ECON 1 Lecture Notes - Acetaldehyde, Nicotine, Reuptake
Document Summary
A neuron releases neurotransmitters into the synapse (gap) between this and a neighboring neuron. The neurotransmitters move across the gap to the other neuron, where they activate receptors specifically designed to recognize the particular chemical and so create feelings for example of hunger or fear. We"ll see later that some drugs work by blocking the transporters and preventing the reabsorption of the neurotransmitter. ) A drug is a substance that comes from outside the body, crosses the blood/brain barrier, and has an effect similar to our natural neurotransmitters. Sometimes a drug works by blocking the reuptake sites on the synapses, so the brain experiences a surge of natural chemicals; cocaine, amphetamines and mdma all work in this way. 4 main classes of recreational drugs: opioids: opium, heroin, methadone, buprenorphine, codeine. Opium: a painkiller, contains the opiates codeine and morphine. The synthetic opioids heroin, methadone and buprenorphine are thus derived from codeine and morphine.
