This set of Historical landmarks of pharmacology MCQs with answers is crafted for B. Pharm students to deepen understanding of major milestones in drug discovery, therapeutics, and regulation. It covers classic breakthroughs—antibiotics, vaccines, insulin, sulfonamides, isolation of alkaloids, and the rise of experimental pharmacology—alongside pivotal figures like William Withering, Paul Ehrlich, Alexander Fleming, Banting and Best, and institutions that shaped the pharmacopoeia, clinical trials, and drug safety reforms. Emphasis is on mechanisms, landmark experiments, dates, and regulatory consequences (e.g., thalidomide → stricter testing). Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. Who discovered penicillin?
- Alexander Fleming
- Louis Pasteur
- Gerhard Domagk
- Paul Ehrlich
Correct Answer: Alexander Fleming
Q2. In which year did Alexander Fleming first observe penicillin?
- 1912
- 1928
- 1935
- 1943
Correct Answer: 1928
Q3. Who conducted the earliest controlled clinical trial demonstrating citrus fruits prevent scurvy?
- Edward Jenner
- James Lind
- William Withering
- John Snow
Correct Answer: James Lind
Q4. Which chemist first isolated morphine from opium?
- Friedrich Sertürner
- Friedrich Wöhler
- Paul Ehrlich
- Joseph Lister
Correct Answer: Friedrich Sertürner
Q5. Who are credited with the discovery and clinical use of insulin in 1921?
- Banting and Best
- Watson and Crick
- Florey and Chain
- Hoffmann and Bayer
Correct Answer: Banting and Best
Q6. Who developed the first successful smallpox vaccination technique?
- Louis Pasteur
- Edward Jenner
- Paul Ehrlich
- Alexander Fleming
Correct Answer: Edward Jenner
Q7. Which scientist discovered the first clinically useful sulfonamide (Prontosil)?
- Gerhard Domagk
- Selman Waksman
- Alexander Fleming
- Howard Florey
Correct Answer: Gerhard Domagk
Q8. Who introduced the concept of a “magic bullet” to target disease specifically?
- Robert Koch
- Paul Ehrlich
- Rudolf Buchheim
- William Withering
Correct Answer: Paul Ehrlich
Q9. What is a pharmacopoeia?
- A directory of licensed prescribers
- An official compendium of drug standards and formulations
- A log of clinical trial participants
- A list of banned substances
Correct Answer: An official compendium of drug standards and formulations
Q10. Which scientist is frequently regarded as a founder of modern experimental pharmacology?
- Oswald Schmiedeberg
- Alexander Fleming
- Edward Jenner
- Sigmund Freud
Correct Answer: Oswald Schmiedeberg
Q11. The thalidomide tragedy in the late 1950s–early 1960s directly contributed to which major US regulatory reform?
- The Harrison Narcotics Tax Act
- The Kefauver-Harris Amendments
- The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906
- The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act
Correct Answer: The Kefauver-Harris Amendments
Q12. Who is credited with the development of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) for therapeutic use at Bayer?
- Felix Hoffmann
- Paul Ehrlich
- Louis Pasteur
- Rudolf Buchheim
Correct Answer: Felix Hoffmann
Q13. Which scientist discovered streptomycin, the first effective antibiotic against tuberculosis?
- Selman Waksman
- Alexander Fleming
- Gerhard Domagk
- Howard Florey
Correct Answer: Selman Waksman
Q14. Who pioneered antiseptic surgical methods using carbolic acid, reducing postoperative infections?
- Joseph Lister
- Ignaz Semmelweis
- James Lind
- William Withering
Correct Answer: Joseph Lister
Q15. Which scientist established pharmacology as an experimental laboratory science in the 19th century?
- Rudolf Buchheim
- Edward Jenner
- Alexander Fleming
- Paul Ehrlich
Correct Answer: Rudolf Buchheim
Q16. Louis Pasteur is best known in pharmacology history for which contribution?
- Discovery of insulin
- Developing pasteurization and vaccines such as rabies vaccine
- Isolating morphine
- Introducing sulfonamides
Correct Answer: Developing pasteurization and vaccines such as rabies vaccine
Q17. Who were primarily responsible for purification and clinical development of penicillin for widespread use?
- Florey and Chain
- Banting and Best
- Watson and Crick
- Felix Hoffmann and Bayer
Correct Answer: Florey and Chain
Q18. Which physician popularized the medicinal use of digitalis (foxglove) for heart failure?
- William Withering
- Thomas Sydenham
- Paul Ehrlich
- Louis Pasteur
Correct Answer: William Withering
Q19. Sulfonamides exert antibacterial effects primarily by inhibiting which enzyme/pathway?
- Dihydropteroate synthase (folate synthesis)
- DNA gyrase
- Peptidoglycan transpeptidase
- RNA polymerase
Correct Answer: Dihydropteroate synthase (folate synthesis)
Q20. Which arsenical compound developed by Paul Ehrlich treated syphilis and exemplified targeted chemotherapy?
- Salvarsan (arsphenamine)
- Prontosil
- Penicillin
- Aspirin
Correct Answer: Salvarsan (arsphenamine)
Q21. The discovery of DNA structure by Watson and Crick influenced pharmacology primarily by enabling what?
- Development of molecularly targeted drugs and rational drug design
- Immediate discovery of penicillin
- Replacement of clinical trials
- End of pharmacopoeia usage
Correct Answer: Development of molecularly targeted drugs and rational drug design
Q22. Which drug disaster highlighted teratogenic risks and led to international strengthening of preclinical teratology testing?
- Thalidomide
- Salvarsan
- Prontosil
- Chloroform
Correct Answer: Thalidomide
Q23. Which ancient Egyptian text is an early source of recorded medicinal remedies and can be considered an early pharmacological landmark?
- The Ebers Papyrus
- The Hippocratic Corpus
- The Canon of Avicenna
- The Sushruta Samhita
Correct Answer: The Ebers Papyrus
Q24. What is the primary purpose of Phase I clinical trials in drug development?
- Assess safety and tolerability in healthy volunteers
- Demonstrate long-term efficacy in large populations
- Compare two marketed drugs
- Evaluate post-marketing adverse events
Correct Answer: Assess safety and tolerability in healthy volunteers
Q25. Which class of drugs is considered the first widely used systemic antibacterial agents before penicillin’s broad use?
- Sulfonamides
- Tetracyclines
- Macrolides
- Fluoroquinolones
Correct Answer: Sulfonamides
Q26. What is the primary molecular mechanism of action of aspirin?
- Irreversible inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes
- Inhibition of DNA gyrase
- Blockade of NMDA receptors
- Activation of beta-adrenergic receptors
Correct Answer: Irreversible inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes
Q27. Which 1948 clinical trial is often cited as one of the first randomized controlled trials in modern medicine?
- The streptomycin trial for pulmonary tuberculosis by the Medical Research Council
- The first penicillin trial for pneumonia
- The insulin replacement study
- The aspirin stroke prevention trial
Correct Answer: The streptomycin trial for pulmonary tuberculosis by the Medical Research Council
Q28. Which 1906 US law marked an early federal effort to regulate drug labeling and purity, laying groundwork for later agencies?
- The Pure Food and Drug Act
- The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
- The Kefauver-Harris Amendments
- The Controlled Substances Act
Correct Answer: The Pure Food and Drug Act
Q29. Salvarsan, a landmark antisyphilitic agent, is chemically best described as which type of compound?
- An organoarsenical compound
- A beta-lactam antibiotic
- A sulfonamide
- A steroidal hormone
Correct Answer: An organoarsenical compound
Q30. Pharmacodynamics primarily studies which aspect of drugs?
- What the drug does to the body (effects and mechanisms)
- How the body absorbs and eliminates the drug
- Manufacturing quality control procedures
- Regulatory approval timelines
Correct Answer: What the drug does to the body (effects and mechanisms)
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