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University Communications Network > Ask Dr. Universe > Academic Subjects > Health Sciences > Pharmacy

What happens to the pill capsules after you swallow the pill? – Avery, 11, Illinois

Dear Avery,

I think it’s really cool when a clear pill has teeny tiny balls of medication inside it. My paws itch to bat it around—but I know medicine isn’t a toy, so I sharpen my claws on my desk and then get back to answering your questions.

I asked my friend Damianne Brand-Eubanks what happens after you swallow one of those capsules. She teaches in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Washington State University. She’s an expert on medication.

She told me that the outside of a pill capsule is usually made of gelatin. That’s the same stuff that’s in jello or gummy candy.

“Just like with food, you swallow the pill, and it goes down the esophagus into the stomach, where there's a whole bunch of acid,” Brand-Eubanks said. “That acid breaks down the gelatin capsule.”

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Why are heart attacks so dangerous? – Jack, 8, England

Dear Jack,

When I go to the veterinarian for a checkup, one of the first things they do is listen to my heart. They want to make sure it’s healthy because it pumps blood to my whole body.

I asked my friend Zhaokang Cheng about heart attacks. He’s a scientist at Washington State University. He works on new medicines to help people who have heart attacks or heart disease.

He told me that a heart attack happens when a big blood vessel that delivers blood to the heart gets blocked. Those blood vessels are called coronary arteries.

They get blocked when fatty gunk and other stuff build up on the walls of the arteries. Over time, the buildup can get thicker and harder. It can make the space inside the artery very narrow, so there isn’t much room for blood to get through. Or it can block the artery completely.

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Dr. Universe: How does toothpaste clean your teeth? -Lucy, 10, Pullman, WA

Dear Lucy, If you are anything like me, every day you squeeze a little toothpaste onto your toothbrush and brush your teeth. Toothpaste gets its cleaning power from a few different ingredients. My friend Mark Leid was happy to tell us about how they work. Leid spent part of his career teaching future dentists. He is also dean of the Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. First, he told me the outer covering of a tooth is called enamel. It’s the hardest tissue in the whole human body—even harder than bone—and it helps with things like chewing your food. Read More ...