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Chemistry of Behavior Flashcards

1
Q

What do both endogenous neurotransmitters and exogenous drugs have in common?

A

They both have the ability to bind to receptor molecules and cause (or prevent) events in the postsynaptic neuron

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2
Q

What is the criteria for a neurotransmitter?

A
  • Exist in presynaptic terminal
  • Capable of being produced by the presynaptic cell
  • Released during an AP
  • Recognized by receptors on the postsynaptic membrane
  • Substance produces changes in postsynaptic cell
  • Blocking release of substance prevents presynaptic activity from affecting postsynaptic cell
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3
Q

What are some common neurotransmitters?

A
  • Acetylcholine (ACh)
  • Dopamine (DA)
  • Norepinephrine (NE)
  • Serotonin (5-HT)
  • Glutamate (GLU)
  • GABA
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4
Q

Acetylcholine is responsible for what functions?

A
  • Muscle contraction

- Cognitive processing

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5
Q

How was acetylcholine discovered?

A

In 1921: Famous experiment by Otto Loewi

“Vagusstoff”

NTs first found in PNS

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6
Q

Describe the key characteristics of Nicotinic?

A
  • Activated by nicotine

- Found in brain and striated muscles

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7
Q

Describe the key characteristics of muscarinic.

A
  • Activated by muscarine

- Found in brain, cardiac muscles of heart, smooth muscles

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8
Q

Which common neurotransmitters are monoamines?

A
  • Dopamine
  • Norepinephrine
  • Serotonin
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9
Q

What functions is dopamine associated with?

A
  • Motor function
  • Reward (and addiction)
  • ‘Higher’ cognitive processing
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10
Q

What is one approach a scientist can take to understand dopamine function?

A

Optogenetics

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11
Q

What functions is norepinephrine associated with?

A
  • Role in regulating sympathetic nervous system (Fight or Flight)
  • Arousal
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12
Q

What role is serotonin (5-Ht) associated with?

A
  • Mood
  • Sleep
  • Higher cognitive processes
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13
Q

Which common neurotransmitters diffuse modulatory systems?

A
  • Acetylcholine
  • Dopamine
  • Norepinephrine
  • Serotonin
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14
Q

True or False:

Core of each system is small

A

True

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15
Q

True or False:

Core is deep in the brain but projects to cortex

A

True

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16
Q

True or False:

Each neuron influences many others

A

True

Axon of one neuron may contact more than 100,000 postsynaptic neurons spread across the brain

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17
Q

Which common neurotransmitters have lots of neurons all over the brain?

A
  • Glutamate

- GABA

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18
Q

What functions is glutamate associated with?

A
  • Learning and memory

- Excitatory

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19
Q

What is the most abundant neurotransmitter?

A

Glutamate

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20
Q

What function is GABA associated with?

A

Inhibition

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21
Q

How do neurotransmitters affect the postsynaptic cell?

A

By binding to receptor molecules

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22
Q

Neurotransmitters can have different effects based on…

A

the receptor subtype to which they bind

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23
Q

What is a receptor subtype?

A

Any type of receptor having functional characteristics that distinguish it from other types of receptor for the same neurotransmitter

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24
Q

GABAa, GABAb, and GABAc all bind to GABA making them…

A

GABA receptors

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25
What makes GABAa, GABAb, and GABAc different receptor subtypes?
GABA has a different effect when it binds to each subtype
26
What are the key characteristics of GABAa?
- Inhibitory - Ionotropic - Directly opens Cl- channels - Prevent seizure activity
27
What are the key characteristics of GABAb?
- Inhibitory - Metabotropic - Lead to K+ channels opening - Lead to a greater degree of hyper polarization than GABAa
28
What are the key characteristics of GABAc?
- Inhibitory - Ionotropic - Directly open Cl- channels (channels stay open longer than GABAa channels) - Important in the functioning of the retina
29
True or False: There are more neurotransmitters than receptor types.
False | Many more receptor types than neurotransmitters
30
_______ bind to receptors.
Neurotransmitters
31
Postsynaptic effect will depend on the function of the ...
particular receptor subtype to which the neurotransmitter binds
32
Is GABA an endogenous or exogenous substance?
Endogenous substance
33
What is binding affinity?
Degree of chemical attraction between a ligand and a binding site
34
Can exogenous substances bind to the same receptor sites as endogenous substances?
Yes - more variability in specificity of binding
35
What is efficacy?
Propensity of the ligand to activate the receptor to which it is bound
36
What do we classify drugs based on?
The way they affect the postsynaptic neuron relative to the effect of an endogenous neurotransmitter on the same receptor
37
What are drug classification categories?
- Agonist - Inverse agonist - Antagonist
38
What does an agonist do?
It has the same effect as a neurotransmitter. High efficacy. Inhibitory effect.
39
What does an inverse agonist do?
Opposite effect than the neurotransmitter that would normally bind to the receptor. High efficacy. Excitatory effect.
40
If neurotransmitter causes an EPSP, an inverse agonist causes an ____.
IPSP
41
What does an antagonist do?
Lack of effect - drug does not activate the receptor and may block receptor site so neurotransmitter can't act. Low efficacy.
42
What is a competitive substance?
A substance that binds to identical site as neurotransmitter
43
What is a noncompetitive substance?
A substance that binds to a different part of the receptor site
44
How likely is it that the drug will bind to a receptor?
Affinity
45
How will the drug act at the receptor?
- Agonist - Inverse agonist - Antagonist Efficacy
46
Is the drug binding to the same site as an endogenous neurotransmitter would?
Competitive vs. Noncompetitive
47
True or False: Drugs can affect whether neurons have neurotransmitters to release
True | Transmitter production
48
What effects can drugs have on the soma?
Inhibit NT synthesis
49
What effects can drugs have on the axon?
Block transport down the axon
50
What effects can drugs have on the axon terminal?
Inhibit storage in vesicles
51
True or False: Drugs can affect parts of the transmission process?
True | transmitter release
52
What effect can drugs have on the transmission process near the axon hillock of the presynaptic neuron?
Inhibit AP | ex: block voltage-gated Na+ channels
53
What effect can drugs have on the transmission process near the axon terminal?
Mess with feedback through autoreceptors
54
What effect can drugs have on the transmission process near the axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron?
Affect chemical transmission | ex: block voltage-gated Ca2+ channels or encourage NT release
55
What does cannabis target?
CB-1 and CB-2 receptors for endocannabinoids
56
Where are CB-1 and CB-2 receptors found?
on presynaptic axon terminals
57
What category do the CB-1 and CB-2 receptors fall under?
Metabotropic receptors
58
How does cannabis act?
It is an agonist. It effects voltage-gated Ca2+ channels It often inhibits inhibition (via GABA)
59
What parts of the nervous system does cannabis effect?
- Basal ganglia (movement) - Cerebellum (movement) - Cerebral cortex (higher cognitive function) - Hypothalamus (appetite) - Hippocampus (learning, memory, stress) - Spinal cord (peripheral sensation including pain) - Medulla (nausea/vomiting chemoreceptor trigger zone)
60
True or False: Drugs can affect what happens in the synaptic cleft.
True | Transmitter clearance
61
How do drugs affect what happens in the synaptic cleft?
Inhibit reuptake or degradation: more transmitter in the synapse
62
What does cocaine target?
Transporter molecules for reuptake of monoamines
63
How does cocaine act?
Prevents reuptake, leaving NTs in synapse for extended time Experience a high (extreme pleasure)
64
What does cocaine block?
The dopamine transporter
65
How do drugs get into the system?
- Ingestion - Inhalation - Peripheral injection - Central injection
66
What barrier must drugs pass in order to get into the system?
The blood-brain barrier | Separates the CNS from circulatory system
67
What does the brain do to reduce the effects of drugs?
Maintenance of homeostasis - drug alters normal functioning and neurons can react to this
68
What is metabolic tolerance?
Increased efficiency clearing drug out of body
69
What is functional tolerance?
Change within neurons that decrease effectiveness
70
Tolerance can lead to...
- Cross tolerance | - Withdrawal symptoms
71
How can a cell contract an agonist?
Down-regulation
72
How can a cell counteract an antagonist?
Up-regulation

Neuroscience (5 decks)

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