BIOL 4550 - Pharmacology

(3) Credit Hours
Prerequisite: BIOL 3020K or (BIOL 2451K and BIOL 2452K); BCHM 3100K
Pharmacology is the science of drug action on biological systems. In its entirety, it embraces knowledge of the sources, chemical properties, biological effects and therapeutic uses of medicines/drugs. This course will focus on the impact of pharmaceutical drugs (medications) on the human body. Upon completion of this course, you will have demonstrated the ability to: 1) Identify the pharmacokinetic factors that determine the bioavailability of a drug and the time course of a drug’s effects. 2) Apply the principles of pharmacodynamics that describe drug-receptor/drug-target interactions including classical dose response curves. 3) Explain the effects of chronic drug exposure including tolerance, dependence and toxicity. 4) Describe the molecular mechanism of action, indications and therapeutics uses and contraindications of different classes of drugs that impact a variety of physiological systems in the human body. 5) Detail emerging pharmacological trends including new drug categories, drugs with improved efficacy and new technologies in drug design, discovery and delivery. 6) Analyze and organize relevant scientific information from library and internet resources. 7) Effectively and clearly communicate scientific information in written and/or oral format