Академический Документы
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Objectives
Review the Synapse Discuss some drugs and their effects on the synapse Discuss how the altered synapses may affect the adolescent brain Play Jeopardy Game on neurobiology
Electron Micrograph
Murthy_HHMI_teachers_2005_sub.ppt
Synapse Animation
Neurotransmitters
There are dozens of different neurotransmitters (NT) in the neurons of the body. NTs can be either excitatory or inhibitory Each neuron generally synthesizes and releases a single type of neurotransmitter The major neurotransmitters are indicated on the next slide.
Dopamine
Serotonin
Alcohol
science.howstuffworks.com/ alcohol.htm
seattlepi.nwsource.com/ methamphetamines/
This causes neurons to fire more often than normal resulting in a euphoric feeling.
Problems
1. After the drug wears off, dopamine levels drop, and the user crashes. The euphoric feeling will not return until the user takes more methamphetamine 2. Long-term use of methamphetamine causes dopamine axons to wither and die. 3. Note that cocaine also blocks dopamine transporters, thus it works in a similar manner. 4. To see an animation on cocaine and brain synapses, click here.
Nicotine binds to the presynaptic receptors exciting the neuron to fire more action potentials causing an increase in dopamine release. Nicotine also affects neurons by increasing the number of synaptic vesicles released.
The brain goes through dynamic change during adolescence, and alcohol can seriously damage long- and short-term growth processes. Frontal lobe development and the refinement of pathways and connections continue until age 16, and a high rate of energy is used as the brain matures until age 20. Damage from alcohol at this time can be longterm and irreversible.
www.ibiblio.org/.../ greviews/jeop/jeop1.gif
Resources
http://www.pbs.org/w http://science.educatio net/closetohome/home n.nih.gov/Customers.n .html sf/HSBrain?OpenFor http://www.biologyma m d.com/NervousSystem Biology, Campbell /synapses.htm#drugs and Reece, 6th Edition, http://users.rcn.com/jk Benjamin Cummings, imball.ma.ultranet/Bio San Francisco, 2002 logyPages/S/Synapses. html
Acknowledgements
Thank you to all members of the MCB/HHMI Summer Camp for helping to make this a great experience. Special thanks to Tara Bennett, Susan Johnson, and my computer buddy, Katie Horne.