THE ORIGINS OF DRUGS

Aspirin is commonly used painkiller. Now made synthetically in a lab, it has a similar chemical structure to salicylic acid extracted from willow bark. Extracts of willow have been used in pain relief for many generations. Even the Greek physician Hippocrates was aware of its properties. Credit: Ian Sane/Flickr, CC BY. Aspirin from willow bark

Many drugs originate from fungi. Employees at the pharmaceutical company Sandoz were asked to bring samples back when they went on business trips or holidays. One member of staff collected Tolypocladium inflatum. From this fungus, the drug cyclosporine was created, which is now used to prevent rejections in organ transplants. Credit: North Dakota National Guard/Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 BIGPICTUREEDUCATION.COM From fungus to transplant drug

Sweet wormwood is a plant that has been used for herbal remedies in China for many years. The active chemical has been identified and turned into drug form known as artemisinin. Artemisinin combination therapies are now the recommended treatment for malaria. Credit: Hugh Sturrock, Wellcome Images, CC BY BIGPICTUREEDUCATION.COM Malaria drug

Digoxin is a drug that treats a number of heart conditions most commonly arrhythmic heart problems. It was isolated from the leaves of a species of foxglove plant Digitalis lanata. Digitalis translates to ‘finger-like’ which references the characteristic shape of their flowers. Credit: Frédérique PANASSAC/Flickr, CC BY-NC BIGPICTUREEDUCATION.COM Foxglove extracts treat heart problems

You may be surprised that even carparks can contain the source of some drugs. Paracetamol is derived from phenacetin, the active pain-killing chemical in coal tar analgesics. It was discovered in the late 19 th century but was only widely used as a painkiller after World War II. In the past, multiple analgesics have been derived from coal tar but paracetamol is the only one still in use today. Credit: Sam_Catch/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND BIGPICTUREEDUCATION.COM Paracetamol from coal tar

Marine snail species produce a wide range of toxins. Toxins have been the source of many drugs. Ziconotide is derived from the cone snail species Conus magus. It is used to treat chronic pain. Credit: Richard Parker/Flickr, CC BY BIGPICTUREEDUCATION.COM Sea snails treat chronic pain

Reusing our images Images and illustrations All images, unless otherwise indicated, are from Wellcome Images. Contemporary images are free to use for educational purposes (they have a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-commercial, No derivatives licence). Please make sure you credit them as we have done on the site; the format is ‘Creator’s name, Wellcome Images’.Creative Commons Attribution, Non-commercial, No derivatives licence Historical images have a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence: they’re free to use in any way as long as they’re credited to ‘Wellcome Library, London’.Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence Flickr images that we have used have a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence, meaning we – and you – are free to use in any way as long as the original owner is credited.Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence Cartoon illustrations are © Glen McBeth. We commission Glen to produce these illustrations for ‘Big Picture’. He is happy for teachers and students to use his illustrations in a classroom setting, but for other uses, permission must be sought. We source other images from photo libraries such as Science Photo Library, Corbis and iStock and will acknowledge in an image’s credit if this is the case. We do not hold the rights to these images, so if you would like to reproduce them, you will need to contact the photo library directly. If you’re unsure about whether you can use or republish a piece of content, just get in touch with us at