What Is an Agent? Definition, Types of Agents, and Examples

A special agent is one that has been empowered to act in specific instances. For example, if a principal instructs a lawyer to purchase a land for him, in that instance, the lawyer is a specific agent to the principal. Under this classification, we have universal, general and special agents. Pharmacology is the science that studies understanding the action of drugs on the biological system and the response of the body to drugs. They are based on how they affect and minimise symptoms in the body. To become a sports agent you will need to obtain a sports license and register with the state.

They have the authority of buying and selling goods on behalf of the principal or consign them for sale. Financial advisors are responsible for every aspect of their customer’s financial life, from estate planning to tax planning to saving for retirement, and more. An attorney-in-fact is a person who is authorized to represent someone else in business, financial, and private matters.

Conversely, not all PPAR agonists are fibrates, not all triglyceride lowering agents are PPAR agonists, and not all drugs used to treat atherosclerosis are triglyceride-lowering agents. Sulphonamides are one of the important class of synthetic organic compounds with great medicinal importance having a sulphonamide functional group (R1‐SO2‐NR2R3) in their structures. Some compounds belonging to this group also show antibacterial properties such as sulfadiazine. The original antibacterial sulphonamides are synthetic antimicrobial agents that contain the sulphonamide group. Some others are sulfonylureas and thiazide diuretics which proved to be newer drug groups based on the antibacterial sulphonamides . The drugs could be classified based on pharmacological and therapeutic effects.

An agent is often liable to their principal if they violate their duty or deviate from a reasonable, expected action performed on behalf of the other party. When an agent acts on behalf of a principal, the agent may receive information it would be able to personally capitalize on for personal benefit. For example, an agent may receive information relating to a potential investment opportunity. The agent owes the principal the duty to not steal or supplant the principal’s ability to transact.

A chemical substance that produces a biological effect when administered to a living organism is known as a drug in pharmacology. When these drugs are taken in the prescribed manner to cure, prevent or diagnose a disease, it is known as medicine. Based on the effects of drugs, they are classified into four different classes based on pharmacological effect, drug action, chemical structure, and molecular targets. In several dominant drug classification systems, these four types of classifications form a hierarchy. For example, the fibrates are a chemical class of drugs that share the same mechanism of action and mode of action , and that are used to prevent and treat the same disease .

Antimicrobials

For example, if a CEO was on a flight and unreachable yet an emergency business decision needed to be made, agency by necessity could be used. An agent also has the responsibility to keep the agent’s and the principal’s affairs separately. This includes ensuring that any transactions entered into on behalf of the principal are still legal property of the principal. This also ensures that any resources or capital used to transact are maintained in separate bank accounts and that separate reporting ledgers are maintained.

Whenever these functional roles of the cytoplasmic membrane get disturbed, macromolecules and ions will outflow, which will result in cell destruction or death. Selectivity of the agents is necessary to carry out this chemotherapy as the agents are aimed to target the bacterial cell membrane. Polymyxins are active antibacterial agents, which are cyclic peptides, having a long hydrophobic tail.

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Latter in the nineteenth century, concepts have been developed that there is the strongest correlation between bacteria and diseases. These efforts led to the revolutionary discovery of the antibacterial agent “penicillin” in 1928 from Penicillium notatum by Sir Alexander Fleming. The discovery unlocked the field of microbial natural products and so new agents were continually added, such as newly introduced daptomycin, tigecycline, linezolid, and so on. It is aimed that this approach will be equally helpful for researchers, clinicians, and academicians. Β‐Lactam drugs, including penicillin derivatives, cephalosporins, monobactams, and carbapenems, are the major antibiotics that inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis. Thus, β‐lactam drugs work as a false molecule for D‐alanyl‐D‐alanyl transpeptidases, which result in inhibition of transpeptidation reaction and peptidoglycan synthesis.

• People suffering from hypertension take antihypertensive drugs.
• Hence, blocking the calcium will provide relaxation to muscles.
• For example, consider a broker that receives a commission for the sale of certain investment products.
• On the cephalosporins unit, most changes have been made at positions 7 and 3.
• Antipyretics override the secretion of prostaglandin in the hypothalamus to reduce the body temperature, which results in a reduction of fever.

Universal agents have a broad mandate to act on behalf of their clients. Often these agents have been given power of attorney for a client, which gives them considerable authority to represent a client in legal proceedings. They may also be authorized to make financial transactions on behalf of their clients. Mechanistically, protein synthesis inhibitors act to disturb any stage of the protein synthesis such as initiation and elongation stages .

This is another way of classification of antibiotics or antibacterial agents, which is based on their target specification. In this category, the antibacterials may be either narrow or broad spectrum. The terms narrow spectrum and broad spectrum have been interpreted not specifically since their use in antibiotic history, but recently these acquired clear meanings in academic and industrial fields . The narrow spectrum antibacterials are considered to be those which can work on a narrow range of microorganisms, that is, they act against Gram‐positive only or Gram‐negative only bacteria.

Aspirin, chemically known as acetylsalicylic acid, is used to reduce pain, fever, or inflammation. The process of finding a drug to a specific target location that leads to a change in its function is known as drug-target interaction. classification of agents The most common biological targets in our body are ion channels, nuclear receptors, G-protein coupled receptors, and enzymes. Some drug classes have been amalgamated from these three principles to meet practical needs.

1. Classification based on type of action

Even in sickness and diseases, people resort to medicines, again chemicals. A general agent is one who has authority to do all acts connected with a particular trade, business or employment. For instance, if a person is placed as a manager, he has authority to bind the principal for all his acts falling within the scope of the business of managing the store.

Structurally, macrolides are antibiotics that consist of a macrocyclic lactone ring, usually 14‐, 15‐, or 16‐member to which one or more deoxy sugars, usually cladinose and desosamine, may be attached. Some well‐known examples of macrolides are erythromycin and roxithromycin etc. Calcium Channel Blockers https://1investing.in/ – Calcium channel blockers are drugs that are used to lower blood pressure. Calcium movement is slowed down into the cell’s artery walls, which makes it easier for the heart to pump and dilates blood vessels. As a result, the heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood, and blood pressure decreases.

Classification

The antibacterial agents can be classified into five major groups, i.e. type of action, source, spectrum of activity, chemical structure, and function. Unlike antibiotics classification, little efforts have been made to classify antibacterials separately. Therefore, we tried to classify antibacterial into five principal categories, each of which has its own importance. The classification mentioned could be a better guide for future classification, i.e. the agents that are in developing stages or those that are going to develop can be adjusted in any suitable group mentioned in the text. Further, this categorization could be helpful in academic and in health care fields at present and in the future as well.

Antacids provide us quick relief from acidity in our stomach that causes indigestion, upset stomach, and heartburn. Single agent / Multiple agents − The environment may contain other agents which may be of the same or different kind as that of the agent. Static / Dynamic − If the environment does not change while an agent is acting, then it is static; otherwise it is dynamic.

In this example, the principal retains the right to decide whether or not to invest; the agent must not take the place of the principal without the principal explicitly declining an opportunity to invest. So far, the relationship of structural activity of various macrolides has been studied. Studies revealed that some existing 14‐, 15‐, and 16‐member macrolide antibiotics were modified toward interesting targets.

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Unlike narrow spectrum antibacterial, the broad spectrum antibacterial affects a wide range of pathogenic bacteria, including both Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria. Usually, the narrow spectrum antibacterials are considered ideal antibacterials and are preferred over the broad‐spectrum antibacterials. The reason is that the narrow‐spectrum antibiotics do not kill as many of the normal microorganisms in the body as the broad‐spectrum antibiotics and thus has less ability to cause superinfection. Also, the narrow‐spectrum antibiotic will cause less resistance of the bacteria as it will deal with only specific bacteria. The cytoplasmic membrane, which covers the cytoplasm, serves as a selective barrier and controls the internal composition of the cell.

Though there may be situations where acting on one’s behalf and following their guidance is not reasonable or legal, the agent may have recourse to not follow instruction. Otherwise, the agent is bound to perform tasks as expected by the agreement. This includes situations where the principal may be disadvantaged but has instructed the agent to act in a specific manner. An agent is always tasked with acting with care and competence when handling affairs of the principal. The standard is often held that the agent must act as the principal would, using discretion as if it would incurring the personal gain or loss.