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Pharmacology is the science of drugs and medications, [1] including a substance's origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, therapeutic use, and toxicology. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function. [ 2 ]
In pharmacology, the term mechanism of action (MOA) refers to the specific biochemical interaction through which a drug substance produces its pharmacological effect. [2] A mechanism of action usually includes mention of the specific molecular targets to which the drug binds, such as an enzyme or receptor . [ 3 ]
In pharmacology, biological activity or pharmacological activity describes the beneficial or adverse effects of a drug on living matter. [1] [2] When a drug is a complex chemical mixture, this activity is exerted by the substance's active ingredient or pharmacophore but can be modified by the other constituents. Among the various properties of ...
Molecular pharmacology – the discipline of studying drug actions at the molecular level; it is a branch of pharmacology in general. Pharmacogenomics – the study of the human genome in order to understand the ways in which genetic factors determine the actions of medicines. [6] [7]
Pharmacotherapy, also known as pharmacological therapy or drug therapy, is defined as medical treatment that utilizes one or more pharmaceutical drugs to improve ongoing symptoms (symptomatic relief), treat the underlying condition, or act as a prevention for other diseases (prophylaxis).
This measurement is useful in medicine, pharmacology and pharmacokinetics because it helps determine how much of a drug needs to be taken and how frequently it needs to be taken if a certain average amount is needed constantly.
This reflects how dose–response relationships can be used in individuals. In populations, dose–response relationships can describe the way groups of people or organisms are affected at different levels of exposure. Dose response relationships modelled by dose response curves are used extensively in pharmacology and drug development.
With worldwide research into pharmacology as well as medicine, traditional medicines or ancient herbal medicines are often translated into modern remedies, such as the anti-malarial group of drugs called artemisinin isolated from Artemisia annua herb, a herb that was known in Chinese medicine to treat fever.