PSYC 2206 Chapter 3

The study of the chemical processes and substances that occur in the nervous system.

The process by which neurons send and receive signals to communicate with each other.

The process by which signals are transmitted between neurons at the synapse.

Chemical substances that transmit signals between neurons.

The hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain, which are the three main divisions of the brain.

A neural pathway in the brain that is involved in the experience of pleasure and the neural basis of addiction.

The part of a neuron that contains the nucleus and is the metabolic center of the neuron.

Branch-like structures that extend from the cell body and receive signals from other neurons.

A long, slender projection of a neuron that carries signals away from the cell body to the synapse.

A white, fatty substance that provides insulation for the axon and speeds up the transmission of signals.

Enlarged button-like structures located at the end of the axon that release neurotransmitters into the synapse.

The electrical impulse that occurs along the axon when a neuron fires.

The site of inter-neuronal communication where signals are transmitted between neurons.

The neuron sending a signal across the synaptic cleft.

The neuron receiving the signal across the synaptic cleft.

Chemical substances stored in the terminal buttons that are released into the synapse when the neuron fires.

One of the first neurotransmitters to be discovered, involved in the activation of skeletal muscles.

A group of neurotransmitters including norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin, involved in various functions such as alertness, pleasure/reward, and mood regulation.

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and glutamate, which are inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters, respectively.

Neurotransmitters in the brain that are mimicked by opiate drugs, involved in pain relief and pleasure.

A lipid neurotransmitter mimicked by marijuana, involved in various functions including mood regulation.

A substance that occupies a receptor and enhances neural activity.

A substance that occupies a neural receptor and blocks normal synaptic transmission.

A process by which neurotransmitters are inactivated through interaction with enzymes.

The process by which neurotransmitter molecules are taken back up into the axon terminal that released them.

The part of the brain that includes the medulla oblongata and is responsible for regulating basic life functions.

A region in the hindbrain that connects the spinal cord to higher brain regions and regulates breathing, heart rate, and other basic life functions.

Automatic responses to stimuli, such as swallowing and vomiting.

A neural pathway in the brain that is involved in the experience of pleasure and the neural basis of addiction.

A class of drugs that depress activity in the medulla oblongata and can lead to respiratory depression.

A class of drugs that depress activity in the medulla oblongata and can lead to respiratory depression.

A substance that depresses activity in the medulla oblongata and can lead to respiratory depression.

Involuntary functions, control of sleep and wakefulness, houses cranial nerves V-VIII involved in respiration and sensory functions of the eyes, mouth, facial muscles, ears.

Primary source of norepinephrine, involved in alertness, arousal, and attention.

Inhibitory neurotransmitter that modulates activity in the Locus Coeruleus.

Pathway running through the medulla and pons that regulates alertness and arousal, primary location for serotonin.

"Little brain," responsible for sensorimotor coordination, balance, posture, and motor memory for sensorimotor skills.

Primary site of analgesic action of opiates and endorphins, primary site of opioid receptors.

Important role in movement, high density of dopamine neurons, one of two sources of dopamine in the brain.

Important for reward and addiction, second source of dopamine, beginning of the mesolimbocortical system.

Modulatory role in movement, inhibits movements inconsistent with our goals and permits movements consistent with our goals.

Group of structures involved in motivated and emotional behaviors, includes the cingulate gyrus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala.

Relays incoming sensory input to the cortex.

Regulation of eating, sleeping, sexual behavior.

Emotional memory for rewarding experiences.

Learning and memory.

Engaging in rewarding behavior increases dopamine levels, key role in addiction.

Executive functions such as decision-making, reasoning, planning, and social behavior.

Originates in the VTA and extends to limbic and prefrontal areas, involved in a variety of motivated behaviors.

Neurotransmitter released in response to a rewarding stimulus, artificially increased by addictive drugs in the reward pathway.

The portion of the original drug dose that reaches its site of action.

Different ways drugs can be taken into the body, including oral, injection, inhalation, and intranasal.

The study of how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated by the body.

Different ways in which drugs can be introduced into the body.

A route of administration where the drug is placed under the tongue to dissolve and is absorbed by an artery under the tongue.

A hallucinogenic drug that can be administered sublingually.

The process by which drugs enter the bloodstream from the site of administration.

The metabolism of a drug that occurs in the liver before it enters general circulation.

The process by which drugs are transported from the bloodstream to their site(s) of action.

The movement of blood through the body, which determines the distribution of drugs.

The ability of a drug to pass through cell membranes and distribute to different regions of the body.

The property of a drug that allows it to dissolve in lipids or fats.

A selective membrane that prevents substances from entering the extracellular space in the brain.

Connections between cells that form a barrier in the blood vessels of the brain.

Cells that connect neurons to the neurovascular system and regulate blood flow in the brain.

The network of blood vessels in the brain.

Structures on astrocytes that allow certain particles to pass from the bloodstream into the brain.

Substances that are too big to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Microorganisms that are prevented from entering the brain by the blood-brain barrier.

The ability of a drug to pass through the blood-brain barrier and reach the brain.

The process by which drugs are removed from the body.

The removal of drugs or their by-products from the body.

The chemical reactions that break down drugs into by-products.

An organ that produces enzymes to metabolize drugs and eliminate them from the body.