DRUG KINETICS Meaning and
Definition
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Drug kinetics is a branch of pharmacology that deals with the study of how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated by the body. It focuses on understanding the complex processes that occur after administering a drug and how they affect the drug's concentration in the body over time.
The absorption phase refers to how a drug enters the bloodstream after administration, whether it is taken orally, intravenously, or through other routes. This phase often determines the drug's onset of action and bioavailability.
Distribution refers to how the drug is transported throughout the body via the bloodstream and eventually reaches its target site. It involves factors such as blood flow, tissue permeability, and drug-protein binding interactions.
Metabolism, also known as biotransformation, involves the chemical transformations that a drug undergoes in the body to be converted into metabolites. The liver primarily performs this process, although other organs and tissues may also contribute.
Elimination encompasses the removal of the drug and its metabolites from the body. This can occur through various routes, such as urinary excretion, fecal elimination, and through exhalation. The rate of elimination determines the drug's half-life, which indicates the time taken for the drug concentration in the body to decrease by half.
Understanding drug kinetics is crucial for determining the optimal dosage, dosing frequency, and duration of drug therapy. Factors such as patient variables (age, body weight, kidney or liver function) and drug interactions can influence drug kinetics, affecting drug efficacy and safety. Robust knowledge of drug kinetics also allows for the prediction and prevention of potential adverse effects and drug interactions, thereby ensuring appropriate drug prescription and administration.
Common Misspellings for DRUG KINETICS
- srug kinetics
- xrug kinetics
- crug kinetics
- frug kinetics
- rrug kinetics
- erug kinetics
- deug kinetics
- ddug kinetics
- dfug kinetics
- dtug kinetics
- d5ug kinetics
- d4ug kinetics
- dryg kinetics
- drhg kinetics
- drjg kinetics
- drig kinetics
- dr8g kinetics
- dr7g kinetics
- druf kinetics
- druv kinetics
Etymology of DRUG KINETICS
The term "drug kinetics" is composed of two parts: "drug" and "kinetics".
The word "drug" originates from the Middle English word "drogge", which came from the Old French "drogue" meaning "medicine". It is believed that the Old French term was derived from the Dutch word "droge" meaning "dry" or "dried plants used in medicine". This Dutch word further originated from the Middle Dutch word "droge", which also meant "dry".
On the other hand, "kinetics" is derived from the Greek word "kinētikos", meaning "movable" or "moving". The Greek term "kinētikos" can be traced back to the Greek word "kinēsis", which means "movement".
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