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Neuroscience chapter 4
The Chemical Bases of Behavior: Neurotransmitters and Neuropharmacology
89
Psychology
Undergraduate 4
10/16/2010

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Term
Neurochemistry
Definition
The branch of neuroscience concerned with the fundamental chemical composition and processes of the nervous system
Term
neuropharmacology
Definition
scientific field concerned with the discovery and study of compounds that selectively affect the functioning of the nervous system
Term
Amine neurotransmitter
Definition
transmitter based on modification of a single amino acid nucleus

ex)acetylcholine, serotonin, or dopamine
Term
Peptide neurotransmitter (neuropeptide)
Definition
transmitter consisting of short chain of amino acids
Term
gas neurotransmitter
Definition
soluble gas such as nitric oxide or carbon monoxide, produced and released by a neuron to alter the functioning of another neuron
Term
receptor
Definition
protein that captures and reacts to molecules of a neurotransmitter or hormone
Term
ionotropic receptor
Definition
receptor protein that includes an ion channel that is opened when the receptor is bound by an agonist
Term
metabotropic receptor
Definition
receptor protein that does not contain an ion channel but may, when activated use a g protein system to open a nearby ion channel
Term
receptor subtypes
Definition
type of receptor having functional characteristics that distinguish it from other types of receptors for the same neurotransmitter
Term
ligand
Definition
any substance that binds itself to a receptor
Term
agonist
Definition
binds a receptor molecule and initiates a response like that of another molecule, usually a neurotransmitter
Term
antagonist
Definition
molecule, usually a drug, that interferes with or prevents the action of a transmitter
Term
antagonist
Definition
molecule, usually a drug, that interferes with or prevents the action of a transmitter
Term
inverse agonist
Definition
substance that binds to a receptor and causes it to do the opposite of what the naturally occuring transmitter does
Term
endogenous
Definition
produced inside the body
Term
exogenous
Definition
arising from outside the body
Term
co-localization
Definition
appearance of more than one neurotransmitter in a given presynaptic terminal
Term
Acetylcholine
Definition
neurotransmitter produced and released by parasympathetic postganglionic neurons by motoneurons, and by neurons throughout the brain
Term
cholinergic
Definition
cells that use acetylcholine as their synaptic transmitter
Term
nicotinic
Definition
cholinergic receptors that respond to nioctine as well as acetylcholine

usually excitatory
Term
muscarinic
Definition
cholinergic receptor that responds to the chemical muscarine as well as acetylcholine

slower responses when activated. excitatory or inhibitory
Term
Catecholamine
Definition
class of monoamines that serve as neurotransmitter, including dopamine and norepinephrine
Term
indoleamines
Definition
neurotransmitters including seratonin and melatonin
Term
dopamine
Definition
transmitter found in the midbrain - especially substantia nigra and basal forebrain

(reward system)
Term
mesostriatal patway
Definition
set of dopaminergic axons arising from the midbrain and innervating the basal ganglia, including those from the substantia nigra to the striatum
Term
substantia nigra
Definition
"black spot". pigmented neurons in the midbrain that provides dopaminergic projections to areas of the forebrain
Term
striatum
Definition
caudate nucleus and putamen together
Term
mesolimbocortical patway
Definition
set of dopaminergic axons arising in the midbrain and innervating the limbic system and cortex. in the Ventral tegmental area (VTA)
Term
Ventral tegmental area (VTA)
Definition
poriton of the midbrain that projects dopaminergic fibers to the nucleus accumbens
Term
norepinephrine
Definition
neurotransmitter produced and released by sympathetic postganglionic neurons to accelerate organ activity. also produced in the brain stem and found in projections throughout the brain
Term
locus coeruleus
Definition
"blue spot." small nucleus in the brainstem whose neurons produce norepinephrine and modulate large areas of the forebrain
Term
noradrenergic
Definition
systems using norepinephrine as a transmitter.

modulate many behavioral and physiological processes, including mood, overall arousal, and sexual behavior
Term
Serotonin (5-HT)
Definition
synaptic transmitter produced in the raphe nuclei and is active in structures throughout the cerebral hemispheres
Term
serotonergic
Definition
neurons that use serotonin as their synaptic transmitter
Term
raphe nuclei
Definition
stirng of nuclei in the midline of the midbrain and brainstem that contain most of the serotonergic neurons of the brain
Term
glutamate
Definition
amino acid transmitter, most common excitatory transmitter
Term
aspartate
Definition
amino acid transmitter that is excitatory at many synapses
Term
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
Definition
widely distributed amino acid transmitter, main inhibitory transmitter in the mammalian nervous system
Term
glycine
Definition
amino acid transmitter, often inhibitory

gaba and glycine are the two major inhibitory neurotransmitters
Term
glutamatergic
Definition
cells that use glutamate as their synaptic transmitter
Term
excitotoxicity
Definition
property by which neurons die when overstimmulated, with large amounts of glutamate
Term
opioid petide
Definition
type of endogenous peptide that mimics the effects of morphine in binding to opioid recepters and producing marked analgesia and reward
Term
Nitric Oxide (NO)
Definition
soluble gas that serves as a retrograde gas neurotransmitter in the nervous system

stimulates production of second messengers
Term
retrograde transmitter
Definition
neurotransmitter that diffuses from the postsynaptic neuron back to the presynaptic neuron
Term
binding affinity
Definition
propensity of molecules of a drug to bind to receptors

lower affinity drugs will bind fewer receptor molecules
Term
efficacy (intrinsic activity)
Definition
extent to which a drug activates a response when it binds to a receptor
Term
agonists have a high ______ and antagonists have a low _______
Definition
efficacy
Term
competitive ligand
Definition
substance that directly competes with the endogenous ligand for the same binding site on a receptor molecule
Term
noncompetitive ligand
Definition
drug that affects a transmitter receptor while binding at a site other than that bound by the dengoenous ligand
Term
modulator site
Definition
portion of a receptor that, when bound by a compound, alters the receptor's response to its transmitter
Term
Dose-response curve (DRC)
Definition
formal plot of a drugs effects versus the dose given
Term
pharmacodynamics
Definition
collective name for the factors that affect the relationship between a drug and its target recepteors, such as affinity and efficacy
Term
metabolic tolerance
Definition
tolerance that arises when repeated exposure to a drug causes the metabolic machinery of the body to become more efficient at clearing the drug
Term
functional tolerance
Definition
decreased responding to a drug after repeated exposures, generally as a consequence of up or down regulation of receptors
Term
bioavailable
Definition
substance, usually a drug, that is present in the body in a form that is able to interact with physiological mechanisms
Term
biotransformation
Definition
process in which enzymes convert a drug into a metabolite that is itself active, possibly in ways different from the actions of the original substance

unwanted side affects
Term
pharmacokinetics
Definition
collective names for all factors that affect the movement of a drug into, through, an out of the body
Term
local anesthetics
Definition
drug like procaine or lidocaine, that blocks sodium channels to stop neural transmission in pain fibers.
Term
neuromodulator
Definition
substance that influences the activity of synaptic transmitters
Term
autoreceptors
Definition
receptor for a synaptic transmitter that is located in the presynaptic membrane and tells the axon terminal how much transmitter has been released.
Term
neuroleptics
Definition
antipsychotic drugs.

dopamine receptor blockers
Term
typical neuroleptics
Definition
major class of antischizophrenic drugs that share antagonist activity at dopamine receptors
Term
atypical neuroleptics
Definition
class of anti-schizophrenic drugs that have actions other than the dopamine receptor antagonism.

blockade of certain serotonin receptors
Term
monoamine oxidase (MAO)
Definition
enzyme that breaks down and thereby inactivates monoamine transmitters.
Term
tyicyclics
Definition
class of drugs that act by increasing synaptic accumulation of serotonin and norepinephrine
Term
SSRIs
Definition
drug that blocks the reuptake of transmitter at serotonergic synapses
Term
depressants
Definition
reduce neural activity
Term
benzodiazepine agonists
Definition
antianxiety drugs that bind to site on GABA receptors (vallium)
Term
orphan receptor
Definition
receptor for which no endogenous ligand ahs yet been discovered
Term
alloprenanolone
Definition
naturally occuring steroid that modulates GABA receptor activity in much the same way that benzo anxiolytics do
Term
morphine
Definition
opiate compound derived from the poppy flower
Term
analgesic
Definition
referring to painkilling properties
Term
heroin
Definition
artificially modified, very potent from of morphine
Term
periaqueductal gray
Definition
neuronal body-rich region of the midbrain surrounding the cerebral aqueduct that connect the third and fourth ventricles; involved in pain perception.
Term
endrogenous opioids
Definition
family of peptide transmitters called the "body's own narcotics"
Term
3 main kinds of opioid receptors
Definition
delta, kappa, and mu
Term
endocannabinoids
Definition
endogenous ligand of cannabinoid receptors; analog of marijuana produced by the brain
Term
anandamide
Definition
endogenous substance that binds to the cannabinoid receptor molecule
Term
khat
Definition
african shrub chewed for a stimulant
Term
nicotine
Definition
increases heart rate, blood pressure, and intestinal activity
Term
cocaine acts by
Definition
blocking monoamine transporters, slowing reuptake of the transmitters and boosting their effects
Term
amphetamine
Definition
ehances transmitters activity


blocks reuptake of catecholamines into presynaptic terminal
provides alternative target for the enzyme that normally inactivates them.
Term
CART
Definition
cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript

peptide produced when animal is injected with either coaine or amphetamine
Term
dissociative drug
Definition
type of drug that produces a dreamlike state in which consciousness is party separated from sensory input
Term
MDMA
Definition
increase release of serotonin, changes level of dopamine.
Term
substance abuse
Definition
maladptive pattern of substance use that has lasted more than a month but does not fully meet the criteria for dependence.
Term
dysphoria
Definition
unpleasant feelings; the opposite of euphoria
Term
nucleus accumbens
Definition
regio of forebrain that recieves dopaminergic innvervation from the ventral tegmental area
Term
insula
Definition
region of cortex lying below the surface, within the lateral sulcus, of the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes

ex) could effortlessly quit smoking
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