What factors can influence drug metabolism?

The choice highlighting age, genetics, and liver function as influencing factors in drug metabolism is particularly pertinent because each of these elements plays a critical role in how drugs are processed in the body.

Age is important because metabolic rates can vary significantly across different life stages. For instance, infants and the elderly often have altered enzyme activity, which can affect the metabolism of drugs. The liver, being the primary organ responsible for drug metabolism, can also experience changes in function due to age.

Genetics is a key factor as individual genetic differences can lead to variations in the expression and activity of metabolic enzymes. This variability can cause some patients to metabolize certain drugs more quickly or slowly than others, impacting drug efficacy and safety.

Liver function is essential in determining how drugs are broken down. Liver diseases such as cirrhosis or hepatitis can lead to decreased enzyme activity, thereby slowing metabolism and potentially resulting in drug accumulation and toxicity.

While the other options also present factors that could theoretically have an impact, they do not directly or significantly influence the biochemical processes involved in drug metabolism to the same extent as age, genetics, and liver function do.