NRS301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Therapeutic Index, Bacitracin, Partial Agonist
Document Summary
Pharmacodynamics: the study of biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and the molecular mechanisms by which those effects are produced, what drugs do to the body. Maximal efficacy and relative potency: maximal efficacy, largest effect that a drug can produce, match the intensity of the response to the patient"s need, potency, amount of drug we must give to elicit an effect. Drug-receptor interaction: drugs, chemicals that produce effects by interacting with other chemicals, receptors, special chemical sites in the body that most drugs interact with to produce effects, think about lock and key, very specific. Receptor binding: receptor is like on-off switch, works like lock and key, turn on or off enzyme processes within the cell. Increase or decrease cellular activity, change in cell membrane permeability. Drugs can only mimic or block the body"s own regulatory molecules. 2: drugs produce their therapeutic effects by helping the body use its preexisitng capabilities.