bio lec 3

Question 1

What are psychoactive drugs?

Answer 1

Chemicals that influence emotions, behavior, and cognition.

Question 2

What is pharmacokinetics?

Answer 2

How drugs move through the body.

Question 3

What are the mechanisms by which drugs interact with the body?

Answer 3

• Inhibit or reinforce enzyme activity
• Block or activate receptors
• Interact with neurotransmitters or hormones
• Attack invaders (e.g., antibiotics)

Question 4

What is the difference between agonists and antagonists?

Answer 4

• Agonists → Mimic neurotransmitters
• Antagonists → Block neurotransmitter effects

agonis=actor

Question 5

What is the function of auto receptors?

Answer 5

They sit at presynaptic membrane and create a negative feedback loop for neurotransmitter release.

Question 6

What is the slowest route of drug administration?

Answer 6

Digestive tract (oral).

Question 7

What is the blood-brain barrier?

Answer 7

A specialized filtering system that protects the brain from toxins.

Question 8

What are the two reasons drugs are eliminated from the body?

Answer 8

• Chemical breakdown (enzymes)
• Excretion (urine, sweat, breath)

Question 9

What is biological half-life?

Answer 9

The time it takes for peak concentration of a drug to decrease to half in the bloodstream.

Question 10

What is drug tolerance?

Answer 10

A shift in the drug effect curve requiring higher doses for the same effect.

Question 11

What are the two types of drug tolerance?

Answer 11

• Metabolic Tolerance → Body eliminates drug more efficiently
• Functional Tolerance → Brain adjusts receptor numbers and sensitivity

Question 12

What happens during withdrawal?

Answer 12

The body experiences symptoms due to the absence of a drug it has adapted to.

Question 13

True or False: Context-dependent tolerance can affect drug use.

Answer 13

True.

Question 14

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 14

A stimulus triggers a behavior that leads to a reward, reinforcing the behavior.

Question 15

What areas of the brain are involved in addiction?

Answer 15

• Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)- dopamine-producing
• Nucleus Accumbens- recieves dopamine, pleasure centre
• Medial forebrain bundle- conects the 2

Question 16

What neurotransmitter is primarily involved in the brain’s reward system?

Answer 16

Dopamine.

Question 17

What is the seeking or wanting hypothesis regarding dopamine?

Answer 17

Dopamine is more about motivation to seek something pleasuring rather than pleasure itself

Question 18

What is psychological drug dependence?

Answer 18

When drugs directly interact with the brain’s reward system.

Question 19

Fill in the blank: The __________ is a system that connects the midbrain to the endbrain using dopamine as its neurotransmitter.

Answer 19

Mesotelencephalic Dopamine System.

Question 20

What can increase the risk of overdose when using drugs?

Answer 20

Using drugs in new settings without prior conditioning.

Question 21

What is the relationship between dopamine and punishment?

Answer 21

Dopamine is also released during punishment to reinforce learning not to perform certain behaviors.

Question 22

What happens to dopamine levels when a reward is expected?

Answer 22

Dopamine levels increase.

Question 23

What is the role of dopamine in the reinforcement system?

Answer 23

It correlates with reward and motivates the repetition of behaviors.

Question 24

What system in the brain is directly interacted with by drugs, causing cravings?

Answer 24

The brain’s reward system

This interaction leads to cravings for drugs even when the addict dislikes their effects.

Question 25

What effect does cocaine have on dopamine levels?

Answer 25

Cocaine increases dopamine levels, making it highly addictive ## Footnote The increase in dopamine is linked to the drug's addictive properties.

Question 26

How do animals demonstrate self-administration of addictive drugs?

Answer 26

Animals can self-inject drugs while pressing a lever ## Footnote This behavior indicates the direct involvement of the brain reward system.

Question 27

What is the consequence of short-term drug use on dopamine levels?

Answer 27

Short-term high but long-term dopamine depletion ## Footnote This depletion drives compulsive drug-seeking behavior in addicts.

Question 28

Which brain areas are key in addiction?

Answer 28

Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) and Nucleus Accumbens ## Footnote These areas are part of the brain's reward or seeking system.

Question 29

What is physical dependence in the context of drug addiction?

Answer 29

Physical dependence results from drug tolerance ## Footnote Tolerance occurs when the body adapts to the drug, requiring more for the same effect.

Question 30

What drives psychological dependence in addiction?

Answer 30

The Mesotelencephalic Dopamine System ## Footnote This system plays a crucial role in the psychological aspects of addiction.

Question 31

True or False: Addicts only seek drugs when external rewards are present.

Answer 31

False ## Footnote Addicts continue seeking drugs even when no external rewards exist.

Question 32

Fill in the blank: Addiction is a complex interplay of _______.

Answer 32

Neurochemistry, Environmental triggers, Cognitive & behavioral factors ## Footnote These factors collectively influence the development and maintenance of addiction.

Question 33

What happens when cocaine is infused directly into the nucleus accumbens?

Answer 33

Animals will learn to self-administer the drug ## Footnote This shows cocaine's direct effects on the brain's reward system.

Question 34

What is the primary reason addicts crave drugs despite negative effects?

Answer 34

Activation of dopamine release ## Footnote This activation bypasses normal brain systems that assess the goodness or badness of an experience.