Drugs and behavior Chapter 4

Question 1

homeostasis

Answer 1

maintenance of an environment of body functions within a certain range

Question 2

membrane

Answer 2

a tin, limiting covering of a cell

Question 3

cell body

Answer 3

the central region of a neuron, which is the control center

Question 4

dendrites

Answer 4

branchlike structures that extend from the sell body and specialize in receiving signals from other neurins

Question 5

axon

Answer 5

a thin tube that extends from the cell body and specializes in transmitting signals to other neurons

Question 6

axon terminals

Answer 6

the end region of the axon

Question 7

receptors

Answer 7

recognition mechanisms that respond to specific signals

Question 8

neurotransmitter

Answer 8

chemical messengers released from axon terminals

Question 9

synaptic vessicles

Answer 9

small bubbles of membrane that store neurotransmitters

Question 10

mylein

Answer 10

a fatty white substance that is wrapped around potions of the axons

Question 11

autoimmune disease

Answer 11

a condition that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue

Question 12

multiple sclerosis

Answer 12

an autoimmune illness caused by damage to the mylein sheath that wraps axons. A wide range of symptoms can accompany this disorder including muscle spasms, vision loss, severe pain, dizziness, fatigue, and intestinal problems

Question 13

blood brain barrier

Answer 13

structure that prevents many drugs from entering the brain

Question 14

semipermable

Answer 14

allowing some, but not all, chemicals to pass

Question 15

nerotransmission

Answer 15

the process of transferring information from one neuron to another at a synapse

Question 16

action potential

Answer 16

the electrical signal transmitted along the axon when a neuron fires

Question 17

ion channels

Answer 17

a protein in the cell membrane forms a pore that allows the passage of ions from one side of the membrane to the other

Question 18

ion

Answer 18

an atom or molecule that has a net electrical charge because of a difference in the number of electron and protons

Question 19

resting potential

Answer 19

the voltage maintained by a cell when it is not generating action potentials. The resting potential of neurons is about -65 mV

Question 20

hyperpolarized

Answer 20

when the membrane potential is more negative

Question 21

depolarized

Answer 21

when the membrane potential is less negative

Question 22

acetylcholine

Answer 22

neurotransmitter found in the parasympathetic branch in the cerebral cortex

Question 23

autonomic

Answer 23

the part of the nervous system that controls “involuntary” functions, such as heart rate

Question 24

sympathetic

Answer 24

the branch of the autonomic system involved in flight or fight response

Question 25

parasympathetic

Answer 25

the branch of the autonomic system that stimulates digestion, slows the heart, and has other effects associated with a relaxed physiological state

Question 26

norepinephrine

Answer 26

neurotransmitter that may be important for regulating waking and appetite

Question 27

central nervous system

Answer 27

brain and spinal cord

Question 28

nucleus accumbens

Answer 28

a collection of neurons in the fore bain that plays an important role in reward and emotional reactions to events

Question 29

dopamine

Answer 29

neurotransmitter found in the basal ganglia and other regions

Question 30

ventral tegmental area

Answer 30

a group of dopamine containing neurons located in the mid brain whose axons project to the fore brain, especially the nucleus accumbens and cortex

Question 31

mesolimbic dopamine pathway

Answer 31

one of the 2 major dopamine pathways; may be involved in psychotic reactions and in drug rewards

Question 32

schizophrenia

Answer 32

a mental disorder characterized by chronic psychosis

Question 33

nigrostriatal dopamine pathway

Answer 33

one of two major dopamine pathways; damaged in Parkinson's disease

Question 34

substantia nigra

Answer 34

a dopamine- rich midbrain structure that projects to the striatum

Question 35

hypothalamus

Answer 35

a structure found near the bottom of the forebrain. It participates in the regulation of hunger, thirst, sexual behavior, and aggression

Question 36

striatum

Answer 36

a term used to describe the caduate nucleus and putamen. Located in the forebrain, it is involved in the initiation of body movements and procedural memory

Question 37

Parkinson's Diesease

Answer 37

a movement disorder involving damage to and/or loss of dopamine neurons along the nigrostriatal dopmanine pathway. Major symptoms include tremors, rigidity of the limbs, postural instability, and the difficulty initiating movments

Question 38

precursors

Answer 38

chemicals that are acted on by enzymes to form neurotransmitters

Question 39

nucleus basalis

Answer 39

a group of neurons of the basal forebrain that sends projections throughout the cortex

Question 40

cerebral cortex

Answer 40

the outermost layer of the brain

Question 41

Alzheimer's disease

Answer 41

a progressive brain disease that destroys memory and thinking skills

Question 42

serotonin

Answer 42

neurotransmitter found in the raphe nuclei; may be important for important for impulsivity, depression

Question 43

raphe nuclei

Answer 43

a group of serotonin- containing neurons found in the brain stem and project widley throughout the brain

Question 44

GABA

Answer 44

inhibitory neurotransmitter found in most regions throughout the brain

Question 45

glutamate

Answer 45

excitatory neurotransmitter found in most regions of the brain

Question 46

endorphin

Answer 46

opiate- like chemical that occurs naturally in the brain of humans and other animals

Question 47

basal ganglia

Answer 47

subcortal brain structures controlling muscle tome

Question 48

uptake

Answer 48

energy- requiring mechanisms by which selected molecules are taken into cells

Question 49

synthesis

Answer 49

the forming of a neurotransmitter by the action of enzymes on precusors

Question 50

enzyme

Answer 50

large molecule that assists in either the synthesis or metabolism of another molecule

Question 51

synapse

Answer 51

the space between neurons

Question 52

transporter

Answer 52

mechanism in the nerve terminal membrane responsible for removing neurotransmitter molecules from the synapse by taking them back into the neuron

Question 53

metabolize

Answer 53

to break down or inactivate a neurotransmitter through enzymatic action

Question 54

agonist

Answer 54

a substance that facilitates or mimics the effects of a neurotransmitter on the post synaptic cell

Question 55

antagonist

Answer 55

a substance that prevents the effects of a neurotransmitter on the pos tsynaptic cell

Question 56

monomaine

Answer 56

a class of chemicals characterized by a single amine group; monoamine neurotransmitters including dopamine, norephrine, and serotonin