pharmacodynamics

1 7.9

The study of what medicines do to the body

noun
/ˌfɑrməkəˈdaɪnæmɪks/

Specialized

: farmacodinámica

Research on pharmacodynamics helps scientists determine the appropriate dosages for medications.

Examples

We're going to talk about two important different but related concepts called pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.
The study of pharmacodynamics is essential for understanding how a drug interacts with the body to produce its effects.
Pharmacodynamics of pregabalin may have direct or indirect effects on the dopaminergic "reward" system, with such effects typically related to abuse and dependence liability (Schifano, 2014).

Academic text (2018)
Pharmacodynamics explores the mechanisms by which drugs influence physiological functions in patients.

Synonyms

pharmacology

vspharmacodynamics

Specialized

9 6.1

The study of medicines and how they affect living things

is the focused study of how drugs act on the body to produce effects

Surface Forms

pharmacodynamics singular

pharmacodynamics plural

Morphology

pharmacodynamics = pharmacodynamic (semi-transparent) = pharmaco + dynamic + s

Built from the combining form 'pharmaco-' (not a standalone English word) and 'dynamic' with an -s forming a technical noun; the parts are interpretable to learners familiar with scientific vocabulary but not fully transparent to average learners.

Etymology

Pharmacodynamics comes from pharmaco- from Greek pharmakon, meaning 'drug' or 'medicine', and -dynamics from Greek dynamis, meaning 'power' or 'force', a root you also see in pharmacy and dynamic. So it means the 'power of drugs', which is why pharmacodynamics is the study of how drugs affect the body.