Unit 14. Drug

Reading 1

Drugs are substances used to prevent or treat diseases. They can also change body functions like mood, behavior, or performance. These substances come from plants, animals, or laboratories.

Some drugs come from plants. For example, digitalis is made from the foxglove plant. Antibiotics such as penicillin and erythromycin are made from molds. Other drugs come from animals. Some hormones are secreted by glands of animals.

Many drugs are produced in laboratories. Anticancer drugs such as methotrexate and prednisone are examples. Some are found in foods and are called vitamins.

Pharmacists prepare and supply drugs in pharmacies. They follow prescriptions written by doctors or dentists. They also talk to patients and give advice about medicine use.

Pharmacology is the study of drugs. It examines their nature, source, and effects on the body. It includes pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, medicinal chemistry, toxicology, molecular pharmacology, and chemotherapy.

Pharmacodynamics studies drug effects. Pharmacokinetics studies how drugs move through the body — their absorption, metabolism, and removal. Medicinal chemistry looks at how a drug’s structure affects its function.

Molecular pharmacology studies how drugs act on DNA, RNA, and enzymes. Chemotherapy studies drugs that kill microorganisms, parasites, or cancer cells.

Toxicology studies the harmful effects of drugs. Before testing drugs on humans, scientists test them on animals. Toxicologists also search for antidotes to neutralize dangerous effects.

Pharmacology connects chemistry, biology, and medicine. It helps us understand how drugs work and keep people healthy.

🧪 Reading Comprehension Questions – “Drugs and Pharmacology”

Sentence 1

1. Are drugs used to prevent or treat diseases?
2. What are drugs used for?
3. What does this sentence tell us about the main purpose of drugs?

Sentence 2

4. Can drugs change mood and behavior?
5. What body functions can drugs change?
6. How do drugs affect a person’s body or mind?

Sentence 3

7. Do drugs come only from plants?
8. Where do drugs come from?
9. What are the three main sources of drugs?

Sentence 4

10. Do some drugs come from plants?
11. What is one source of drugs mentioned here?
12. Why are plants important in drug production?

Sentence 5

13. Is digitalis made from a plant?
14. What plant is digitalis made from?
15. What does this example show about plant-based drugs?

Sentence 6

16. Are antibiotics made from molds?
17. What are penicillin and erythromycin made from?
18. Why are molds important in making antibiotics?

Sentence 7

19. Do some drugs come from animals?
20. What other source of drugs is mentioned?
21. How do animals provide substances for medicine?

Sentence 8

22. Are hormones secreted by animal glands?
23. What body part secretes hormones in animals?
24. What kind of animal product is used as medicine?

Sentence 9

25. Are many drugs made in laboratories?
26. Where are many modern drugs produced?
27. Why are laboratories important in drug production?

Sentence 10

28. Are methotrexate and prednisone anticancer drugs?
29. What are examples of anticancer drugs?
30. What kind of drugs are methotrexate and prednisone?

Sentence 11

31. Are some drugs found in foods?
32. What are drugs found in food called?
33. How are vitamins related to drugs?

Sentence 12

34. Do pharmacists work in pharmacies?
35. What do pharmacists do?
36. Who is responsible for giving out drugs to patients?

Sentence 13

37. Do pharmacists follow prescriptions?
38. Whose prescriptions do pharmacists follow?
39. Why do pharmacists need prescriptions?

Sentence 14

40. Do pharmacists talk to patients?
41. What do pharmacists give advice about?
42. How do pharmacists help patients with their medicines?

Sentence 15

43. Is pharmacology about the study of drugs?
44. What is pharmacology?
45. What does pharmacology mainly focus on?

Sentence 16

46. Does pharmacology examine drug effects?
47. What does pharmacology study about drugs?
48. How does pharmacology help us understand drugs?

Sentence 17

49. Does pharmacology include many fields?
50. What are some branches of pharmacology?
51. Why is pharmacology considered a broad science?

Sentence 18

52. Does pharmacodynamics study how drugs affect the body?
53. What does pharmacodynamics study?
54. How does pharmacodynamics differ from other branches?

Sentence 19

55. Does pharmacokinetics study how drugs move in the body?
56. What processes does pharmacokinetics study?
57. Why is pharmacokinetics important in medicine?

Sentence 20

58. Does medicinal chemistry study drug structure?
59. What does medicinal chemistry focus on?
60. How does chemical structure affect drug action?

Sentence 21

61. Does molecular pharmacology study drug action on DNA?
62. What does molecular pharmacology study?
63. Why is molecular pharmacology important for scientists?

Sentence 22

64. Does chemotherapy study drugs for cancer?
65. What does chemotherapy focus on?
66. What types of diseases does chemotherapy help treat?

Sentence 23

67. Does toxicology study harmful drug effects?
68. What does toxicology study?
69. Why is toxicology necessary before using new drugs?

Sentence 24

70. Are new drugs tested on humans first?
71. Who do scientists test drugs on before humans?
72. Why are animal tests important in drug research?

Sentence 25

73. Do toxicologists look for antidotes?
74. What do antidotes do?
75. How do toxicologists help make drugs safer?

Sentence 26

76. Does pharmacology connect many sciences?
77. What sciences does pharmacology connect?
78. How does pharmacology link science and healthcare?

Sentence 27

79. Does pharmacology help people stay healthy?
80. How does pharmacology help people?
81. What is the main benefit of studying pharmacology?