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Pharmacology and Therapeutics

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Glossary of Pharmacology 

Receptor Pharmacology 

Definition: 

The study of the interactions of receptors with their activators, inhibitors, and other binding partners. There are five main classes of receptors: ligand-gated ion channels, drug and solute transporters (which are similar to ligand-gated ion channels when it comes to inhibitors), tyrosine kinase-coupled receptors, intracellular steroid receptors, and G-protein coupled receptors


Relevance: 
Receptors are the primary target for many therapeutics as drugs can function as receptor ligands and alter physiological function to produce therapeutic responses.   

Examples:  

Receptor type 

Ligand-gated ion channel 

Tyrosine kinase receptor  

Steroid receptor 

G-protein coupled receptor 

Location 

Membrane  

Membrane  

Intracellular  

Membrane  

Main action 

Ion flux  

Phosphorylation  

Gene transcription  

2nd messengers  

Example of receptor/drug 

Nicotinic/Neuromuscular blocking drugs  

NMDA/Ketamine  

Insulin/Insulin  

Growth factor/ EGF  

Steroid/thyroxine  

Steroid/Oestrogen 

Opioid/Morphine  

Adrenoreceptor/isoprenaline  

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