BSc Biomedical Sciences / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Drugs: From Molecules to Man

Course unit fact file
Unit code BIOL10822
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 1
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

To introduce the major concepts underpinning pharmacology. To describe the main molecular mechanisms of action of some important classes of drugs acting on the cardiorespiratory system and relate these mechanisms to their cellular, tissue, organ and whole animal effects.

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Body Systems BIOL10811 Co-Requisite Recommended

Aims

To introduce the major concepts underpinning pharmacology. To describe the main molecular mechanisms of action of some important classes of drugs acting on the cardiorespiratory system and relate these mechanisms to their cellular, tissue, organ and whole animal effects.

Learning outcomes

To understand: the molecular targets for drugs and examples of drugs acting at several target types; the basic concepts of drug receptor interactions; the importance of drug structure in their ability to interact with their targets; the mechanisms of the major drug classes used to treat hypertension, angina, cardiac failure, cardiac dysrhythmias and asthma.

Syllabus

Introduction to pharmacology: History and scope of pharmacology. How drugs are discovered.

Introduction to drug targets: Structure, function and cellular location of ligand-gated channels, voltage gated channels, enzymes, nuclear hormone receptors, transporters and pumps, G-protein coupled receptors.

Nature of drug receptor interactions: Agonists, antagonists and partial agonists, efficacy, drug structures, pharmacophores and selectivity. Concentration-response relationships. Gaddum equation

Drugs acting on the cardiovascular/respiratory systems: Antihypertensive drugs, antidysrhythmic drugs, drugs used to treat angina, acute coronary syndromes and cardiac failure, lipid lowering drugs, drug used to treat and prevent thrombosis, stroke and “brain killers”, drugs used to treat asthma.

Special topics in pharmacology:  Students will study at least two “STIPs” from the following choices: cholinergic toxins; drug discovery and development; pharmacokinetics; biologic drugs.

Employability skills

Analytical skills
Data handling ePBL
Problem solving
Data handling ePBL
Other
Handling complex data, time management

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Other 10%
Written exam 90%

90% awarded for a one hour examination, which will consist of 50 MCQs in the semester 2 examination period, and 10% awarded for electronically marked exercises. 
 

Feedback methods

Feedback will be provided via automated eLearning module responses; short note practice question; post-examination guidance (if requested).

Recommended reading

Ritter et al., Rang & Dale's Pharmacology (9th Edition) 2019 Churchill Livingstone Available as an eBook via JRUL website.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Assessment written exam 1
Lectures 22
Independent study hours
Independent study 77

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Richard Prince Unit coordinator

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