How are transparent soaps manufactured?
Soap that float in water are made by beating tiny air bubbles before their hardening. Transparent soaps are made by dissolving the soap in ethanol and then evaporating the excess solvent.
What is the advantage of using antihistamines over antacids in the treatment of acidity?
Usual antacid like sodium hydrogen carbonate control only the symptom and not the cause. They neutralize the excess of acid produce in the stomach. but do not control the cause of production of excess of HCl in stomach.
Histamine, a chemical, is responsible for the secretion of pepsin and HCl in the stomach. Antihistamine are the drugs which supress the action of histamine, which in turn supress the secretion of pepsin and HCl in the stomach. Antihistamine prevent the binding of histamine with the receptors present in the stomach wall.
As a result, less HCl is produced and hyperacidity is cured. Thus, a better treatment for curing acidity is to use antihistamines over antacids.
What are the functions performed by histamine in the body?
Histamine is a potent vasodilator. It performs various functions in the body
(i) It contracts muscles in gut and bronchi.
(ii) It relaxes some other muscles, e.g., in the walls of blood vessels.
(iii) It is responsible for congestion in the nose associated with common cold and allergies.
(iv) It stimulates the release of pepsin and HCl in stomach.
With the help of an example explain how do tranquilizers control the feeling of depression?
Noradrenaline is a neurotransmitter which plays a crucial role in mood changes. If somehow any person has low level of noradrenaline in the body, then the signal sending activity becomes slow and the person suffers from depression.
For removing depression and to boost the mood, tranquilizers are used. These drugs inhibit the engyme which catalyse the degradation of noradrenaline.
From this result, neurotransmitter noradrenaline is slowly metabolised and can thus activate the receptor for longer periods.
Why are certain drugs called enzyme inhibitors?
Some drugs can block the binding site of the enzyme and prevent the binding of the substrate, or can inhibit the catalytic activity of the enzyme. Such drugs are called enzyme inhibitors.