pharmacology. its branches (types of drugs).

 

Pharmacology (its branches and types of drugs).

Pharmacology is the study of drugs composition,properties and medical applications.the sources of drugs are also studied in pharmacology.

Clinical pharmacology was present in the middle age. Early pharamacologists focused on natural substances, mainly plants excrats.pharmacology devolped in the 19^th century as a biomedical science.

Any substance that, when absorbed into the body of living organism, alters normal body function is known as a drug.drugs are badly classfied into two major parts/ types.

A pharmaceutical drug or a medical drug is defined as any chemical substances that can used in the diagonsis,cure, treatment, or preventation of diseases.

Some drugs often make a person dependent on them, or addicted. These may be called as addictive drugs. By using such drugs, the person,s body become families with them and the user cannot function well without it.

Medical drugs

Various diseases have been made easier to treat in recent years by the production of medical drugs. Drugs are obtain from the following sources.

1:synthetic drugs

Such drugs donot occur naturally but are synthesized in labortatory.pharmaceutical companies produce these drugs e.g aspirin.

2:drugs from plants and fungi

Many important medicines are obtained from plants and fungi. These medicines includes antibiotics, cardiotonics and certain analgesics.the antibiotic pencillin comes from a fungus. The cardiotonics, known as digitalis , is used to summulate the heart. It is made from the leaves of pupil flowered plant,foxgloves.

3:drugs from animals

Drugs obtained from animals are usually their glandular products.fish liver oils, musk,bee,s wax,certain hormones and antitoxins are obtained from animal source.

4:drugs from minerals

Several different types of drugs are produced from minerals. The mineral iodine is used in making tincture of iodine, a liquid that helps prevent infections when applied on cuts and scrubes.the powder form of silver nitrate is applied on wound to stop bleeding and prevent infections.

5:drugs from becteria

Manu antibiotics e.g streptomycin are obtained from becteria.

 

PRINCIPLES USAGE OF IMPORTANT MEDICAL DRUGS.

·       ANALGESICS (pain killers) reduce pain e.g aspirin, paractmol etc.

·       Antibiotics inhibit or kill becteria and treate becterial infections e.g tetracycline, cephalosprin etc.

·       Sedatives induce sedation by reducing irritablity or excitement e.g diazepam.

·       Vaccines are used to develop immunity againest viral and becterial infections e.g vaccines againest small pox, whooping cough, hapatitis B etc.

Note: Sir alexander flemming (1881-1955) was a scottish biologist. He descover the antibiotic penicillin from the fungus penicillium notatun, for which he was awarded as nobel prize in 1945.

 

Note: Joseph lister (1827-1955) was an english surgeon.he promoted the idea of sterile surgery for the first time. He introduced carbolic acid to sterillise surgical instuments and to clean wounds.he was awarded by nobel prize in 1951.

 

ADDICTIVE DRUGS

THE following are the catagouries of addictive drugs

1:sedatives 

These drugs are interect with nervous system to depress its addictives. Sedactives drugs are induces dizziness, lethargy, slow the function of brain and depression. Long term use of these drugs induces suicidal thoughts.

2:narcotis

These are strong pain killers. These drugs are often prescribed in conjenction with other less potent painkillers. These are used to relieve pain for paitents with chronic diseases such as cancer. These are also used for relieve acute pain after operations. But some peoples may abuse narcotics for ecstatic effects.

Note: In many western countries,herion is prescribed as a strong analgesis under the name diamorphine.its use includes treatment for acute pain and post-surgical pain.

3:hallucinogens

These are the drugs thet cause changes in perception. Thought, emotion and consciousness. The group includes mescaline, which comes from a cactus and psilocin, which comes from mushroom.

Physiologically, hallucinogens affect on the sympathetic nervous system, causing dilation of pupils, conscrition of some arteries and rise in blood pressure.

4:marijuana (hashish)

This is a hallucinogens, which is smoked. It is obtained from the flowers, stems and leaves of the marijuana plant. Small doses of these drug result in a feeling of well- being thatlasts two three hours. The drug also increase the heart rate.

 

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Published to the biotech centre .