Pharmacodynamics and Drug Action

A set of vocabulary flashcards summarizing key terms and concepts related to pharmacodynamics and drug action. These cards will aid in understanding the principles of how drugs interact with the body and achieve therapeutic effects.

Pharmacodynamics

The study of the effects of drugs on living organisms and how they work.

Dose

The amount of drug administered to achieve a therapeutic effect.

Concentration

The amount of drug per unit volume, determining the effect at the molecular target.

Molecular Targets

Structures such as receptors, ion channels, and enzymes that drugs interact with to elicit physiological effects.

Agonist

A drug that binds to a receptor and activates it, producing a biological response.

Antagonist

A drug that binds to a receptor but does not activate it, preventing the receptor's normal action.

Affinity

A quantifiable measure of the attraction between a drug and its molecular target.

Dissociation Constant (KD)

A value that indicates the concentration of a drug at which 50% of the receptors are bound; lower values indicate higher affinity.

Selectivity

The relative ability of a drug to bind to different molecular targets; drugs with higher selectivity bind more strongly to intended targets than to others.

Potency

The amount of drug required to produce a desired effect.

Efficacy

The maximum effect that a drug can produce, regardless of dose.

Pathological Process

A change in the normal function of molecular targets that leads to disease.

Clinical Response

The observable effect of a drug on a patient, including both desired and undesired outcomes.

Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion (ADME)

Processes that describe how a drug is absorbed, distributed in the body, metabolized, and excreted.

Receptors

Proteins that drugs bind to in order to exert their effects.