Biological half-life

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Biological half-life (elimination half-life, pharmacological half-life) is the time taken for the concentration of a biological substance, such as a medication, to decrease from its maximum initial concentration (Cmax) to the half of Cmax in the blood plasma. It is denoted by the abbreviation t 1 2 {\displaystyle t_{\frac {1}{2}}} . In multi-compartment pharmacokinetics, two operational half-lives are often distinguished: an early distribution (α) half-life governed by redistribution from the central to peripheral compartments, and a later elimination (β) half-life governed by metabolic clearance and excretion. This is used to measure the removal of things such as metabolites, drugs, and signalling molecules from the body. Typically, the biological half-life refers to the body's natural cleansing, the detoxification through liver metabolism and through...

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