Pharmacology

An agonist is a drug or natural substance that binds to a receptor and activates it, producing a biological response.

An antagonist is a drug that binds to a receptor without activating it, blocking the natural signal or an agonist from producing an effect.

An anticoagulant is a substance that slows blood clotting by interfering with clotting factors, used to prevent and treat harmful blood clots.

An antiviral drug is a medicine that treats or prevents a viral infection by blocking a step in the virus's life cycle inside the host's cells.

A beta blocker is a drug that stops epinephrine and norepinephrine from acting on beta receptors, which slows the heart and lowers blood pressure.

Bioavailability is the fraction of a drug dose that reaches the general circulation unchanged, along with how quickly it gets there.

Drugs that act on the nerves running the heart, gut, bladder, eyes and airways: cholinergic and adrenergic drugs and their blockers.

Insulin, and the tablets and injections for type 2 diabetes, from metformin to SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 agonists.

Penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems and vancomycin: antibiotics that stop bacteria building their cell wall.

NSAIDs, paracetamol, opioids and their antidote, and the drugs for gout.

Inhalers for asthma and COPD, montelukast, theophylline and the antihistamines.

Acid reducers, antiemetics, laxatives, loperamide and mesalazine.

The hormone that lowers blood glucose: a small protein of 51 amino acids in two chains, A and B, joined by disulfide bonds.

The stimulant in coffee and tea: a flat purine with three methyl groups, close enough in shape to adenosine to block its receptors.

A painkiller that works by giving away part of itself: aspirin hands its acetyl group to the enzyme that makes prostaglandins, and stops it for good.

A natural penicillin still given as a medicine: a strained four-membered beta-lactam ring that jams the enzymes bacteria use to build their cell walls.

Monitors clinical trials of new medicines and devices, checking that each trial site follows the protocol, protects patients and records accurate data.

Writes clear, accurate material about science and medicine, from patient leaflets and news stories to clinical trial documents.

Explains and sells medicines, medical devices or lab products to doctors, pharmacists, hospitals and labs, backed by solid product knowledge.

Makes sure people get the right medicines safely: checking prescriptions, explaining doses and side effects, and advising prescribers.

Studies how drugs act on the body and how the body handles them, to find new medicines and make existing ones safer.

Prepares and supplies medicines under a pharmacist's supervision, and keeps the pharmacy's stock, records and safety checks in order.

A mass concentration (mg/mL, µg/mL, ng/mL) in molarity (M, mM, µM, nM), or back, from the molecular weight.

The pH of a buffer, or how much of its acid and base form you need for a target pH, with common buffers built in.

Typical adult ranges for blood, urine and spinal fluid tests, in conventional and SI units, with a source for every value.