Which aspect of pharmacokinetics focuses on the time course of drug absorption and elimination?

The aspect of pharmacokinetics that focuses on the time course of drug absorption and elimination is distribution. Pharmacokinetics is concerned with how a drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted over time.

When discussing distribution, it refers to how the drug disperses throughout the body's fluids and tissues after being absorbed. This includes understanding how quickly and to what extent a drug reaches its target tissues, which significantly impacts its therapeutic effects and safety.

Time course is particularly relevant here because it encompasses not only the initial absorption but also how long the drug stays in the bloodstream and how effectively it is distributed to the tissues before being cleared from the body. This aspect is crucial for determining dosing schedules and understanding the drug's half-life.

In contrast, metabolism refers to the biochemical processes that modify the drug, typically leading to its inactivation or elimination from the body, while therapeutic window indicates the range between effective and toxic drug concentrations. Pharmacodynamics, on the other hand, focuses on the biological effects of the drug and the mechanisms by which these effects are produced, rather than the timing of absorption and elimination.