Chapter 3 pt.2

Question 1

What are neurotransmitters?

Answer 1

Chemicals that transmit information across the synapse to the next neuron’s dendrites.

Question 2

What do neurotransmitters do?

Answer 2

Act as chemical messengers

Transmit signals between neurons

Affect physical and psychological processes

Question 3

What are terminal buttons?

Answer 3

Knoblike structures that branch out from an axon.

Question 4

What do terminal buttons contain?

Answer 4

Tiny vesicles (bags) filled with neurotransmitters.

Question 5

What are receptors?

Answer 5

Parts of the cell membrane that receive neurotransmitters and either start or stop a new electrical signal.

Question 6

How do neurotransmitters (NT) and receptors interact?

Answer 6

Like a lock and key—each NT fits specific receptor sites.

Question 7

What determines the effect on the neuron—the receptor or the neurotransmitter?

Answer 7

The receptor.

Question 8

Can one NT bind to multiple receptor types?

Answer 8

Yes, and the effect changes depending on which receptor it binds to.

Question 9

What are the three main ways neurotransmitter effects end?

Answer 9

Reuptake – NT are absorbed back into the presynaptic neuron or glial cells.

Enzyme deactivation – Enzymes break down specific NT in the synapse.

Diffusion – NT drift out of the synapse and can’t reach receptors anymore.

Question 10

What are autoreceptors?

Answer 10

Receptors on the presynaptic neuron that detect how much NT has been released and can stop further release.

Question 11

What does an excitatory neurotransmitter do?

Answer 11

Stimulates the target cell (makes it more likely to fire).

Question 12

What does an inhibitory neurotransmitter do?

Answer 12

Hyperpolarizes the target cell (makes it more negative and less likely to fire).

Question 13

What does a modulatory neurotransmitter do?

Answer 13

Influences the strength or effect of other neurotransmitters—affects many neurons at once.

Question 14

What is glutamate?

Answer 14

The main excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain

Question 15

What does glutamate do?

Answer 15

Enhances the transmission of information between neurons.

Question 16

What happens if there’s too much glutamate?

Answer 16

Can cause overactivity or seizures.

Question 17

What is GABA?

Answer 17

The main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.

Question 18

What does GABA do?

Answer 18

Prevents neurons from overfiring.

Question 19

What happens if there’s too little GABA or too much glutamate?

Answer 19

Neurons become overactive → seizures.

Question 20

What is acetylcholine (ACh)?

Answer 20

A neurotransmitter involved in voluntary motor control and other functions.

Question 21

What functions does ACh affect?

Answer 21

Muscle movement, attention, learning, sleeping, dreaming, and memory.

Question 22

Can ACh be excitatory or inhibitory?

Answer 22

Both, depending on the receptor.

Question 23

What does serotonin regulate?

Answer 23

Sleep, wakefulness, eating, and mood.

Question 24

What are endorphins?

Answer 24

Natural chemicals that act within pain and emotion centers of the brain.

Question 25

What does the term “endorphin” mean?

Answer 25

Short for endogenous morphine (natural morphine).

Question 26

What do endorphins do?

Answer 26

Reduce pain and increase pleasure; released during exercise (“runner’s high”).

Question 27

What does dopamine regulate?

Answer 27

Motor behaviour, motivation, pleasure, and emotional arousal.

Question 28

What is dopamine associated with?

Answer 28

Reward and pleasure.

Question 29

What happens with too much dopamine?

Answer 29

Linked to schizophrenia.

Question 30

What happens with too little dopamine?

Answer 30

Linked to Parkinson’s disease.

Question 31

How can drugs mimic neurotransmitters (NT)?

Answer 31

They can either increase or decrease the action of neurotransmitters by binding to their receptors.

Question 32

What is an agonist?

Answer 32

A drug that increases or mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.

Question 33

How does an agonist work?

Answer 33

It binds to a receptor and activates it, producing the same effect as the neurotransmitter.

Question 34

What is an antagonist?

Answer 34

A drug that blocks or decreases the action of a neurotransmitter.

Question 35

How does an antagonist work?

Answer 35

It binds to a receptor but does not activate it, preventing the real neurotransmitter from binding.

Question 36

What are opioids?

Answer 36

Drugs that bind to opioid receptors in the brain to produce effects such as pain relief, euphoria, and sedation.

Question 37

What do opioids do in the brain?

Answer 37

Reduce pain by blocking pain signal transmission. Cause euphoria by blocking GABA release → less inhibition on dopamine neurons → more dopamine released. Cause respiratory depression by slowing the brain’s control of breathing.

Question 38

What is naloxone?

Answer 38

An opioid antagonist that blocks opioid receptors.

Question 39

What does naloxone do?

Answer 39

opioid antagonist Prevents or reverses their effects on neurons. Restores breathing during an opioid overdose.

Question 40

How does naloxone save lives in overdoses?

Answer 40

It temporarily reverses opioid effects by displacing opioids from receptor sites, reversing respiratory depression.