Drugs And Behavior - Exam 2 Vocabulary

Front 1

Maintenance of an environment of body functions withing a certain range (ex. temperature, blood pressure).

Back 1

Homeostasis

Front 2

Contains the nucleus and other substances that sustain the neuron.

Back 2

Cell Body

Front 3

Treelike structures that extend from the cell body and contain within their membranes the receptors that recognize and respond to specific chemical's signals.

Back 3

Dendrites

Front 4

Extends from the cell body and is responsible for conducting the electrical signal to presynaptic terminals.

Back 4

Axon

Front 5

Small, round packages where neurotransmitters are stored.

Back 5

Vesicles

Front 6

Recognition mechanisms that respond to specific chemical signals.

Back 6

Receptors

Front 7

Chemical messengers released from neurons and having brief, local effects.

Back 7

Neurotransmitters

Front 8

The part of the nervous system that controls "involuntary" functions, such as heart rate.

Back 8

Autonomic

Front 9

The branch of the autonomic system involved in fight or flight reactions.

Back 9

Sympathetic

Front 10

The branch of the autonomic system that stimulates digestion, slows the heart and has other effects associated with a relaxed physiological state.

Back 10

Parasympathetic

Front 11

Brain and spinal cord.

Back 11

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Front 12

Subcortical brain structures controlling muscle tone.

Back 12

Basal Ganglia

Front 13

Degenerative neurological disease involving damage to dopamine neurons.

Back 13

Parkinson's Disease

Front 14

Neurotransmitter found in the basal ganglia and in other regions.

Back 14

Dopamine

Front 15

One of two major dopamine pathways; damaged in Parkinson's disease.

Back 15

Nigrostriatal Dopamine Pathway

Front 16

One of two major dopamine pathways; may be involved in psychotic reactions and in drug dependence.

Back 16

Mesolimbic Dopamine Pathway

Front 17

Neurotransmitter found in the parasympathetic branch in the cerebral cortex.

Back 17

Acetylcholine

Front 18

Neurotransmitter that may be important for regulating waking and appetite.

Back 18

Norepinephrine

Front 19

Neurotransmitter found in the raphe nuclei; may be important for impulsivity and depression.

Back 19

Serotonin

Front 20

Inhibitory neurotransmitter found in most regions of the brain.

Back 20

GABA

Front 21

Excitatory neurotransmitter found in most regions of the brain.

Back 21

Glutamate

Front 22

Opiate-like chemical that occurs naturally in the brain of humans and other animals.

Back 22

Endorphin

Front 23

Chemicals that are acted on by enzymes to form other neurotransmitters.

Back 23

Precursors

Front 24

Energy-requiring mechanism by which selected molecules are taken into cells.

Back 24

Uptake

Front 25

The forming of a neurotransmitter by the action of enzymes on precursors.

Back 25

Synthesis

Front 26

Large molecule that assists in either the synthesis or metabolism of another molecule.

Back 26

Enzyme

Front 27

The small space between two neurons.

Back 27

Synapse

Front 28

Mechanism in the nerve terminal membrane responsible for removing neurotransmitter molecules from the synapse by taking them back from the neuron.

Back 28

Transporter

Front 29

To break down or inactivate a neurotransmitter (or a drug) through enzymatic action.

Back 29

Metabolize