Pharmacognosy
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Pharmacognosy is the study of medicinal products in their crude, or unprepared, form. The word derives from the Greek words pharmakon (drug), and gnosis or knowledge.
It includes the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances, or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin as well as the search for new drugs from natural sources.
Today pharmacognosy is basically a branch of chemistry, but its historical roots are in pharmacy, and academics considering themselves to be involved in pharmacognosy are almost exclusively at schools of pharmacy.
External links
- American Society of Pharmacognosy (http://www.phcog.org/)