Pharmacology is the scientific study of pharmaceuticals. It entails investigating the interactions of chemical compounds with living systems in order to gain a better understanding of pharmacological properties and activities, such as interactions between drug molecules and drug receptors and how these interactions produce an effect. Pharmacology provides the scientific foundation and principles for a wide range of applications in the health sciences, such as the study of drug activities, the use of medicines as therapeutic agents in medicine or as research instruments, and pharmaceutical development and regulation. Pharmacology is a branch of science dedicated to learning everything there is to know about how medications affect the human body.