What term describes the process of breaking down a drug for excretion?

The term that describes the process of breaking down a drug for excretion is metabolism. In pharmacology, metabolism refers to the chemical modifications made by an organism on the drug. This usually occurs in the liver, where enzymes convert the drug into more water-soluble forms to facilitate their elimination from the body.

During this process, active drugs may be transformed into inactive metabolites, or they may be converted into forms that can be easily excreted through urine or bile. Understanding metabolism is crucial, as it affects the duration and intensity of a drug's action, as well as its potential interactions with other substances in the body.

The other processes mentioned—absorption, distribution, and excretion—play different roles in the pharmacokinetic pathway. Absorption is the process of a drug entering the bloodstream, distribution refers to how and where the drug spreads throughout the body after absorption, and excretion is the final elimination of the drug from the body. Each of these processes is essential, but metabolism specifically focuses on the transformation of the drug before it is ultimately excreted.