Chapter 4 (Chemistry of Behavior) Flashcards
exogenous
Arising from outside the body
endogenous
Produced inside the body
exocytosis
A cellular process that results in teh release of a substance into the extracellular space
ionotropic receptor
Also called ligand-gated ion channel. A receptor protein containing an ion channel that opens when the receptor is bound by an agonist.
metabotropic receptor
A receptor protein that does not contain ion channels but may, when activated, use a G protein system to open nearby ion channels or to produce other cellular effects.
gas neurotransmitter
a neurotransmitter that is a soluble gas. Examples include nitric (not nitrous) oxide and carbon monoxide.
amine neurotransmitter
A neurotransmitter based on modifications of a single amino acid nucleus. Examples include ACh, serotonin, and dopamine.
amino acid neurotransmitter
A neurotransmitter that is itself an amino acid. Examples include GABA, glycine, and glutamate.
peptide neurotransmitter
Also called neuropeptide. A neurotransmitter consisting of a short chain of amino acid.
ACh
Found in the autonomic nervous system, motor systems, and throughout the brain.
cholinergic
Referring to cells that use ACh as their synaptic transmitter
basal forebrain
A region, ventral to the basal ganglia, that is a major source of ACh in the brain.
dopamine (DA)
A monoamine transmitter found in the midbrain–especially the substantia nigra–and in the basal forebrain.
dopaminergic
referring to cells that use dopamine as their synaptic transmitter
substantia nigra
A brainstem structure that innervates the basal ganglia and is the source of all dopaminergic projections
ventral tegmental area (VTA)
A portion of the midbrain that projects dopaminergic fibers to the nucleus accumbens
serotonergic
Referring to cells that use serotonin as their synpatic transmitter
raphe nuclei
A string of nuclei in the midline of the midbrian and brainstem that contain most of the serotonergic neurons of the brain
serotonin (5-HT)
A synaptic transmitter that is produced in the raphe nuclei and is active in structures throughout the cerebral hemispheres
noradrenergic
Referring to cells using norepinephrine (noradrenaline) as a transmitter
norepinephrine
(aka noradrenaline) A neurotransmitter that is produced and released by sympathetic postganglionic neurons to accelerate organ activity. It is also produced in teh brainstem and found in projections throughout the brain.
locus coeruleus
A small nucleus in the brainstem whose neurons produce norepinephrine and modulate large areas of the forebrain
lateral tegmental area
A brainstem region that provides some of the norepinephrine-containing projections of the brain.
glutamate
An amino acid transmitter, the most common excitatory neurotransmitter
GABA
A widely distributed amino acid transmitter, and the main inhibitory transmitter in teh mammalian nervous system.
opioid peptide
A type of endogenous peptide that mimics the effects of morphine in binding to opioid receptors and producing marked analgesia and reward.
retrograde transmitter
A neurotransmitter that diffuses from the postsynaptic neuron back to the presynaptic neuron
ligand
A substance that binds to receptor molecules, such as a neurotransmitter or drug that binds postsynaptic receptors
agonist
A molecule (usually a drug) that binds a receptor molecule and initiates a response like that of another molecule, usually a neurotransmitter
antagonist
A molecule, usually a drug, that interferes with or prevents the action of a neurotransmitter
binding affinity (or affinity)
The propensity of molecules of a drug (or other ligand) to bind to receptors
efficacy (or intrinsic activity)
The extent to which a drug activates a response when it binds to a receptor
dose-response curve (DRC)
A formal graph of a drug’s effects (on the y-axis) versus the dose given (on the x-axis)
bioavailable
Referring to a substance, usually a drug, that is present in the body in a form that is able to interact with physiological mechanisms.
biotransformation
The process in which enzymes convert a drug into a metabolite that is itself active, possibly in ways that are substantially different from the actions of the original substance.
drug tolerance
A condition in which, with repeated exposure to a drug, an individual becomes less responsive to a constant dose.
metabolic tolerance
The form of drug tolerance that arises when repeated exposure to the drug causes the metabolic machinery of the body to become more efficient at clearing the drug
functional tolerance
The form of tolerance that arises when repeated exposure causes receptors to be up-regulated or down-regulated
down-regulation
Compensatory decrease in receptor availability at the synapses of a neuron
up-regulation
A compensatory increase in receptor availability at the synapses of a neuron.
cross-tolerance
A condition in which the development of tolerance for one drug causes an individual to develop tolerance for another drug
autoreceptor
A receptor for a synaptic transmitter that is located in the presynaptic membrane and tells teh axon terminal how much transmitter has been released.
neuroleptics or antipsychotics
Antischizophrenia drugs (typically block dopamine receptors)
atypical neuroleptic
An antipsychotic that has actions other than the typical D2 receptor antagonism.
monoamine oxidase (MAO)
An enzyme that breaks down monoamine transmitters, thereby inactivating them.
trycyclic antidepressants
An antidepressant that acts by increasing the synaptic accumulation of serotonin and norepinephrine.
SSRI
A drug that blocks the reuptake of transmitter at sertonergic synapses.
barbiturate
An early anxiolytic drug and sleep aid that has depressant activity in the nervous system
benzodiazepine
Any of a class of antianxiety drugs that are agonists of GABA-a receptors in the CNS (Valium and Xanax)
opium
An extract of the seedpod juice of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). Potent painkiller
heroin
Diacetylmorphine; an artificially modified, very potent form of morphine
periaqueductal gray
The neuronal body-rich region of the midbrain surrounding the cerebral aqueduct that connects the third and fourth ventricles; it is involved in pain perception.
endogneous opioid
Any class of opium-like peptide transmitters that have been called the body’s own narcotics. The three kinds are enkephalins, endorphins, and dynorphins.
tobacco
A highly addictive North American plant whose leaves (usually dried and smoked) are a major source of nicotine
nicotine
A compound found in plants, including tobacco, that acts as an agonist on a large class of cholinergic receptors.
alcohol
a neuroactive compound (primarily ethyl alcohol) that first stimulates and then depresses neural activity, with varied behavioral consequences
fetal alcohol syndrome
A disorder, including intellectual disability and characteristic facial abnormalities, that affects children exposed to too much alcohol (through maternal ingestion) during fetal development.
marijuana
A dried preparation of the Cannabis sativa plant, usually smoked to obtain THC.
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
Major active ingredient in marijuana
endocannabinoid
an endogenous ligand of cannabinoid receptors; thus, an analog of marijuana that is produced by the brain.
anandamine
An endogenous substance that binds the cannabinoid receptor molecule.
caffeine
A stimulant compound found in coffee, cacao, and other plants.
cocaine
a drug of abuse, derived form the coca plant, that acts by enhancing catecholamine neurotransmission
amphetamine
A molecule that resembles the structure of the catecholamine transmitters and enhances their activity.
hallucinogen
A drug that alters sensory perception and produces peculiar experiences
LSD
Also called acid. Lysergic acid diethylamide, a hallucinogenic drug
MDMA
Also called Ecstasy, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, a drug of abuse
dissociative
a type of drug that produces a dreamlike state in which consciousness is partly separated from sensory inputs
withdrawal symptom
An uncomfortable symptom that arises when a person stops taking a drug that he or she has used frequently, especially at high doses.
dysphoria
Unpleasant feelings; the opposite of euphoria
nucleus accumbens
A region of the forebrain that receives dopaminergic innervation from the ventral tegmental area
insula
A region of cortex lying below the surface, within the lateral sulcus, of the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes.
