Most illicit drugs affect the nervous system by affecting the action of a partic

Question

Most illicit drugs affect the nervous system by affecting the action of a particular neurotransmitter at ____________ in the brain. Drugs that increase the likelihood of neuron excitation are called ____________ , and those that decrease that likelihood are called ____________ . Specific ways that a drug could increase the effect of a neurotransmitter (NT) at a synapse include: 1) causing the NT to leak out of a synaptic ____________ into the synaptic cleft; 2) preventing ____________ of the NT by the presynaptic membrane; and, 3) blocking an ____________ that normally breaks down the NT. A specific example of a drug that affects a neurotransmitter in this way is cocaine, which potentiates the effects of the neurotransmitter ____________ by interfering with its reuptake from synaptic clefts. Researchers have found that this neurotransmitter is largely responsible for mood. However, with continued use, ____________ amounts of the drug may be needed to create the same physiological outcome.

Action potentials can be propagated ____________ , as in unmyelinated axons, or ____________ , as in myelinated fibers. The jumping fashion of ____________ is the result of action potentials moving across the entire myelinated portion of the axon. In myelinated axons, conduction is about ____________ . In unmyelinated axons, conduction is about ____________ .

Classify the following into the divisions of the nervous system they represent. Central Nervous System Peripheral Nervous Systenm Spinal cord Sensory nerves Brain Autonomic motor nerves Carry sensory and motor information to and from the brain and spinal cord Motor nerves Somatic motor nerves Somatic sensory nerves Visceral sensory nerves

Explanation / Answer

Most illicit drugs affect the nervous system by affecting the action of a particular neurotransmitter at synapse in the brain. Drugs that increase the likelihood of neuron excitation are called stimulants and those that decrease that likelihood are called depressants. Specific ways that a drug could increase the effect of a neurotransmitter at the synapse include 1) Causing the NT to leak out of the synaptic vesicles into the synaptic cleft. 2) Preventing release of the NT by the presynaptic membrane; 3) blocking an autoreceptor that normally breaks down NT.A specific example of a drug that affects a neurotransmitter in this way is cocaine, which potentiates the effects of the neurotransmitter concentrate by interfering with its reuptake from synaptic clefts. However, with continued use, large amounts of the drug may be needed to create the same physiological outcome.

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