This example tells us that statins are some of the most prescribed medications in older adults, and that tells us that the following statements explain how statins work. So there's going to be 1, 2, 3, 4 statements, and then we have 2 questions. A, at what level of organization do statins work most directly? And B, what other levels of organization do statins affect physiologically? So keep those questions in mind as we go through these statements.

First off, we have statins share a chemical similarity to the molecule HMG Coenzyme A, leading them to inhibit the enzyme HMG Coenzyme A reductase. Alright. Inhibiting an enzyme sharing a chemical similarity, that seems like it's happening at the molecular level or maybe you could say macromolecule level. Well, I'll write molecular for now. The next statement says inhibiting HMG Coenzyme A reductase lowers overall cholesterol production in the liver.

Alright. Now we're talking about how an organ is functioning. That's another level. Next, it says lowering cholesterol production in the liver leads to lower blood cholesterol levels and less plaque formation on artery walls. Alright.

Now we're talking about whole different parts of an organ system: blood and artery walls, and how plaque formation comes about. And then finally, we have reducing plaque formation reduces the risk of death from heart attack, stroke, and other causes. Alright. I can't think of anything that affects the whole organism more than death, so I think I'm gonna say at the end, it affects the whole organism. So at what level does it seem to work most, directly?

I'm gonna say molecular. Right? It's inhibiting an enzyme. But what other levels does it affect? I'm going to say all of them.

Right? We talked about the liver. We talked about a whole organ system, blood and blood vessels and artery walls. And then we're talking about death, something that definitely affects a whole organism. So this relationship between different levels is really important to remember as you go on.

Yes. You can focus on studying a specific level. Some people are molecular physiologists. Some people do more gross anatomy. But all of these levels affect each other and are intertwined and are really impossible to completely separate.

So with that, we have a few more problems below, and I'll see you in the next video.