Bioassay

Also known as a biological assay, a bioassay is a measurement of the effects of a substance on living organisms.

It is an estimation of the concentration or potency of a substance by measurement of the biological response that it produces.

The use of bioassays are:

1. To measure the pharmacological activity of new or chemically undefined substances. 2. To investigate the function of endogenous mediators. 3. To measure drug toxicity and unwanted effects. 4. To measure the concentration of known substances (largely obsolete).

Bioassay is essential in the development of new drugs.