Purchase Solution

Adding groups to outer surface of drugs for transport

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

When biomedical researchers design drugs that must enter cells to be effective, they sometimes add methyl (CH3) groups all over the outer surface to make the drug molecules more likely to pass through cell membranes. Conversly,when researchers design drugs that act on the exterior of cell membranes, they sometimes add a charged group to decrease the likelihood that the drugs will pass through membranes and enter cells. Explain why these strategies make sense.

Purchase this Solution

Solution Preview

Methyl groups are highly non-polar and are, therefore, repelled by aqueous solutions. The interior of biological membranes are also highly non-polar, being made up of hydrocarbon chains from the phospholipids that make up the membranes. Hydrocarbon ...

Purchase this Solution


Free BrainMass Quizzes
Parts of the Brain

This quiz will test your knowledge on different areas of the brain.

Bacterial Genetics

This quiz test your knowledge of the genetics of bacteria.

Cellular Respiration

This quiz is a review for cellular respiration.

Labor Comfort Measures

Do you know how to comfort someone in labor?

The Heart

This quiz test the understanding of the heart and some of its parts. It is important to understand how the heart functions and what makes it function.