What does biotransformation mean?
Biotransformation is a metabolic process that takes place mainly in the liver and helps to facilitate the excretion of both exogenous and endogenous substances. A series of reactions alter the chemical structures of these substances.
What happens when a drug is metabolized?
In most cases, when a drug is metabolized it becomes inactivated. However, the metabolites of some drugs are pharmacologically active and exert an effect on the body. In fact, the active metabolite of some medications is responsible for the principal action of the drug.
What are the two phases of metabolism?
The liver is the primary site for metabolism. Liver contains the necessary enzymes for metabolism of drugs and other xenobiotics. These enzymes induce two metabolism pathways: Phase I (functionalization reactions) and Phase II (biosynthetic reactions) metabolism.
What are the four stages of drug metabolization?
Think of pharmacokinetics as a drug’s journey through the body, during which it passes through four different phases: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME).
What is the difference between biotransformation and metabolism?
The key difference between biotransformation and metabolism is that biotransformation is a part of metabolism in which the biochemical transformation occurs in a particular drug or compound while metabolism refers to all biochemical reactions taking place in a living organism.
How do drugs get metabolized?
Drugs can be metabolized by oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, hydration, conjugation, condensation, or isomerization; whatever the process, the goal is to make the drug easier to excrete. The enzymes involved in metabolism are present in many tissues but generally are more concentrated in the liver.
What is a metabolite of a drug?
A drug metabolite is a byproduct of the body breaking down, or “metabolizing,” a drug into a different substance. The process of metabolizing a drug is predictable and certain; everyone metabolizes drugs the same way.
What are the 3 phases of metabolism?
The metabolism of xenobiotics is often divided into three phases:- modification, conjugation, and excretion.