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DRUGS AND SOCIETY EXAM 1
CHAPTER 1 & 2 REVIEW
107
Biology
Undergraduate 1
02/03/2011

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Term
Psychoactive Drugs
Definition
Any substance that directly alters the normal function of the Central Nervous System.
Term
More than 4,000 plants
Definition
contain psychoactive substances.
Term
A psychoactive drug can be referred to by its
Definition
chemical name, trade name, or street name.
Term
Street names
Definition
come from drug users and they change continuously.
Term
Chemical names
Definition
provide information on the structure or function of the drug and are used in science and medicine.
Term
Trade names
Definition
refer to a drug company's specific product containing the psychoactive drug in a patented formulation.
Term
Examples of Street names.
Definition
Chronic, Bars, Ocs.
Term
Examples of Chemical names.
Definition
tetrahydrocannabinol, alprazolam, oxycodone.
Term
Examples of Trade names.
Definition
Marinol, Xanax, OxyContin, Percodan.
Term
Drugs are grouped or classified by their
Definition
physical and emotional effects.
Term
Uppers are
Definition
stimulants.
Term
Natural substances are
Definition
produced by plants.
Term
Cocain comes from
Definition
the leaves of the coca plant.
Term
Nicotine comes from
Definition
tobacco plant leaves.
Term
Caffeine comes from
Definition
coffee bush berries (beans), tea leaves and cola nuts.
Term
Cathinone comes from
Definition
the khat bush.
Term
Arecoline comes from
Definition
betel nuts.
Term
Yohhimbe comes from
Definition
the yohimbe tree.
Term
Synthetic stimulants are
Definition
produced in legal pharmaceutical labs or in illegal underground labs.

ex:
D, 1-amphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methylphenidate
Term
Physical effects of stimulants.
Definition
Increased nerve cell activity.
Release of hormone adrenaline.
Increase of heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate.
Sweating, dry mouth and dilated pupils.
Insomnia and decreased appetite.
Term
Mental/Emotional effects of stimulants.
Definition
Increased alertness and attention.
Elevated mood, confidence, self-esteem, even euphoria.
High doses can lead to irritability, restlessness and paranoid thoughts.
Term
Downers are
Definition
depressants.
Term
The three major types of depressant drugs are:
Definition
Opiates/Opioids
Sedative-hypnotics
Alcohol
Term
The two opiates/opioids are made by the opium poppy are
Definition
Morphine and Codeine.
Term
Some are chemical variations of morphine and codeine called
Definition
semi-synthetic.

ex.
Diacetylmorphine (Heroin)
Hydrocodone (Vicodin)
Oxycodone (OxyContin)
Term
Others are fully
Definition
synthetic drugs.

ex.
Methadone (Dolophine)
Propoxyphene (Darvon)
Term
Sedative-hypnotics are used to
Definition
reduce anxiety and induce sleep

ex.
Pentobarbital (Seconal)
Diazepam (Valium)
Term
Physical effects of depressants.
Definition
Decreased coordination.
Decreased heart rate and blood pressure.
Relaxed muscle tone and constricted pupils.
Drowsiness.
Coma, if the dose is high enough.
Term
Mental effects of depressants.
Definition
Reduced anxiety and emotional distress.
Disinhibition of impulses and emotions.
Term
All arounders are
Definition
drugs that can distort perceptions of reality. This is the most diverse class of drugs we will discuss. They are sometimes referred to as hallucinogens or psychedelics.
Term
Some all arounders are
Definition
found in nature.

ex.
Psilocybin in mushrooms.
Mescaline in the Peyote cactus.
Term
Other all arounders are
Definition
synthetic.

ex.
LSD
Ketamine
Term
The five routes of administration.
Definition
Inhaling
Injecting
Mucous membrane absorption
Orally
Contact
Term
Inhaling
Definition
heat vaporizes the drug and it is absorbed into the blood via the capillaries of the lung air sacs (fastest onset, drug begins to appear in the brain in 7-10 sec).
Term
Injecting
Definition
the drug is put directly into the body with a needle.
Term
Intravenous
Definition
into vein (onset in 15-30 sec).
Term
Intramuscular
Definition
into muscle mass (onset in 3-5 min).
Term
Subcutaneous
Definition
under the skin (onset 3-5 min).
Term
Mucous membrane absorption
Definition
The drug dissolves in liquid secreted by membranes and is absorbed by local capillaries.
Term
Insufflation
Definition
mucous membranes of nasal passages (onset 30-60 sec).
Term
Sublingual
Definition
under the tongue (onset 3-5 min).
Term
Buccally
Definition
between gums and cheek (onset 3-5 min).
Term
Orally
Definition
Drugs are absorbed into the blood via capillaries lining the small intestine (20-30 min).
Term
Contact
Definition
Skin patches such as those containing nicotine release set quantities for up to 7 days (slowest method, onset 1-2 days).
Term
Once a drug is absorbed into the bloodstream
Definition
it circulates throughout the body.
Term
The time it takes a drug to reach the brain depends on
Definition
blood volume (adult: 6-8 quarts or child: 3-4 quarts).
Term
Organs such as the heart and liver are saturated with
Definition
blood vessels, and are sensitive to some drugs such as cocaine and alcohol.
Term
The brain is protected by
Definition
a special barrier.
Term
The capillaries which supply blood to the brain have a
Definition
fatty protective covering to prevent toxins, viruses, and bacteria from entering the central nervous system (CNS).
Term
The fatty protective covering is called
Definition
the blood-brain barrier.
Term
Psychoactive drugs can cross the blood-brain barrier because they are
Definition
fat soluble.
Term
The more fat soluble drugs are,
Definition
the faster they enter the brain and the more intense the reaction.
Term
Heroin (diacetylmorphine) is more fat soluble than
Definition
morphine.
Term
Methamphetamine is more fat soluble than
Definition
amphetamine.
Term
Metabolism is
Definition
the process of processing and eliminating foreign substances from the body.
Term
A drug is broken down into fragments called ________ principally by the ______.
Definition
metabolites, liver.
Term
Drug metabolites are excreted (eliminated from the body) in the urine by the
Definition
kidneys.
Term
In addition, some drugs, or their metabolites, are excreted by the
Definition
lungs, sweat glands and in the feces.
Term
Factors affecting metabolic rates:
Definition
Age
Race
Heredity
Gender
Health
Other Drugs
Term
Age affects metabolic rates because
Definition
the liver slows down with age, the elderly metabolize drugs at a slower rate.
Term
Example of how race affects metabolic rates.
Definition
More than 50 percent of Asians break down alcohol slower than Caucasians.
Term
Heredity affects metabolic rates because
Definition
parents pass on metabolic traits to their children.
Term
How does gender affect metabolic rates?
Definition
Women have a lower muscle mass than men and hence less water to dilute drug doses.
Term
Examples of how health affects metabolic rates.
Definition
Diseases such as hepatitis or cirrhosis reduce liver function and slow metabolism.
Term
Example of how other drugs affect metabolic rates.
Definition
When alcohol is present, the liver metabolizes it first and delays the breakdown of other drugs such as Xanax or Valium.
Term
The nervous system is
Definition
the principal of psychoactive drugs. It is a network of 100 billion nerve cells (neurons) with 100 trillion connections.
Term
The nervous system is divided into two major parts:
Definition
The central and the peripheral.
Term
The central nervous system (CNS)
Definition
is protected by bone, and consists of the brain and spinal cord.
Term
The brain
Definition
monitors and regulates the body's internal and exterior environment. Memory, emotions, decision making, and even personality, is even controlled by brain neurons.
Term
The spinal cord
Definition
contains bundles of fibers carrying information to and from the brain.
Term
The peripheral nervous system consists of
Definition
the bundles of motor ans sensory nerve fibers that exit and enter the spinal cord allowing communication between the body and the CNS.
Term
These peripheral fibers are further divided into two types:
Definition
somatic and autonomic.
Term
Somatic peripheral fibers contain
Definition
motor nerves that innervate skeletal muscles allowing voluntary movement, and sensory fibers that carry information from the body's sensory organs.
Term
The autonomic peripheral fibers innervate
Definition
the heart, and the smooth muscles in blood vessels, organs and glands.
Term
Autonomic control is sometimes called
Definition
involuntary because we do not have to consciously think about how it controls blood circulations, digestion, and respiration.
Term
Many side effects produced by psychoactive drugs are
Definition
mediated by the autonomic system.
Term
Many psychoactive drugs activate
Definition
the reward/reinforcement system of the old brain which causes animals to repeat a behavior that increases chances of survival. Although the drug administration does not help, or can even disrupt normal behavior, the individual repeats the drug taking behavior over and over.
Term
Important structures in the reward/reinforcement pathway are
Definition
the nucleus accumbens, amygdala and lateral hypothalamus.
Term
Nerves cells, or neurons, are
Definition
the building blocks of the nervous system.
Term
Nerve cells, or neurons, have four parts:
Definition
dendrites (which contain chemical receptors)
the cell body
the axon
the terminals
Term
Nerve cells conduct electrical impulses and communicate with each other by releasing tiny amounts of chemicals called
Definition
neurotransmitters.
Term
Examples of neurotransmitters.
Definition
Acetylcholine
Dopamine
Norepinephrine
Serotonin
Endorphins
Substance P
GABA
Term
Neurotransmitters are released into
Definition
synapses, which are microscopic gaps between neurons.
Term
Psychoactive drugs work because
Definition
they bind to existing receptor sites on neurons and either mimic, or block, the normal functions of neurotransmitters.
Term
Tolerance
Definition
After repeated exposure to a drug the body begins to adapt to its presence. The person need larger doses to achieve their desired effects.
Term
Dispositional tolerance
Definition
the liver speeds up the disposal (metabolism) of the drug.
Term
Pharmacodynamic tolerance
Definition
nerve cells become less sensitive to the drug by producing fewer receptors.
Term
Behavioral tolerance
Definition
the person learns to compensate for the affects of intoxication.
Term
Reverse tolerance
Definition
increasing sensitivity as tissues degenerate (alcoholism).
Term
Acute tolerance
Definition
almost instantaneous tolerance.
Term
Select tolerance
Definition
a person becomes tolerant to mood changes produced by a drug but not to other physical effects of that drug.
Term
Inverse tolerance
Definition
a person becomes more sensitive to a drug as body chemistry changes.
Term
Tissue dependence
Definition
tissues and organs come to depend on a drug just to function normally.
Term
Withdrawal
Definition
when a user stops taking their drug of addiction, the body's chemistry tries to restore its original chemical balance and undesired side effects called withdrawal symptoms occur.
Term
The three types of withdrawal are:
Definition
Non-purposive withdrawal
Purposive withdrawal
Protracted withdrawal
Term
Non-purposive withdrawal
Definition
actual physical symptoms that occur when drug use ceases (sweating, goose bumps, diarrhea, tremors).
Term
Purposive withdrawal
Definition
faked withdrawal symptoms or psychosomatic withdrawal symptoms (neurotic).
Term
Protracted withdrawal
Definition
recurrence of withdrawal symptoms after a person has already detoxified often causing craving for a drug often resulting in relapse.
Term
Desired effects
Definition
People take drugs for confidence, energy, pain relief, anxiety control, social confidence, relief of boredom, altered consciousness, escape, or to gain a competitive edge.
Term
Side effects
Definition
The problem is that drugs also cause unwanted side effects ranging from the uncomfortable to the life-threatening.
Term
Level of use is judged first by
Definition
the amount, frequency, and duration of use, then by the effect use has on the individuals life.
Term
The six levels of use are:
Definition
1. Abstinence
2. Experimentation
3. Social/recreational
4. Habituation
5. Abuse
6. Addiction
Term
Drug abuse is defined as
Definition
the continued use of the drug despite negative consequences.
Term
When addicted a person spends most of their time either
Definition
using, getting, or thinking about the drug. Often they deny there is a problem and claim they can stop anytime they want.
Term
Addictive Disease Model
Definition
Addiction is a chronic, progressive, relapsing, incurable, and potentially fatal condition that is mostly a consequence of genetic irregularities.
Term
Behavioral/Environmental Model
Definition
Influences of one's environment, including stress, abuse, anger, peer pressure, can induce addiction.
Term
Academic Model
Definition
It is the use of drugs that causes the body to adapt through physiological mechanisms such as tolerance, tissue dependence, withdrawal, and psychological dependence.
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