NURS 3100 Exam 1 Practice

A nurse is reviewing key events in the history of pharmacology with a student nurse. Which student comment indicates an understanding?

1. Early pharmacologists synthesized drugs in ancient times

2. Early researchers used themselves as test subjects

3. Penicillin was never isolated from a natural source

4. Pharmacology aims to treat diseases with natural sources

The correct answer is: Early researchers used themselves as test subjects

The correct answer is B because early researchers did indeed use themselves as test subjects in the history of pharmacology. This is known as self-experimentation, a practice that was common before the development of modern research ethics and regulations. This method allowed researchers to observe the effects of drugs firsthand and make discoveries that laid the foundation for modern pharmacology. Options A, C, and D are incorrect because they do not accurately represent key events in the history of pharmacology. While early pharmacologists did synthesize drugs in ancient times, this was not a defining characteristic of the field. Penicillin, on the other hand, was famously isolated from a natural source (fungus) by Alexander Fleming, leading to the development of the first antibiotic. Additionally, while natural sources have been historically important in pharmacology, the field aims to treat diseases using a wide range of sources, including synthetic drugs.