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SKILL BUILDING ACTIVITY 2

Skill Building Activity 2

Hannah Scott

The University of Alabama

Text Word Count: 397

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SKILL BUILDING ACTIVITY 2
Skill Building Activity 2

Question 12. Explain the differences among synergism, antagonism, and potentiation. Give

specific examples of each.

When combined with one another, mixtures of various types can have a wide range of

result. Overall, there are three main types of effects and reactions amongst combinations of

chemicals- synergism, antagonism, and potentiation. Synergism occurs when chemicals are

combined, and their reaction is greater than what their individual outcomes would have been

(Friis, 2019, p.60). Antagonism is the result of a reaction in which the outcome is less than what

their individual outcomes would have been due to the interference of one or more chemical with

another (Friis, 2019, p.60). Potentiation occurs when one chemical is not necessarily harmful on

its own, but when combined with another chemical, it has a result that makes the other chemical

more harmful than it is on its own (Friis, 2019, pg.60).

An example of a synergistic relationship appears amongst heavy metals and pesticides in

the workplace and environment. Because of how commonly heavy metals and pesticides are

found in the same environment, there has been widespread research to see what effects they have

on one another as well as on humans and animals in the environment. One study looked at the

effects because of a synergistic relationship between the two and found that organisms exposed

to both heavy metals and pesticides are likely to have severe health consequences due to the

increased risks since the two chemicals combine to create a greater reaction than the presence of

just heavy metals or just pesticides (Singh, et. al, 2017).

An example of an antagonistic relationship is seen between tetracycline, an antibiotic,

and calcium carbonate, a dietary supplement and antacid. An antagonistic reaction is seen in such
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that calcium decreases the ability of the body to absorb antibiotics like tetracycline which

decreases the effectiveness of the antibiotic (St. Luke’s Hospital, n.d.).

An example of a potentiation reaction is seen between warfarin, a drug that is used for

anticoagulation in patients with clotting disorders combined with NSAIDs. While both

medications are normally acceptable to take on their own, when combined, the effects of

warfarin can be greatly increased which puts an individual at risk for excessive bleeding which

ultimately can cause death if not caught and treated appropriately (McAuley, 2017).

Overall, it is important to study and understand reactions that might occur between

chemicals and organisms due to the fact that there can be very detrimental outcomes if not

treated and controlled appropriately.

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References

Friis, R. H. (2012). Essentials of environmental health (3rd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett
Learning.

McAuley, D., (2017, October 10). Selected warfarin drug-drug interactions. GlobalRPH.
https://globalrph.com/warfarin-drug-interactions/.

Singh, N., Gupta, V. K., Kumar, A., & Sharma, B. (2017, October 11). Synergistic effects of
heavy metals and pesticides in living systems. frontiers in Chemistry.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fchem.2017.00070/full.

St. Luke's Hospital. (n.d.). Complementary and alternative medicine. Possible Interactions with:
Calcium | Complementary and Alternative Medicine | St. Luke's Hospital.
https://www.stlukes-stl.com/health-content/medicine/33/000945.htm.