Acetaminophen is a potent, non-opiate analgesic and antipyretic that is both widely prescribed and sold over-the-counter without a prescription. Increasingly, the drug has become available in different combinations to form compound analgesics, which are often mixed with codeine, and marketed under various trade names. In some European countries, acetaminophen is commonly known as paracetamol.

Acetanilide, a precursor to acetaminophen, possesses significant effectiveness as a pain reliever, but it is also toxic in moderate doses. In response, medicinal chemists synthesized the compound referred to as N-acetyl-para-aminophenol, which allows acetaminophen to attach to the enzyme that is responsible for biosynthesis of hormone-like molecules termed prostaglandins.

Acetominophen's fever-reducing and pain-relieving abilities were discovered in 1893, and the medicinal aid became available under prescription in 1956. Since 1963, the drug has been manufactured in over-the-counter forms, and it is especially popular in Britain and the United States.

BACK TO LOES MODDERMAN GALLERY

Questions or comments? Send us an email.

Photomicrographs are © 2000-2022 by Loes Modderman.
All Rights Reserved under copyright law.

© 1995-2022 by Michael W. Davidson and The Florida State University. All Rights Reserved. No images, graphics, software, scripts, or applets may be reproduced or used in any manner without permission from the copyright holders. Use of this website means you agree to all of the Legal Terms and Conditions set forth by the owners.

This website is maintained by our
Graphics & Web Programming Team
in collaboration with Optical Microscopy at the
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.

Last modification: Friday, Nov 13, 2015 at 01:18 PM

Access Count Since February 15, 2002: 12904

Microscopes provided by: