(e) Pharmaceutical chemistry

What do drugs do in the body

substances that alter the biochemical processes in the body

What types of drugs are used in medicines

drugs that have beneficial effects

What does medicine contain

the drug plus other ingredients such as fillers to add bulk or sweeteners to improve the taste

How do drugs work

by binding to specific protein molecules

Where are protein molecules found

on the surface of a cell (receptor) or can be specific enzyme molecules within a cell

How does an agonist drug act

mimics the natural compound and binds to the receptor molecules to produce a response similar to the natural active compound

How does an antagonist drug act

prevents the natural compound from binding to the receptor, and so blocks the natural response from occurring

How do enzyme inhibitors act

by binding to the active site of the enzyme and blocking the reaction normally catalysed there

What interactions form between drugs and enzyme's active sites

van der Waals forces and/or ionic bonds

What does the structural fragment of a drug molecule allow drugs to do

allows it to form interactions with a receptor binding site or to an enzyme active site normally consists of different functional groups correctly orientated with respect to each other

How can the structural fragment that is involved in the drug action be identified

by comparing the structures of drugs that have similar effects on the body

suggest why two drugs could bind to the same receptors

same structural fragment/similar interactions with receptor/similar shape/same functional groups that bind with the receptor