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Chemistry in Medicine

Drugs, testing and judgement

  • 3 things to know
  • Unit A2 2

Overview

Active ingredient of a medicine, two analytical techniques used to check a drug's purity and drug's side effects.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

State a balanced conclusion about chemistry in medicine.

Key term

What is meant by the active ingredient of a medicine?

Key term

Why does a medicine contain more than its active ingredient?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is meant by the active ingredient of a medicine?

    Model answer

    The substance responsible for the therapeutic effect, as distinct from the fillers, binders and coatings around it.

  2. 2

    Why does a medicine contain more than its active ingredient?

    Model answer

    Other substances give the tablet its size and strength, control how quickly it dissolves and make it easier to swallow and to store.

  3. 3

    Why is the purity of a drug tested before it is sold?

    Model answer

    An impurity may be inactive, may reduce the dose delivered, or may itself be toxic.

  4. 4

    Name two analytical techniques used to check a drug's purity.

    Model answer

    Thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.

  5. 5

    How can a melting temperature indicate purity?

    Model answer

    A pure solid melts sharply at a known temperature, while an impure one melts lower and over a range.

  6. 6

    Why must a drug's dose be controlled precisely?

    Model answer

    Too little has no effect and too much can be toxic, and for some drugs the two quantities are close together.

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