Pharmacology

The study of drugs, their sources, their nature, and their properties. Pharmacology is the study of the body’s reaction to drugs. It emerged as a major area in American medicine largely due to the efforts of John Jacob Abel (1857- 1938) who stressed the importance of chemistry in medicine, did research on the endocrine glands, first isolated epinephrine (adrenaline), crystallized insulin (1926), and became the first pharmacology professor in the U.S.

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The science concerned with drugs, their sources, appearance, chemistry, actions, and uses. [pharmaco- + G. logos, study]

- biochemical p. a branch of p. concerned with the biochemical mechanisms responsible for the actions of drugs.

- clinical p. the branch of p. concerned with the p. of therapeutic agents in the prevention, treatment, and control of disease in humans.

- marine p. a branch of p. concerned with pharmacologically active substances present in aquatic plants and animals; its objective is to find and develop new therapeutic agents.

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phar·ma·col·o·gy .fär-mə-'käl-ə-jē n, pl -gies

1) the science of drugs including their origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use, and toxicology

2) the properties and reactions of drugs esp. with relation to their therapeutic value

phar·ma·co·log·i·cal -kə-'läj-i-kəl also phar·ma·co·log·ic -ik adj

phar·ma·co·log·i·cal·ly -i-k(ə-)lē adv

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n.

the science of the properties of drugs and their effects on the body.

• pharmacological adj.

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phar·ma·col·o·gy (fahr″mə-kolґə-je) [pharmaco- + -logy] the science that deals with the origin, nature, chemistry, effects, and uses of drugs; it includes pharmacognosy, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacotherapeutics, and toxicology. pharmacologic adj