biology

Obocell

Obocell is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Obocell rather than just read about it. In short: Obocell is the brand name of a CNS stimulant and appetite suppressant (d-amphetamine phosphate) combined into one pill with a CNS depressant and first generation antihistamine (25mg methapyrilene). This combination formula was developed by Neisler Laboratories in 1951, approved for medical use in the United States by the U.S.

Key takeaways

Obocell belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Obocell to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Obocell from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Obocell is the brand name of a CNS stimulant and appetite suppressant (d-amphetamine phosphate) combined into one pill with a CNS depressant and first generation antihistamine (25mg methapyrilene). This combination formula was developed by Neisler Laboratories in 1951, approved for medical use in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1953 to treat obesity. According to the National Institutes of Health, production or availability of Obocell was discontinued around 1967. It was approved for medical use in the U.S. in 1953, and available for over the counter sales between 1953 and 1967, in the dosage form of a tablet, and indicated for treating obesity in patients by functioning as an appetite suppressant.

Indication and use Obocell's formulation of active ingredients included a substituted amphetamine (5mg dextroamphetamine phosphate (a central nervous system/CNS stimulant and 25mg methapyrilene (a first generation H1-antihistamine) produced as a single tablet containing the 5mg:25mg dosage ratio, directed for oral consumption. A similar, yet distinct, product was marketed by Irwin, Neisler & Co. called Obocell-TF, which also included a ratio of 5mg dextroamphetamine phosphate and 25mg methapyrilene, with an additional component being Irwin, Neisler & Co.'s high-viscosity methylcellulose product (Nicel brand).

Treatment indication and medical use Both formulations were FDA-approved in the United States as treatments of obesity. Full therapeutic effect as an appetite suppressant was achieved by consuming the medication thirty to sixty minutes prior to each meal. The manufacturer-recommended dosage was one or two tablets, to be taken with a full glass of water three times daily. Nitrin (Irwin, Neisler & Company's brand of high-viscosity methylcellulose) provided additional benefits, such as cardioprotective antioxidants and contributed dietary fiber. Obocell-TF with methylcellulose had the added benefit of protecting cardiovascular health and reducing constipation. Both medications have since been discontinued, although the exact year has not yet been identified.

Advertising

In an advertisement published by the New York Academy of Medicine, whose target audience was physicians, Obocell was touted as "helping the obese patient adhere to your diet chart by curbing gnawing appetite and suppressing bulk hunger during and between meals". It was advertised to physicians with portly figurines called "Mr. Obocell" and "Mrs. Obocell."

References

Illustrations

Obocell: Obocell bottle — Obocell bottle

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Obocell

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Obocell claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Obocell before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Obocell ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Obocell

In research: Obocell appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Obocell in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Obocell is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Anti-obesity drugs, Combination psychiatric drugs, Stimulants, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Obocell outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Obocell in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Obocell means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Obocell out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Obocell in simple terms?

Why does Obocell matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Obocell?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Obocell.