Final answer:
Metabolic pathways describe the chemical processes involving enzymes that modify drugs in the body, which is essential for drug metabolism and development. Pharmacogenomics studies genetic variations that affect drug metabolization, key for personalized medicine. Drug metabolism consists of Phase I and Phase II reactions, with enzymes catalyzing specific reactions based on substrate fit.
Step-by-step explanation:
Metabolic Pathways and Drug Metabolism
Metabolic pathways are a series of chemical processes where enzymes change drugs in the body. These enzymes are crucial for the metabolism of pharmaceutical drugs, playing a key role in how drugs are developed and regulated. Biologists who understand enzyme activity collaborate with chemists in the drug development process. Pharmacogenomics involves genetic testing to determine how an individual's genetic variations influence their ability to metabolize drugs, informing personalized medical treatments. This is particularly important as some drugs need to be activated or deactivated by the body's enzymes, and genetic differences can affect the efficiency of these processes.
For instance, if a patient's enzymes deactivate a drug too slowly, it can lead to the drug persisting at high levels and causing harmful side effects. Drug metabolism can typically be separated into Phase I reactions such as oxidation, reduction, and hydrolysis, and Phase II, which includes conjugation reactions making the drug more water-soluble and ready for excretion.
Enzymes also facilitate other critical chemical reactions in the body, such as chemical digestion, where they break down food into absorbable nutrients. A singular enzyme can catalyze a specific chemical reaction due to the precise fit between an enzyme's active site and the substrate's shape and charge.