Paul - How Alcohol Makes Animals Dizzy and Happy Flashcards
Explain the vestibular system.
The vestibular system (the internal ear) is responsible for balance and gravity perception.
The cochlea has cells in which we hear and the semicircular canals detect acceleration in any direction. There is 3 canals oriented along 3 different axis so they can extract 3-D information. The utricle senses gravity.
CaCO3 crystals are being supported by tissues and in between there are sensory hair cells (epithelial cells), the CaCO3 piece moving changes the membrane potential of the cells that is then transmitted to the brain. At the end of the semicircle Ulan canals there is capula and when moving endolymph pushes against it, it transmits movement onto the hairs to bend them in either direction that is transformed into electrical signal to the brains.
Explain how alcohol makes animals happy (dopaminergic system).
Ethanol impacts neural signalling. It enhances GABA and dopamine, inhibits glutamate release. Reward mediating system - dopamine is released when drinking or having drugs and that changes the activity of the neuron.
Provide examples in favour of the statement, that across species
* sensory systems with same function often differ,
* but brain function often is similar.
Olfaction (Smell):
Flies detect odors using sensilla on their antennae, while humans use olfactory receptors in the nasal cavity.
Both systems, however, allow for the detection and discrimination of various odours and have similar processes within the brain.
Explain how alcohol makes animals dizzy (vestibular system).
- Ethanol diffuses more rapidly into the cupula than
the endolymph - Resulting density decrease causes cupula to rise
- Hair cell deflection occurs
- Brain interprets as acceleration, creating a false
sensation of movement, results in dizzy
How does ethanol make humans happy and mediates
reward in flies?
By modulating the activity of the dopaminergic system.
