Which term means the action by which a drug leaves the body?

Which term means the action by which a drug leaves the body?

• A. Excretion
• B. Metabolism
• C. Pharmacology
• D. Inscription

Answer: (A)

Excretion is the action by which a drug leaves the body. The body clears drugs through routes like the kidneys filtering blood and the drug exiting in urine, the liver moving substances into bile to be excreted in feces, the lungs releasing volatile components in breath, and the skin via sweat. This elimination process determines how long a drug stays in your system. Metabolism, by contrast, is the body's chemical alteration of a drug—often in the liver—to make it easier to eliminate. Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their effects, not the elimination process.

Excretion is the action by which a drug leaves the body. The body clears drugs through routes like the kidneys filtering blood and the drug exiting in urine, the liver moving substances into bile to be excreted in feces, the lungs releasing volatile components in breath, and the skin via sweat. This elimination process determines how long a drug stays in your system. Metabolism, by contrast, is the body's chemical alteration of a drug—often in the liver—to make it easier to eliminate. Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their effects, not the elimination process.