Definition of selectivity

The term "selectivity" can be traced back to the late 19th century, particularly in the context of pharmacology. It initially referred to the ability of certain medicines to selectively target specific organs or tissues in the body, rather than causing widespread and indiscriminate effects. The concept of selectivity began to gain increasing importance in the field of chemistry as well, particularly in relation to the development of new chemical compounds. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many chemists were working on synthesizing new organic compounds, many of which displayed a range of biological effects. It became clear that some of these compounds exhibited superior efficacy compared to others, and that this was linked to their ability to selectively interact with specific targets within the body. The term "selectivity" was coined to describe this phenomenon, which was seen as a key factor in the design of new drugs. Researchers began to focus on identifying the structural features of these compounds that contributed to their selectivity, with the aim of developing more effective and targeted therapies. Today, selectivity is a critical principle in many areas of research, including pharmacology, biochemistry, and materials science. It reflects the importance of being able to selectively interact with specific targets, whether they are proteins, receptors, or other biological structures, in order to achieve desired outcomes. This has led to the development of increasingly sophisticated strategies for designing selective molecules, many of which have important applications in medicine, agriculture, and other fields.