molecular, biochemical, physiological effects of drug on a cell or body system 

what the drug does to body

(binding, pathway, effects)

Fate of drugs

ADME 

what body does to drugs

Genetic influence on 

effectiveness and fate

of drug

toxicology - adverse effects of drugs and other chemical agents

therapeutics - how drugs mech of action treats disease

Pharmacoeconomics

Pharmacoepidemiology

cost effectiveness of a drug

effects of a drug on population. aim is to understand all aspects of drug action and efficacy to develop drugs/treatments that have selective beneficial actions without adverse effects. 

1) extracts from herbs/plants (opium poppy or foxglove)

2) Microorganisms (bacteria/fungi)

3) Body itself (endogenous compounds)

4) Chemical modification of bodies own hormones/ chemical regulators

5) chemical synthesis of novel compounds with desirable properties

T: Transporters or Carrier Proteins

I: Ion Channels

R: Receptors

E: Enzymes

Agonists 

Antagonists

Blockers: permeation is blocked

Modulators: modulate likelihood of channels opening and closing

(speed, time, amount of opening etc)

Inhibitor: normal catalytic reaction is inhibited

False Substrate: produces an abnormal metabolite that is broken down by enzyme to keep it occupied

Prodrug: enzyme is used to catalyse drug into its active form

Normal Transport

False Substrate: Unnatural compound is accumulated at the binding site and is transported by carrier protein to keep it occupied form transporting the correct substrate. 

Inhibitor: binds to either targer site blocking it or another site causing conformational change in the site to block transport. 

Receptors serve as recognition sites for endogeound compounds/ligands such as:

Neurotransmitter: adrenaline or (endogenous) acetylcholine

Hormones: Noradrenaline or estrogen

Local Hormones (Autacoids): Prostaglandins

Exogenous Ligands: atropine

What is:

Affinity

&

Efficacy

Affinity is the attraction of a ligand towards a receptor

Efficacy is the ability of the ligand to activate the receptors intracellular signalling transduction pathway

Agonists have affinity and efficacy

Antagonists have only affinity. 

membrand bound proteins groups into categories based on their:

1) Structure

2) Charge

3) Intracellular structure

this determines their intracellular signalling transduction pathway also.

these are skin receptors

associated with allergic reactions

These are found all over the body (ileum, cardiac lining etc)

They have an autoregulatory function 

They regulate the amount of histamines that get released