BIOMD202 7p2 Introduction to Pharmaceutical Science and Stereochemistry

These vocabulary flashcards cover the fundamentals of pharmaceutical chemistry, including molecular building blocks, functional groups, and the principles of stereochemistry and pharmacology.

Molecule

A stable entity formed when two or more atoms of the same or different elements are bonded together by chemical bonds.

Functional Group

The active components or reactive sites within a molecule that dictate its chemical properties and stability.

Molecular Geometry

The three-dimensional shape of a molecule, critical for binding to receptors according to the Lock and Key principle.

Benzene Ring

A stable hexagonal structure consisting of six carbon atoms bonded with double bonds, found in drugs like ibuprofen.

Heterocycles

Ring structures containing atoms of more than one element (such as nitrogen), examples include pyridine, piperidine, and imidazole.

pH

The negative log of hydrogen ion concentration, used to define the acidity or alkalinity of an environment; expressed as $pH = -\text{log}[H^{+}]$.

Stereochemistry

The branch of chemistry dealing with the three-dimensional spatial arrangement of atoms within a molecule.

Chirality

A property of a molecule that makes it a mirror image that is not superimposable on itself, much like a person's left and right hands.

Stereoisomers

Molecules that possess the same molecular formula but have different special arrangements of atoms.

Enantiomers

Non-superimposable mirror images that share identical atoms but rotate plane-polarized light in opposite directions (e.g., R and S configurations).

Chiral Center

A carbon atom bonded to four different types of atoms or substituents.

R/S System

A system to describe the configuration of a chiral center; the isomer is "R" if the priority numbers are in clockwise direction and "S" if they are anticlockwise.

Optical Activity

The property of a molecule to change the plane angle of polarized light when it passes through a solution.

Polarimeter

An instrument used to measure the rotation of polarized light by an optically active compound using a light source and a polarizer.

Diastereomers

Stereoisomers that have the same molecular formula but are not mirror images of each other and are not superimposable (e.g., cis-trans or Z and E isomers).

Pharmacokinetics (ADME)

The study of what the body does to the drug, encompassing Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion.

Pharmacodynamics

The study of what the drug does to the body, including its binding to receptors and the resulting therapeutic effects.

Thalidomide

A drug prescribed in the 1960s for morning sickness that caused birth defects because the S-enantiomer was neurotoxic.

Ibuprofen

A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that acts as a weak acid due to its carboxylic functional group.