Pharmacology

Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmacon (φάρμακον) is drug, and logos (λόγος) is science) is the study of how chemical substances interact with living systems. If these substances have medicinal properties, they are referred to as pharmaceuticals. The field encompasses drug composition, drug properties, interactions, toxicology, and desirable effects that can be used in therapy of diseases.

Scientific background

The study of medicinal chemicals requires intimate knowledge of the biological system affected. With the knowledge of cell biology and biochemistry increasing, the field of pharmacology has also changed substantially. It has become possible, through molecular analysis of enzymes, to design chemicals that act on specific molecular pathways.

Related Topics:
Cell biology - Biochemistry - Enzyme - Molecular pathway

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A chemical has, from the pharmacological point-of-view, various properties. Pharmacokinetics is its fate (e.g. its half-life and volume of distribution) in the organism, and pharmacodynamics is its mode of action and potential toxicity.

Related Topics:
Pharmacokinetics - Half-life - Volume of distribution - Pharmacodynamics

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When describing the pharmacokinetic properties of a chemical, a pharmacologist employs the ADME principle:

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• Absorption - How is the medication absorbed (through the skin, the intestine, the oral mucosa)?
• Distribution - How does it spread through the organism?
• Metabolism - Is the medication converted chemically, and into which substances. Are these active? Could they be toxic?
• Excretion - How is the medication eliminated (through the bile, urine, skin)?

Medication is said to have a narrow or wide therapeutic margin or therapeutic window. Those with a narrow window are more difficult to dose and administer, and may require therapeutic drug monitoring (examples are warfarin, some antiepileptics, aminoglycoside antibiotics).

Related Topics:
Therapeutic drug monitoring - Warfarin - Antiepileptic - Aminoglycoside

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