What is the term for the study of how drugs affect the human body?

The term that specifically describes how drugs affect the human body is pharmacodynamics. This branch of pharmacology focuses on the biological and physiological effects of drugs, including their mechanisms of action, therapeutic effects, and side effects. It encompasses the relationship between drug concentration and effect, elucidating how drugs alter cellular function and drive therapeutic outcomes.

Pharmacology, while it refers to the broader study of drugs, including their use, effects, and interactions, encompasses various sub-disciplines like pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. Pharmacokinetics, on the other hand, deals with how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs, rather than their effects on the body. Toxicology is the study of the adverse effects of drugs and substances on living organisms, focusing on the harmful effects rather than therapeutic outcomes.

Thus, while the broader field of pharmacology includes the study of drug effects, pharmacodynamics is the specific term used to describe the effects drugs have on the body.