Indexing principles for Category D - Chemicals and Drugs

Indexing principles for Category D - Chemicals and Drugs

Chemicals and Drugs [D]

  • Inorganic Chemicals [D01]
  • Organic Chemicals [D02]
  • Heterocyclic Compounds [D03]
  • Polycyclic Compounds [D04]
  • Macromolecular Substances [D05]
  • Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists [D06]
  • Enzymes and Coenzymes [D08]
  • Carbohydrates [D09]
  • Lipids [D10]
  • Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins [D12]
  • Nucleic Acids, Nucleotides, and Nucleosides [D13]
  • Complex Mixtures [D20]
  • Biological Factors [D23]
  • Biomedical and Dental Materials [D25]
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations [D26]
  • Chemical Actions and Uses [D27]

Category D contains the MeSH terms for drugs and chemicals. In MeSH, the concept of drugs and chemicals is very broad; the terms are often used interchangeably. It includes not only what is commonly known as "therapeutic drugs" (ASPIRIN) and pure chemicals (SODIUM CHLORIDE or ETHYLAMINES), but also a variety of biological substances (ANTIBODIES; AMINO ACIDS; PROTEINS; NUCLEIC ACIDS; VENOMS; PLANT EXTRACTS, etc). It also includes chemicals of environmental or industrial importance (PESTICIDES; CERAMICS). It is the largest MeSH category and is divided into several subcategories. These subcategories group drug and chemical headings by their structure and by their function.

Structural subcategories include: INORGANIC CHEMICALS (D1), ORGANIC CHEMICALS (D2), etc.

Functional subcategories include: CARDIOVASCULAR AGENTS, DERMATOLOGIC AGENTS, etc which are located in subcategory D27 (Chemical Actions and Uses)
.

Hormones, enzymes, proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and other biomolecules are grouped in separate subcategories.

Drug action or activity is defined broadly by the MeSH term PHARMACOLOGIC ACTIONS.