NURS 3100 Exam 1 Practice

What characteristics of drugs allow them to be distributed by simple diffusion?

1. Alcohol

2. Ionization

3. Large molecules

4. Water-soluble agents

The correct answer is: Alcohol

Drugs that can be distributed by simple diffusion typically have characteristics that allow them to easily pass through cell membranes without the need for a specific carrier or energy input. Alcohol is a small, lipophilic molecule that can easily cross cell membranes due to its non-polar nature. This enables alcohol to rapidly diffuse through tissues and reach its target sites in the body. In contrast, ionization, large molecule size, and water solubility can hinder the ability of a drug to pass through cell membranes via simple diffusion. Ionized drugs are typically charged and have difficulty crossing cell membranes. Large molecules have limited ability to move across cell membranes due to their size, while water-soluble agents may struggle to penetrate the hydrophobic environment of cell membranes.