Potency (pharmacology)Measure of drug activity Concentration-response curves illustrating the concept of potency. For a response of 0.25a.u., Drug B is more potent, as it generates this response at a lower concentration. For a response of 0.75a.u., Drug A is more potent. a.u. refers to "arbitrary units". In pharmacology, potency or biological potency is a measure of a drug's biological activity expressed in terms of the dose required to produce a pharmacological effect of given intensity.
AgonistAn agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellularproteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an antagonist blocks the action of the agonist, while an inverse agonist causes an action opposite to that of the agonist.
Enzyme inhibitorMolecule that blocks enzyme activityTop: enzyme (E) accelerates conversion of substrates (S) to products (P). Bottom: by binding to the enzyme, inhibitor (I) blocks binding of substrate. Binding site shown in blue checkerboard, substrate as black rectangle, and inhibitor as green rounded rectangle.An enzyme inhibitor is a molecule that binds to an enzyme and blocks its activity.
Receptor antagonistA receptor antagonist is a type of receptorligand or drug that blocks or dampens a biological response by binding to and blocking a receptor rather than activating it like an agonist. Antagonist drugs interfere in the natural operation of receptor proteins. They are sometimes called blockers; examples include alpha blockers, beta blockers, and calcium channel blockers.
EC50Half maximal effective concentration (EC50) is a measure of the concentration of a drug, antibody or toxicant which induces a biological response halfway between the baseline and maximum after a specified exposure time. More simply, EC50 can be defined as the concentration required to obtain a 50% [...] effect and may be also written as [A]50.
Molar concentrationMolar concentration (also called amount-of-substance concentration or molarity) is the number of moles of solute per liter of solution. Specifically, it is a measure of the concentration of a chemical species, in particular, of a solute in a solution, in terms of amount of substance per unit volume of solution.
EnzymeLarge biological molecule that acts as a catalystThe enzyme glucosidase converts the sugar maltose into two glucose sugars. Active site residues in red, maltose substrate in black, and NADcofactor in yellow. (PDB: 1OBB)An enzyme is a biological macromolecule, usually a protein, that acts as a biological catalyst, accelerating chemical reactions without being consumed in the process.
PharmacologyPharmacology is the science of drugs and medications, including a substance's origin, composition and interaction with biological systems; specifically through pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, therapeutic use, and toxicology. The discipline examines these interactions through pharmacokinetics (what the body does to the drug) and pharmacodynamics (what the drug does to the body), both of which determine how a substance alters normal or abnormal biochemical function.
In vitroIn vitro (meaning in glass, or in the glass) studies are performed with cells or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called "test-tube experiments", these studies in biology and its subdisciplines are traditionally done in labware such as test tubes, flasks, Petri dishes, and microtiter plates.
Cell (biology)Basic unit of life formsThe cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all forms of life or organisms. The term comes from the Latin word cellula meaning 'small room'. A biological cell basically consists of a semipermeablecell membrane enclosing cytoplasm that contains genetic material. Most cells are only visible under a microscope.
Receptor (biochemistry)In biochemistry and pharmacology, receptors are proteins that receive and transduce signals that may be integrated into biological systems. These signals are typically chemical messengers which bind to a receptor and produce physiological responses, such as a change in the electrical activity of a cell. For example, GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, inhibits electrical activity of neurons by binding to GABAA receptors.
MicroorganismMicroscopic living organismA cluster of Escherichia coli bacteria magnified 10,000 timesA microorganism, or microbe, is an organism of microscopic size, which may exist in its single-celled form or as a colony of cells. The possible existence of unseen microbial life was suspected from antiquity, with an early attestation in Jain literature authored in 6th-century BC India.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.