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Pharmacy & Pharmacology vocabulary · Pharmacodynamics and Drug Action

Mechanism of action

Meaning in pharmacy & pharmacology, with examples

nounCommon term

In pharmacy & pharmacology, mechanism of action means: The specific way a drug produces its effect in the body, such as blocking an enzyme, activating a receptor or stopping bacteria from building cell walls.

In Turkish: etki mekanizması

How it is used

Shortened to MOA in notes and slides. 'What is the mechanism of action of…?' is a classic exam and interview question. Product information has a section on it, and knowing the mechanism helps you predict side effects and interactions.

Example sentences

  1. The mechanism of action of statins is inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase in the liver.

  2. Can you explain the mechanism of action of penicillin in simple words?

Common collocations

  • explain the mechanism of action
  • novel mechanism of action
  • same mechanism of action
  • unknown mechanism of action
  • receptorA protein on or inside a cell that a drug or a natural substance such as a hormone binds to, starting a change in how the cell works.
  • pharmacodynamicsThe study of what a drug does to the body: how it produces its effects, which receptors or targets it acts on and how the effect changes with the dose.
  • pharmacologyThe science that studies how drugs act on living organisms, including how they work, what effects they have and how the body absorbs and removes them.
  • agonistA drug that binds to a receptor and activates it, producing an effect similar to that of the body's own natural substance.

More terms: Pharmacodynamics and Drug Action

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.