interaction)?

Answer 13

Drug competition arises when two drugs compete for the same receptor or metabolic enzyme, which can alter the effectiveness or metabolism of one or both drugs.

Question 14

What is excretion?

Answer 14

Excretion is the removal of drugs from the body, typically via the kidneys in urine or through the liver in bile.

Question 15

What is drug clearance?

Answer 15

Drug clearance is the rate at which a drug is removed from the body, measured as the volume of blood cleared of the drug per unit time.

Question 16

What is first-order kinetics?

Answer 16

A drug’s rate of elimination is proportional to its concentration in the blood. Most drugs follow this model of metabolism.

Question 17

What is half-life?

Answer 17

The half-life of a drug is the time it takes for its concentration in the blood to be reduced by half.

Question 18

What is zero-order kinetics?

Answer 18

A drug is eliminated at a constant rate, regardless of its concentration, often seen with drugs like alcohol.

Question 19

What are the structure, function, and electrical signals of neurons?

Answer 19

Neurons are specialized cells that transmit electrical and chemical signals. They consist of a cell body, dendrites, and an axon. Electrical signals, such as action potentials, travel along the neuron and enable communication between cells.

Question 20

What is neurotransmission?

Answer 20

Neurotransmission refers to the process by which neurons communicate with each other, typically through the release of neurotransmitters at synapses.

Question 21

What is synapses?

Answer 21

Synapses are the junctions between neurons where neurotransmitters are released to transmit signals to the next cell.

Question 22

What are receptor agonists?

Answer 22

These are drugs or molecules that bind to a receptor and activate it, causing a biological response.

Question 23

What are receptor antagonists?

Answer 23

These are drugs or molecules that bind to a receptor but do not activate it, preventing other molecules (like neurotransmitters) from binding and triggering a response.

Question 24

What is efficacy?

Answer 24

The ability of a drug to produce a maximal biological effect after binding to its receptor.

Question 25

What is affinity?

Answer 25

Affinity is the strength with which a drug binds to its receptor. High-affinity drugs bind more tightly and effectively to receptors.