Emrah Azizli

Synergism , Additivity and

Antagonism
What do these concepts teach us?
 What is Synergism ?

 Synergism comes from the Greek word "synergos"

meaning working together ;
 Synergism is that one substance enhances the effect
of another substance;
 It refers to the interaction between two or more
things ;
 A type of "when is one plus one is greater than two"
effect .
 Examples for Synergism

 A very famous synergy in nature example is

that of the sea anemone and a clownfish ;
 Visit an aquarium and you'll probably find a
clownfish swimming through the tentacles of a
sea anemone ;
 This arrangement creates synergy.
 Examples for Synergism

 By themselves, each of these organisms is

susceptible to predators ;
 But together, they form a protective shield that
protects both of them ;
 Without this arrangement, the protective shield
never forms ;
 This protective shield isn't a physical shield, but
more a result from the combination of these two
organisms
 What is Additivity ?

 Additivity - the actions of substances are summarized

 Additive effect in pharmacology describes the situation when
the combining effects of two drugs equal the sum of the effects
of the two drugs acting independently ;
 The concept of additive effect is derived from the concept
of synergy ;
 It was introduced by the scientists in pharmacology
and biochemistry fields in the process of understanding the
synergistic interaction between drugs and chemicals over the
century .
 Examples for Additivity

 Additive effect often occurs when two

similar drugs are taken together to achieve
the same degree of therapeutic effect while
reducing the specific adverse effect of one
particular drug ;
 For example, aspirin, paracetamol, and
caffeine are formulated together to treat
pain caused by tension headaches and
migraine.
 What is Antagonism ?

 Antagonism - one substance weakens the action of another

;
 Antagonism is a phenomenon wherein two or more agents
in combination have an overall effect that is less than the
sum of their individual effects ;
 The word is most commonly used in this context in
biochemistry and toxicology: interference in the
physiological action of a chemical substance by another
having a similar structure .
 Examples for Antagonism

 Antagonism is an interaction between organisms where one

organism benefits at the expense of another ;
 This includes predation, or a predator eating prey ;
 Think of bears killing salmon ;
 It also includes parasitism, or one organism depending on (but
not killing) a host.
Thank for Your Attention