PART 1
To accompany Module 9, Chapter 11 on Fundamentals of the Nervous System and Nervous Tissue
Outside sources will be required for this topic, so make sure they are RELIABLE, that you include BOTH citations and references, and that you do not plagiarize – put the information in your own words.
Before beginning, review the information on neurotransmitters in the module (at the end of the content). Choose a neurotransmitter that is interesting to you and locate information on a drug or a toxin that affects the activities of this neurotransmitter. You may choose to discuss either legal or illegal drugs.
1) In a few sentences explain what your neurotransmitter normally does in the body.
2) Provide a physiological explanation of HOW the drug or toxin you chose affects the activities of your the neurotransmitter, and what the resulting consequences are in the body.
3) Are there any known long-term effects of using this drug? Or exposure to this toxin?
4) Make a meaningful reply that is at least a paragraph to this post. “1.) Neurotransmitters are the body’s chemical messengers. They are key to helping the body perform its necessary functions such as heart rate, breathing, sleeping, digestion, mood, etc. Neurotransmitters perform these functions by attaching themselves to specific receptors on target cells. They then perform a function depending on what receptor they attach to. For example, a dopamine molecule will attach to a dopamine receptor, making it perform the effects that dopamine has on the body.2.) Dopamine is the neurotransmitter I chose to discuss. Dopamine is referred to as the “feel-good neurotransmitter” (Berry) because it is released during pleasurable activities. For example, eating, exercise, etc. releases dopamine, causing pleasure and satisfaction. Drugs such as cocaine and marijuana release a wave of dopamine. Cocaine.org states, “The abuse of cocaine causes a powerful surge of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens and creates a shortcut to the brain’s pleasure center” (Cocaine.org). This is what leads to addiction. People want to continue feeling pleasure and satisfaction. The same goes for marijuana. Marijuana also causes a powerful surge of dopamine by making someone happy when they smoke, making them hungrier, etc.3.) Although these drugs release dopamine and make you feel good, they also have long-term effects and are harmful to your mind and body. Cocaine addiction leads to dopamine deficiency, which can result in mood swings, impulsivity, depression, anxiety, anger, etc. Cocaine addiction also causes long-term physical effects such as coughing, chest pain, heart problems, high blood pressure, malnutrition, weight loss, etc. (Cocaine.org). Marijuana also has long-term effects on the mind and body such as memory loss, irregular heart rate, damage to the lungs, depression, anxiety, etc. (Crane)”
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