Download Short Reads Drugy Questions KEY

Anatomy and Physiology
Fisher
Directions: Complete the following Short Reads:
 Factors Affecting Synaptic Transmission p. 223,
 Drug Abuse p. 245, and
 Synesthesia p. 268
Answer the following questions regarding your reading. Please answer these questions
in your science notebook.
1. During seizures, what happens to neurotransmitter supplies? Exhausted b/c
nerve impulses reaching the synaptic knobs too quickly.
2. What is the effect of this? Conduction ceases until more neurotransmitters are
synthesized.
3. What causes the seizure? Abnormal, too rapid impulses originating from certain
brain cells are sent to muscle fibers stimulating violent contractions. These
happen until the cell runs out of neurotransmitters.
4. What is the mechanism for the drug Dilantin? Blocks sodium channels, this
means the axon won’t depolarize as frequently, so action potentials are limited.
5. What are some everyday drugs that can affect synaptic transmission? Caffeine,
antidepressants.
6. Neurons under the influence of these everyday drugs are more easily excited.
Describe this mechanism. Caffeine lowers the threshold at synapse, so neurons
are more easily excited. Antidepressants keep the neurotransmitter (serotonin)
at the synapse longer.
7. What makes drug use abuse? Chronic, self-administration of a drug in doses high
enough to cause addiction.
8. How is addiction defined? Physical or psychological dependence in which the
user is preoccupied w/locating and taking the drug.
9. What does it mean to have a drug tolerance? Physiological response to a
particular dose becomes less intense over time.
10. What is the mechanism for drug tolerance? The body makes more liver enzymes
that metabolize the drug, so the body can metabolize the drug more quickly—
the addict needs a hit sooner.
11. CNS depressants include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, opiates, and
cannabinoids. In a chart similar to the one below, describe the mechanism and
effect of each of these drug types.
Barbiturates
Benzodiazepines Opiates
Cannabinoids
Mechanism Inhibits secretion Depress activity
Stimulate
Depress
of certain
in the limbic
opioid
higher brain
excitatory and
system and the
receptors in centers and
inhibitory
reticular
the CNS.
release lower
neurotransmitters formation.
brain centers
Increase activity
from normal
or release of
inhibitory
inhibitory
influence of
neurotransmitter
higher brain
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Anatomy and Physiology
Effect
Examples
Calming, sleep,
anesthesia,
respiratory
distress,
cardiovascular
collapse, death
Fisher
GABA. Also their
metabolites may
have depressing
effects.
Relieve anxiety,
sedation, sleep,
anesthesia
diazepam
centers.
Sedation,
analgesia
(relieve
pain),
euphoria,
respiratory
distress,
convulsions,
coma,
death
Heroin,
codeine,
oxycodone,
morphine,
meperidine,
methadone
Euphoria,
distorted
perception of
time/space,
hallucinations,
respiratory
distress,
vasomotor
depression
Marijuana,
hashish
12. CNS stimulants are known for their great abuse potential. Why? They quickly
produce psychological dependence (cocaine, crack, ecstasy)
13. What is the mechanism for cocaine? Rapid entry and metabolism in the brain—
arrives at basal nuclei in 4-6 minutes. Inhibits transporter molecules that
remove dopamine from synapses after it is released.
14. What effects do CNS stimulants have on the body? Euphoria, change personality,
cause seizures, constrict blood vessels, sudden death from stroke or cardiac
arrhythmia
15. Hallucinogens are different from both the uppers and the downers in what
ways? They alter perceptions, causing illusions LSD acts as an excitatory
neurotransmitter
16. What are the 2 most commonly abused hallucinogens? LSD(lysergic acid
diethylamide), PCP (phencyclidine)
17. What affects do hallucinogens cause? (distortions of vision, hearing, taste, touch,
and smell), synesthesia (hearing colors/feeling sounds), hallucinations, greatly
overestimate physical capabilities (LSD), prolonged psychosis that can provoke
assault, murder, suicide (PCP)
18. What are the primary dangers associated with the abuse of uppers, downers,
and hallucinogens? Addiction, organ damage (liver, heart, brain), psychosis, pain
of withdrawal, etc.
19. Why would I ask you to read the article Synesthesia in connection with those on
drugs? (what is the connection between the two topics?) hallucinogens can
cause synesthesia. It is also another example of nervous system conditions.
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Anatomy and Physiology
Fisher
20. What is synesthesia? Joined sensation—sensation and perception mix so that the
brain perceives a stimulus to one sense as coming from another sense
21. What is the hypothesized cause of synesthesia? Genetic, 4 different genes, when
people grow up those that do not “prune” as many synapses as others as they
age, may be synesthetes.
22. Who generally has synesthesia? Females, creative individuals, families
23. If you had to treat an individual who was under the influence, was unaware of
the drug type, but was conscious, how could you determine the type of drug the
person took? Symptoms: synesthesia? Hallucinations? Euphoria? Relaxation?
Sedation? Pain? Metabolites in blood stream? Respiratory distress? Stroke?
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