active ingredient
What actually works
The active ingredient in a medicine, pesticide, or other formulation is the component that produces the intended effect.
Everything else—fillers, binders, flavorings—are inactive ingredients.
The active ingredient in aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid.
The term appears on product labels to distinguish what does the work from what holds it together.
Ability to produce results
- bioavailabilityFraction reaching active circulation
- pharmacokineticsDrug fate in body
- concentrationSustained single-minded attention
- dosageMeasured medicine amount
potency · absorption · metabolism · half-life · maximum dose · bioequivalence · onset · duration
Devised mixture or expression
- dosageMeasured medicine amount
- medicationTherapeutic substance for illness
- prescriptionMedical dispensing authorization
- tabletFlat portable computing device
capsule · drug · medicine · filler · binder · coating · generic · brand-name
Care for an ailment
- remedyCurative treatment or fix
- cureTreatment that heals
- antidoteSubstance neutralizing harmful agents
- reliefEasing of distress
healing · benefit · indication · contraindication · side effect · adverse reaction · interaction · clinical trial
Bonded atomic group
- compoundCombined into one
- chemicalSubstance with defined composition
- synthesisCombining parts into whole
- alkaloidNitrogenous plant compound
steroid · peptide · hormone · enzyme · extract · synthetic · organic · derivative
Signal-receiving molecule
- agonistReceptor-binding trigger molecule
- antagonistOne who opposes another
- inhibitorAgent that slows reactions
- selectivityTendency to choose carefully
affinity · binding · target · pathway · modulator · blocker · competitive · non-competitive
efficacy
Ability to produce results
- bioavailabilityFraction reaching active circulation
- pharmacokineticsDrug fate in body
- concentrationSustained single-minded attention
dosage · potency · absorption · metabolism · half-life · maximum dose · bioequivalence · onset · duration · toxicity
formulation
Devised mixture or expression
- dosageMeasured medicine amount
- medicationTherapeutic substance for illness
- prescriptionMedical dispensing authorization
tablet · capsule · drug · medicine · filler · binder · coating · generic · brand-name · compounding
treatment
Care for an ailment
- remedyCurative treatment or fix
- cureTreatment that heals
- antidoteSubstance neutralizing harmful agents
relief · healing · benefit · indication · contraindication · side effect · adverse reaction · interaction · clinical trial · off-label
molecule
Bonded atomic group
- compoundCombined into one
- chemicalSubstance with defined composition
- synthesisCombining parts into whole
alkaloid · steroid · peptide · hormone · enzyme · extract · synthetic · organic · derivative · isolate
receptor
Signal-receiving molecule
- agonistReceptor-binding trigger molecule
- antagonistOne who opposes another
- inhibitorAgent that slows reactions
selectivity · affinity · binding · target · pathway · modulator · blocker · competitive · non-competitive · downstream effect
- skincarecream, lotion, moisturizer, facial, serum
- pharmaceuticalsanalgesics, medicines, anesthetics, pills, acetaminophen
- medication labelsdrug name, brand name, generic name, dosage, directions
- pharmacologypharmacology, drugs, pharmacokinetics, dose, drug
- Compoundingcompounding pharmacy, formulation, mortar and pestle, pestle, spatula
- Formulation Ingredientsfiller, binder, preservative, emulsifier, stabilizer
action, active, activity, ingredient, activate, inactivity, proactive, deactivate, activated