Drugs - effect on chemical reactions

Question 1

What is the definition of a drug?

Answer 1

A drug is a substance that can change chemical reactions in the body.

Question 2

What is a depressant?

Answer 2

A depressant is a drug that slows down brain and nerve activity.

Question 3

Give three examples of a depressant

Answer 3

Temazepam (used for insomnia)
Solvents (glues, gases, aerosols.)
Alcohol

Question 4

What is a hallucinogen?

Answer 4

A hallucinogen is a drug that alters what we see/ hear/.

Question 5

What is a painkiller?

Answer 5

A painkiller is a drug that blocks nerve impulses.

Question 6

What is a performance enhancer?

Answer 6

A drug that improves muscle development

Question 7

What is a stimulant?

Answer 7

A drug that increases nerve and brain activity. Eg. caffeine, nicotine, ecstasy.

Question 8

Give an example of a hallucinogen

Answer 8

An example of a hallucinogen is LSD -made from lysergic acid from the ergot fungus plant.

Question 9

Give two examples of a painkiller

Answer 9

Two examples of a painkiller are aspirin and paracetamol.

Question 10

What do stimulants/ depressants affect?

Answer 10

Stimulants/ depressants affect synapses between neurons.

Question 11

What is a neurotransmitter?

Answer 11

A neurotransmitter is a chemical that is involved in passing nerve impulses from one cell to another across a synapse.

Question 12

How do stimulants affect the synapse?

Answer 12

A stimulant causes more neurotransmitter molecules to diffuse across a synapse.

Question 13

What do automatic control systems in the body include?

Answer 13

Automatic control systems include hormones or the nervous system.

Question 14

What is homeostasis?

Answer 14

Homeostasis is the maintenance of a constant internal environment.

Question 15

What do stimulants do to someone’s appetite?

Answer 15

Stimulants decrease someone’s appetite.

Question 16

What does the central nervous system (CNS) include?

Answer 16

The central nervous system includes the brain and the spinal cord.

Question 17

What is the name of the system that contains nerves outside the brain/ spinal cord?

Answer 17

Peripheral Nervous system.

Question 18

How do depressants affect the nervous system?

Answer 18

Depressants affect the nervous system by stopping neurons from sending impulses. They bind to the receptor molecules.

Question 19

What are Class A drugs?

Answer 19

Class A drugs are the most dangerous drugs to use with the highest penalties.

Question 20

What are Class C drugs?

Answer 20

Class C drugs are the least dangerous drugs to use with the lowest penalties.

Question 21

What was used by the ancient Greeks to help cure fever/ pain?

Answer 21

Willow Bark was used by the ancient Greeks to heal fever and pain.

Question 22

Why was salicylic acid modified into aspirin?

Answer 22

Salicylic acid was modified into aspirin as it is less irritating for the stomach.

Question 23

What are the 3 steps of medicinal testing?

Answer 23

1- Drugs tested using computer models and human cells grown in a lab.
2 - Tested on animals. Given a substance, monitor side effects.
3- Tested on healthy volunteers. Then tested on people with an illness.

Question 24

What is tested on the test group?

Answer 24

A group of volunteers called the test group, take the newly developed drugs.

Question 25

What is tested on the control group?

Answer 25

A group of volunteers taking existing medication for the illness. If there is no medication, they take a placebo.

Question 26

What is a placebo?

Answer 26

Placebo is an inactive substance that is used to resemble a drug that researchers use for control.

Question 27

What are blind trials?

Answer 27

Blind trials are when volunteers do not know what group they are in, but the researchers do.

Question 28

What are double-blind trials?

Answer 28

Double-blind trials are when the volunteers nor the researchers know what group the volunteers are in till the end of the trial.

Question 29

What are antibiotics?

Answer 29

Antibiotics are substances that slow down the growth of bacteria. They don’t, however, kill viruses.

Question 30

What was the first antibiotic discovered and when?

Answer 30

The first antibiotic discovered was penicillin in 1928 by Alexandar Flemming.

Question 31

What does HIV stand for?

Answer 31

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency disease/virus.

Question 32

What can injecting a drug from a needle that is used cause?

Answer 32

Injecting a drug from a needle that has been used can lead to HIV/ hepatitis.

Question 33

Give an example of a performance enhancer?

Answer 33

An example of a performance enhancer is anabolic steroids.