Basics

drug: a chemical that changes the biology of an organism

tolerance: resistance to a drug’s effects; caused by repeated use

addiction: needing the drug to feel normal (compulsive use)

physical

psychological

where can you get drugs?

drug dealers

pharmacy/hospital (prescription)

natural sources (e.g. plants, fungi)

over-the-counter (OTC)

legal without prescription

not necessarily weak or safe

online

how can you take drugs?

inhalation (smoking, snorting)

oral (eat, drink)

injection

subcutaneous: under skin

intramuscular: into muscles

intravenous (IV): into veins

rectal

Food and Drug Administration (FDA): United States department for food/drug regulation

approval process (15-20 years; $1.3 billion per process)

in vitro: experiments using non-living procedures (“in glass”; beakers, test tubes, etc.)

in vivo: experiments in animals

transgenic: genetically modified to express human-like characteristics for testing

mice: small, cheap, mammalian

primates: expensive, genetically similar to humans

pigs: heart is the same size as human’s

rabbit: antibodies

cats: brain

dogs: narcolepsy

human trials

volunteers who are not sick

side effects: secondary effects

median lethal dose (LD50): how much it takes to kill half of the sample (want to be high)

volunteers who are already sick with the disease

experimental medicine

placebo: fake drug

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