drugs n behavior exam 2

FDA

Food and Drug Administration, responsible for protecting public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of drugs.

Pharmacokinetics

The study of how drugs move through the body, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.

Pharmacodynamics

The study of what a drug does to the body, including its mechanisms of action.

Bioavailability

The proportion of a drug that enters circulation when introduced into the body and is available for action.

Ionization

The process in which a neutral molecule gains or loses an electric charge to become an ion, affecting drug absorption.

Blood Brain Barrier (BBB)

A selective barrier that prevents many substances from passing into the brain from the bloodstream.

Half-life

The time it takes for the plasma concentration of a drug to reduce to half its initial value.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

The clinical practice of measuring specific drugs at designated intervals to maintain a consistent drug concentration in a patient's bloodstream.

First-pass metabolism

The process whereby a drug's concentration is significantly reduced before it reaches systemic circulation.

Elimination Half-life

The period it takes for the plasma level of a drug to fall by 50%, important for determining dosing schedules.

File Drawer Effect

The tendency of researchers to not publish results of studies that do not show significant findings.

General Rule of Ionization

Most drugs are weak acids or weak bases, and are less ionized in their pka range.

Curare

A poison used in South America from certain plants that blocks acetylcholine receptors, safe to ingest in its ionized state.

Drug Clearance

The process of eliminating drugs from the body, usually measured by the rate at which a drug is removed from the plasma.

Steady-State Concentration

The point at which drug intake equals drug elimination, resulting in a stable concentration of the drug in the blood.

Enzyme Induction

A process where certain drugs increase the production of drug-metabolizing enzymes, often leading to tolerance.

Pharmacology

The scientific study of drugs and their effects on living organisms.

Pharmacokinetics

The process of how a drug moves through the body.

Depot Binding

The binding of a drug to inactive sites like plasma proteins, muscles, and fats, affecting drug availability and duration.

Metabolism

The process by which the body breaks down drugs, primarily occurring in the liver.

Active metabolites

Byproducts of metabolism which remain active and can continue to exert effects on the body.

Pro Drugs

Drugs that are administered in an inactive form and are metabolized into an active form in the body.

Blood Brain Barrier

A protective barrier that limits substances from entering the brain from the bloodstream.

CNS Lymphatic Vessels

Vessels in the central nervous system that help remove potentially toxic protein waste and biological debris.

Teratogens

Agents that can induce developmental abnormalities in a fetus.

Injection Methods

Various methods of drug administration including intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC) injections.

Pharmacokinetics

The study of how the body handles drugs, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.

First Pass Metabolism

The process by which orally administered drugs are metabolized by liver enzymes before reaching their target tissue, reducing bioavailability.

Routes of Administration

Different methods by which drugs can be administered, including oral, intravenous, intramuscular, and inhalation.

Absorption

The process by which drugs enter the bloodstream, influenced by factors such as dosage form and the presence of food.

Intravenous Injection

The delivery of a drug directly into the bloodstream, offering rapid onset and accurate blood concentration.

Intranasal Administration

The delivery of drugs through the nasal mucosa, bypassing the gastrointestinal tract and potentially avoiding first pass metabolism.

Sublingual Administration

The administration of drugs under the tongue, allowing for rapid absorption into the bloodstream.

Equilibrium Distribution

The consistent distribution of drugs throughout the body once they reach a steady state after administration.

Subcutaneous Administration

The delivery of drugs via injection into the tissue layer between the skin and muscle, offering slower absorption than intravenous.

Oral Administration Advantages

Ease of use, self-administration, economical, and safe with slow absorption allowing for counteraction of adverse effects.

Oral Administration Disadvantages

Slow and variable absorption, subject to first-pass metabolism, not suitable for all patients especially unconscious or vomiting.

Drug Distribution

The process by which a drug is dispersed throughout the fluids and tissues of the body.

Blood Brain Barrier (BBB)

A selective permeability barrier that protects the brain from harmful substances in the bloodstream.

Ion Trapping

The process where a drug, depending on its ionization, becomes trapped in a compartment of the body.

Depot Binding

The ability of a drug to bind to tissues, which affects its distribution and duration of effect.

Metabolism

The chemical processes that change substances in the body; often involves converting fat-soluble compounds into water-soluble forms.

Teratogens

Agents that induce developmental abnormalities in a fetus.

pH and Ionization

The degree to which a drug is ionized depends on the pH of the environment and the pKa of the drug itself.

First-order Kinetics

A type of drug elimination in which the rate of elimination is proportional to the drug concentration.

Zero Order Kinetics

A type of drug elimination in which the rate of elimination is constant regardless of drug concentration.

Steady-state Concentration

The point at which the amount of drug administered equals the amount of drug eliminated, leading to a stable plasma concentration.