Pharmacology | Public Policy & Nutrition | Plant Pathology & Biology
Q1: What is pharmacology?
ANSWER The science that studies drugs, their properties, effects,
mechanisms of action, and uses in medicine.
Q2: Define pharmacokinetics.
ANSWER The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and
excretes a drug (ADME).
Q3: What does ADME stand for?
ANSWER Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion.
Q4: What is pharmacodynamics?
ANSWER The study of how drugs affect the body — the mechanisms of drug
action and effects.
Q5: What is a drug receptor?
ANSWER A molecular target (usually a protein) that a drug binds to in order to
produce a biological effect.
Q6: Define agonist.
ANSWER A drug that binds to a receptor and activates it, producing a
biological response.
Q7: Define antagonist.
ANSWER A drug that binds to a receptor and blocks or reduces a response
without activating it.
Q8: What is the therapeutic index (TI)?
ANSWER The ratio of the toxic dose to the therapeutic dose (TD50/ED50). A
higher TI means a safer drug.
Q9: What is a half-life (t½) in pharmacology?
ANSWER The time required for the concentration of a drug in the body to
decrease by half.
,Q10: What is bioavailability?
ANSWER The fraction of an administered drug that reaches the systemic
circulation unchanged.
Q11: What is first-pass metabolism?
ANSWER The metabolism of a drug by the liver before it reaches systemic
circulation, reducing bioavailability.
Q12: Which route of administration bypasses first-pass metabolism?
ANSWER Intravenous (IV) administration — it delivers the drug directly into
the bloodstream.
Q13: What is the blood-brain barrier (BBB)?
ANSWER A selective permeability barrier formed by brain capillary endothelial
cells that restricts substances from entering the brain.
Q14: What is a prodrug?
ANSWER A pharmacologically inactive compound that is converted into an
active drug in the body through metabolism.
Q15: What is drug tolerance?
ANSWER A decrease in response to a drug after repeated use, requiring
higher doses to achieve the same effect.
Q16: What is a loading dose?
ANSWER A higher initial dose given to rapidly achieve therapeutic drug
concentrations.
Q17: What is steady-state concentration?
ANSWER The plasma drug concentration achieved when the rate of drug
intake equals the rate of elimination.
Q18: What is protein binding in pharmacology?
ANSWER The reversible attachment of drugs to plasma proteins (e.g.,
albumin), which affects distribution and activity.
Q19: What is the volume of distribution (Vd)?
ANSWER A measure of the extent to which a drug is distributed into body
tissues compared to the plasma.
Q20: What is drug clearance?
ANSWER The volume of plasma from which a drug is completely removed per
unit time.
Q21: What is an ED50?
ANSWER The dose that produces the desired effect in 50% of the population.
Q22: What is an LD50?
, ANSWER The dose that is lethal to 50% of a test population.
Q23: Define drug potency.
ANSWER The amount (dose) of a drug required to produce a given effect.
More potent drugs require smaller doses.
Q24: Define drug efficacy.
ANSWER The maximum effect a drug can produce, regardless of dose.
Q25: What is competitive antagonism?
ANSWER When an antagonist competes with an agonist for the same receptor
binding site and its effects can be overcome by increasing agonist
concentration.
Q26: What is non-competitive antagonism?
ANSWER When an antagonist binds to a different site on the receptor and
reduces efficacy regardless of agonist concentration.
Q27: What is partial agonism?
ANSWER When a drug binds to and activates a receptor but produces a
submaximal response even at full receptor occupancy.
Q28: What are cytochrome P450 enzymes?
ANSWER A family of liver enzymes responsible for the metabolism of many
drugs; important for drug-drug interactions.
Q29: What is enzyme induction?
ANSWER An increase in enzyme activity (e.g., CYP450) caused by a drug,
which speeds up metabolism of other drugs.
Q30: What is enzyme inhibition?
ANSWER A decrease in enzyme activity caused by a drug, which slows
metabolism and can increase drug levels.
Q31: What is drug synergism?
ANSWER When two drugs together produce a greater effect than the sum of
their individual effects.
Q32: What is drug antagonism (drug interaction)?
ANSWER When one drug reduces or blocks the effect of another.
Q33: What is an adverse drug reaction (ADR)?
ANSWER An unwanted, harmful response that occurs at normal therapeutic
doses of a drug.
Q34: What is drug dependence?
ANSWER A state where the body requires a drug to function normally, and
withdrawal symptoms occur without it.
Q1: What is pharmacology?
ANSWER The science that studies drugs, their properties, effects,
mechanisms of action, and uses in medicine.
Q2: Define pharmacokinetics.
ANSWER The study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and
excretes a drug (ADME).
Q3: What does ADME stand for?
ANSWER Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion.
Q4: What is pharmacodynamics?
ANSWER The study of how drugs affect the body — the mechanisms of drug
action and effects.
Q5: What is a drug receptor?
ANSWER A molecular target (usually a protein) that a drug binds to in order to
produce a biological effect.
Q6: Define agonist.
ANSWER A drug that binds to a receptor and activates it, producing a
biological response.
Q7: Define antagonist.
ANSWER A drug that binds to a receptor and blocks or reduces a response
without activating it.
Q8: What is the therapeutic index (TI)?
ANSWER The ratio of the toxic dose to the therapeutic dose (TD50/ED50). A
higher TI means a safer drug.
Q9: What is a half-life (t½) in pharmacology?
ANSWER The time required for the concentration of a drug in the body to
decrease by half.
,Q10: What is bioavailability?
ANSWER The fraction of an administered drug that reaches the systemic
circulation unchanged.
Q11: What is first-pass metabolism?
ANSWER The metabolism of a drug by the liver before it reaches systemic
circulation, reducing bioavailability.
Q12: Which route of administration bypasses first-pass metabolism?
ANSWER Intravenous (IV) administration — it delivers the drug directly into
the bloodstream.
Q13: What is the blood-brain barrier (BBB)?
ANSWER A selective permeability barrier formed by brain capillary endothelial
cells that restricts substances from entering the brain.
Q14: What is a prodrug?
ANSWER A pharmacologically inactive compound that is converted into an
active drug in the body through metabolism.
Q15: What is drug tolerance?
ANSWER A decrease in response to a drug after repeated use, requiring
higher doses to achieve the same effect.
Q16: What is a loading dose?
ANSWER A higher initial dose given to rapidly achieve therapeutic drug
concentrations.
Q17: What is steady-state concentration?
ANSWER The plasma drug concentration achieved when the rate of drug
intake equals the rate of elimination.
Q18: What is protein binding in pharmacology?
ANSWER The reversible attachment of drugs to plasma proteins (e.g.,
albumin), which affects distribution and activity.
Q19: What is the volume of distribution (Vd)?
ANSWER A measure of the extent to which a drug is distributed into body
tissues compared to the plasma.
Q20: What is drug clearance?
ANSWER The volume of plasma from which a drug is completely removed per
unit time.
Q21: What is an ED50?
ANSWER The dose that produces the desired effect in 50% of the population.
Q22: What is an LD50?
, ANSWER The dose that is lethal to 50% of a test population.
Q23: Define drug potency.
ANSWER The amount (dose) of a drug required to produce a given effect.
More potent drugs require smaller doses.
Q24: Define drug efficacy.
ANSWER The maximum effect a drug can produce, regardless of dose.
Q25: What is competitive antagonism?
ANSWER When an antagonist competes with an agonist for the same receptor
binding site and its effects can be overcome by increasing agonist
concentration.
Q26: What is non-competitive antagonism?
ANSWER When an antagonist binds to a different site on the receptor and
reduces efficacy regardless of agonist concentration.
Q27: What is partial agonism?
ANSWER When a drug binds to and activates a receptor but produces a
submaximal response even at full receptor occupancy.
Q28: What are cytochrome P450 enzymes?
ANSWER A family of liver enzymes responsible for the metabolism of many
drugs; important for drug-drug interactions.
Q29: What is enzyme induction?
ANSWER An increase in enzyme activity (e.g., CYP450) caused by a drug,
which speeds up metabolism of other drugs.
Q30: What is enzyme inhibition?
ANSWER A decrease in enzyme activity caused by a drug, which slows
metabolism and can increase drug levels.
Q31: What is drug synergism?
ANSWER When two drugs together produce a greater effect than the sum of
their individual effects.
Q32: What is drug antagonism (drug interaction)?
ANSWER When one drug reduces or blocks the effect of another.
Q33: What is an adverse drug reaction (ADR)?
ANSWER An unwanted, harmful response that occurs at normal therapeutic
doses of a drug.
Q34: What is drug dependence?
ANSWER A state where the body requires a drug to function normally, and
withdrawal symptoms occur without it.
