The chemical alteration of an exogenous substance by or in a biological system. The alteration may inactivate the compound or it may result in the production of an active metabolite of an inactive parent compound. The alteration may be either non-synthetic (oxidation-reduction, hydrolysis) or synthetic (glucuronide formation, sulfate conjugation, acetylation, methylation). This also includes metabolic detoxication and clearance.
The process of metabolism of drugs in the body, usually the liver, detoxification.
Biochemical changes that occur to the drug within the body, usually resulting in breakdown and inactivation of the drug.
The chemical alteration that a substance undergoes in the body.
The alterations that arise in a chemical compound owing to the impact of biological processes taking place within a living organism.