Steriods and Ethics Flashcards
What are performance enhancing drugs?
Drugs which improve a persons performance.
What are the three types of performance enhancing drugs?
1) Anabolic Steriods 2) Stimulants 3) Narcotic Analgesics
What are the effects of anabolic steroids?
Anabolic steriods - increase strength, speed and stamina by incr. muscle size and allowing athletes to train harder. They also increase aggression.
What are the effects of stimulants?
Speed up reactions, reduce fatigue and increase aggression.
What are the effects of narcotic analgesics?
They reduce pain so injuries don’t affect performance.
How do steroid hormones work?
- They pass through cell membranes and are carried into the nucleus bound to a receptor molecule. These hormone/receptor complexes act as a transcription factor.
- They bind to the promoter region of the gene allowing RNA polymerase to start transcription. As a result, more protein synthesis takes place in the cell.
What does testosterone do?
It increases protein synthesis in muscle cells, incr size and strength of muscles.
How do peptide hormones work?
- Don’t enter cell directly, bind to receptor on cell surface membrane. This starts process that results in activation of transcription factor within the nucleus.
What does erthropoietin (EPO) do?
Stimulates production of red blood cells so blood can carry more oxygen which is an advantage for athletes.
How are genes switched on?
By successful formation and attachment of the transcription initiation complex to the promoter region.
Why do genes remain switched off?
Due to failure of the transcription initiation complex to form and attach to the promoter region. This is due to the absence of protein transcription factor(s) or the action of repressor molecules.
What is DNA transcription controlled by?
Transcription factors.
What is ethical absolutionism?
Seeing things as very clear cut ie it’s never acceptable or it is always acceptable
What is ethical relativism?
Understanding that people and circumstances would differ.
What are the arguments against using performance-enhancing drugs?
- some PED are illegal - competition becomes unfair, ppl gain advantages by taking drugs, not through hard work. - serious health risks associ. e.g. high bp and heart problems. - athletes may not be fully informed about drugs.
