Myth #10 & #11: Addiction Psychoactive drugs

#10: Sobriety is possible if an addict is strong enough Addiction is a disease rooted in a number of causes. Chemical dependency takes over an addict’s brain and changes his/her entire neurological makeup.

Changes in the brain Basic building blocks of the brain: NEURONS Neuron: Nerve cell ~100 billion neurons Even more “glial cells” (“glue”)

Neural murals 20 points

Neural murals 20 points Your task is to create a critical link in a network of neurons. Your final product will become a piece of a mural which will hang on a wall inside of the classroom. Do your best work; produce something you will be proud of. Follow the directions below: You will be creating a representation of a nerve cell (neuron), and connecting your neuron to the students on both sides of you. Plan where your cell body will be placed on your paper.  Coordinate with the students on both sides of you, and mark on your paper where the terminal ends of your axon will be leaving your paper and entering theirs. Mark where their terminal ends will be entering your paper on the way to your dendrites. Use illustrations from your notes and textbook to aid you. Neurons are pictured in Chapter 3.

Neural murals 20 points Draw your neuron. You may portray the neuron realistically, or you may be creative in your approach. As long as all of the part are there and all of your neural connections are correctly portrayed, you are on safe ground. Color your neuron. Make it look pleasing to the eye. Label the following: soma, axon, dendrite, terminal branches, myelin sheath, nodes of ranvier. Put your name and period # in the bottom right hand corner. On the back of the paper, put the names of each of the students you are connecting with, on the sides you have connected with them. Turn the project in, pat yourself on the back, and congratulate yourself on a job well done. DUE: next time!

Neural firing Key concepts: Lock & key phenomenon Action potential “All or none” Refractory period

#11: Addicts lack strong morals Anyone can become an addict. People who are genetically predisposed to addiction are even more likely to become addicts, regardless of character.

The secret life of the brain

Neurotransmitters Acetylcholine (Ach) Motor Movement, Memory Dopamine Lack of can cause Alzheimer’s Disease Dopamine Movement, Attention, Emotion Too little linked to Parkinson’s, excess to Schizophrenia Serotonin Mood, Hunger, Sleep, Arousal Low levels can lead to Depression Endorphins Pain Control Involved in addictions

Drugs Antagonist-drug that blocks the effect of a neurotransmitter. Agonist-a drug that boosts the effect of a neurotransmitter. Reuptake Inhibitor-binds to the terminal branches not letting the terminal recycle excess neurotransmitter

Reading: Addictive drugs & the brain