Pharmacology
Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmacon meaning drug, and logos meaning science) is the study of how chemical substances interact with living systems. If substances have medicinal properties, they are considered pharmaceuticals. The field encompasses drug composition and properties, interactions, toxicology, therapy, and medical applications and antipathogenic capabilities.
Development of medication is a vital concern to medicine, but also has strong economical and political implications. To protect the consumer and prevent abuse, many governments regulate the manufacture, sale, and administration of medication. In the United States, the main body that regulates pharmaceuticals is the Food and Drug Administration and they enforce standards set by the United States Pharmacopoeia.
Pharmacology as a chemical science is practiced by pharmacologists. Subdisciplines include clinical pharmacology (the medical field of medication effects on humans), neuro- and psychopharmacology (effects of medication on behavior and nervous system functioning), toxicology and theoretical pharmacology.
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Pharmaceuticals
List of pharmaceutical products.
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that the neurons in the brain use to communicate with each other and with other cells through the body. Neurons bind to special sites on other cells called receptors. Many drugs are so structurally similar to neurotrasmitters that they bind to the receptors intended for that neuron and induce the same physiological effect as the neurotransmitter would induce. For example the neurotransmitter dopamine is structurally similar to amphetamines such as methamphetamine.
This allows methamphetamine to bind to dopaminergic receptors and as a result act as a psychostimulant.
Neurotransmitters
List of all known human neurotransmitters.
Amino Acids
List of all known human amino acids.
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Articles
Neurochemistry
Neurochemistry of MDMA (PDF)
An MDMA Neurochemistry Slideshow
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- Nikola Tesla