CHAPTER 18: ADRENERGIC DRUGS

Question 1

adrenergic agonists

Answer 1

drugs that stimulate and mimic the actions of the sympathetic nervous system. Also called sympathomimetics

Question 2

adrenergic receptors

Answer 2

receptor sites for the sympathetic neurotransmitters norepinephrine and epinephrine

Question 3

alpha-adrenergic receptors

Answer 3

a class of adrenergic receptors that are further subdivided into alpha1 and alpha 2 adrenergic receptors.

Question 4

autonomic functions

Answer 4

bodily functions that are involuntary and results from the physiologic activity of the autonomic nervous system. The functions often occur in pairs of the opposing actions between the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system

Question 5

ANS

Answer 5

a branch of the PNS that controls autonomic bodily functions. It consists pf the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system

Question 6

beta-adrenergic receptors

Answer 6

receptors located on the postsynaptic cells that are stimulated by specific autonomic nerve fibers. Beta 1 adrenergic receptors are located primarily in the heart, whereas beta 2 adrenergic receptors are located in the smooth muscle fibers of the bronchioles, arterioles and visceral organs

Question 7

catecholamines

Answer 7

substances that can produce a sympathomimetic response. They are either endogenous catecholamines (such as epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine) or synthetic catecholamine drugs (such as dobutamine)

Question 8

dopaminergic receptor

Answer 8

a third type of adrenergic receptor (in addition to alpha-adrenergic and beta-adrenergic receptors) located in various tissues and organs and activated by the binding of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which can be either endogenous or a synthetic drug form

Question 9

mydriasis

Answer 9

pupillary dilation, whether natural (physiologic) or drug induced

Question 10

ophthalmics

Answer 10

drugs that are used in the eye

Question 11

positive chronotropic effect

Answer 11

an increase in heart rate

Question 12

positive dromotropic effect

Answer 12

an increase in the condition of cardiac electrical impulses through the atrioventricular node, which results in the transfer of nerve action potentials from the atria to the ventricles. This ultimately leads to a systolic heartbeat (ventricular contractions)

Question 13

positive inotropic effect

Answer 13

an increase in the force of contraction of the heart muscle

myocardium

Question 14

sympathomimetics

Answer 14

drugs used therapeutically that mimic the catecholamines epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine. Also called adrenergic agonists

Question 15

synaptic cleft

Answer 15

the space either between two adjacent nerve cell membranes or between nerve cell membrane and effector organ cell membrane (also called synapse)