Explainer: how do drugs work?

[Chip (OP)]

source: http://theconversation.com/explainer-how-do-drugs-work-48665

Explainer: how do drugs work?

Whether a drug is prescribed by the doctor, bought over the counter or obtained illegally, we mostly take their mechanism of action for granted and trust they will do what they’re supposed to.

But how does the ibuprofen pill turn off your headache? And what does the antidepressant do to help balance your brain chemistry?

For something that seems so incredible, drug mechanics are wonderfully simple. It’s mostly about receptors and the molecules that activate them.

Receptors

Receptors are large protein molecules embedded in the cell wall, or membrane. They receive (hence “receptors”) chemical information from other molecules – such as drugs, hormones or neurotransmitters – outside the cell.

These outside molecules bind to receptors on the cell, activating the receptor and generating a biochemical or electric signal inside the cell. This signal then makes the cell do certain things such as making us feel pain.

Agonist drugs

Those molecules that bind to specific receptors and cause a process in the cell to become more active are called agonists. An agonist is something that causes a specific physiological response in the cell. They can be natural or artificial.

For instance, endorphins are natural agonists of opioid receptors. But morphine – or heroin that turns into morphine in the body – is an artificial agonist of the main opioid receptor.

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[neighbor]

wouldnt morphine be classified as a natural agonist, now that its been confirmed the human body produces its own morphine?