[Flyfightwin]

Good day all, I am new here. I am a high school senior going to the United States Air Force academy next year looking to major in aeronautical science and considering a double major in chemistry, purely out of interest in the field of chemistry without an actual desire to pursue a career in the field. My question is probably pretty novice, but after hours of looking online, I can't really find a clear answer.

What is the specific "type" of chemistry involved with the study of compounds and their effects on the body. I'm interested in drugs (dont worry, as a serviceman in the us military I'm not a drug addict or anything haha). Just the way compounds and elements have effects and trigger responses in our bodies. The way steroids, hormones, drugs, etc have effects in us. Their composition, structure, and all how they work. I hope you can understand what I'm asking here, I want to know what this specific type of chemistry  is known as, if it were to be a course of area of study.

Any help is appreciated! Thank you

[Woopy]

Medicinal Chemistry

[JGK]

Medicinal Chemistry

Personally, I would have said Pharmacology as a subject fits your requirements the best.

[Babcock_Hall]

The second semester of a typical two-semester biochemistry course deals with some of these topics.  The signal transduction pathways begun by hormones or growth factors is a major subject in biochemistry.  To some extent which textbook one uses determines the order of topics, however, and one biochemistry text brings in signal transduction earlier than many others do.

[Flyfightwin]

Thank you all for your replies. As far as I can see, isn't medicinal chemistry almost a subgenre of pharmaceutical chemistry anyway? And as for the biochemistry, I am looking into it, looks interesting!