Endocannabinoids

Question 1

What is the endocannabinoid system?

Answer 1

The ECS is found throughought the entire body and includes the brain the nervous system. It is a network comprised of cannabinoid receptors.

Question 2

What is the ECS responsible for?

Answer 2

Responsible for regulating sleep, apetite, hunger, pain response, stress relief, coordination, mood, maintenance of homeostasis/natural balance.

Question 3

What species cotain the ECS?

Answer 3

Vertebraes

Question 4

What are the three components of the ECS?

Answer 4

-Cannabinoid receptors
-Endocannabinoids
-Metabolic Enzymes

Question 5

Where are cannabinoid receptors found?

Answer 5

The surface of cells.

Question 6

What are endocannibinoids?

Answer 6

Natural cannibinoids found in the body, they are small molecules that activate canninbinoid receptors.

Question 7

What are metabolic enzymes?

Answer 7

They break down endocannabinoids after they are used.

Question 8

What are the names of the two major endengous messengers that bind to cannabinoid receptors?

Answer 8

-2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG)
-anadamide (arachidonoylethanolamine or AEA)

Question 9

What is anadamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol classified as?

Answer 9

Eicosanoids

Question 10

Where are the two eicosanoids formed?

Answer 10

By the action of phospholipases on plasma membrane phospholipids.

Question 11

When are the eicosanoids synthesized?

Answer 11

On demand. They are synthesized when needed.

Question 12

What is anandamide known as?

Answer 12

The Bliss Molecule

Question 13

Who and when identified anadamide?

Answer 13

In 1992 by Raphael Mechoulam

Question 14

What does anadamide have an impact on?

Answer 14

Working memory and early stage embryo development

Question 15

When and who discovered 2-arachidonylglycerol?

Answer 15

1994-1995 by Raphael Mechoulam and his student, Shimon Ben-Shabat

Question 16

Where is 2-AG highly present?

Answer 16

In the CNS (Central Nervous System)

Question 17

What bodily fluid is 2-AG and anandamide present in?

Answer 17

Maternal milk

Question 18

What are the two cannabinoid receptors?

Answer 18

CB1 and CB2

Question 19

Define CB1

Answer 19

Concentrated in the brain and the central nervous system. Helps maintain core functions like motor activity, pain, perception, stress response, and memory

Question 20

Define CB2

Answer 20

Distributed throughout peripheral organs in the body serving the immune, muscular and cardiovascular systems

Question 21

What are the two major metabolic enzymes?

Answer 21

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and Monoacylglycerol

Question 22

Which metabolic enzyme breaks down anandamide?

Answer 22

Fatty acid amide hydrolase

Question 23

Which metabolic enzyme breaks down 2-AG?

Answer 23

Monoacylglycerol

Question 24

What does the “Pro-homeostatic action of the ECS” mean?

Answer 24

This system of chemical signals gets temporarily activated following deviations from cellular homeostasis.

Question 25

What are brain cells known as?

Answer 25

Neurons

Question 26

How do neurons communicate?

Answer 26

By electrochemical signals.

Question 27

What happens when there is an overload of signals?

Answer 27

Endocannabinoids are released by the overloaded neuron

Question 28

What is the actual process during the overload of signals?

Answer 28

Endocannabinoids travel back to the overactive neuron and bind to CB1 receptors transmitting a signal that "quiets down" the neuron

Question 29

What is a retrograde messenger?

Answer 29

A chemical substance that is released from postsynaptic neurons and acts on presynaptic neurons

Question 30

In the sense of retrograde messengers, what are 2-AG and anandamide?

Answer 30

Retrograde inhibitors. They diffuse backwards to the presynaptic cell where they inhibit transmitter (CB1) or cytokine (CB2) release