BBH 451 Final Exam (cumulative) With
Complete Solutions
CNS vs PNS - ANSWER central nervous system-consists of your brain and spinal
cord-the brain communicates with the muscles in creating a plan to accomplish
the movement-spinal cord acts as a conduct that carries motor information from
the brain to the body and sensory information from the body to the
brainperipheral nervous system-made up of all of the nerves that connect the
brain and spinal cord with the rest of the body-sending motor signals-extend
from the spinal cord to the muscle and stimulate it to contract-somatic nervous
system: division of the PNS that is involved in voluntary muscle control; made up
of the nerves that stimulate muscles to elicit movement-autonomic nervous
system: automatic processes-sympathetic: fight or flight-parasympathetic: rest
and digest
Structures of neurons & synapses - ANSWER -neurons
-dendrites
-cell body
-axon
-axon terminal/synaptic boutons
neurons - ANSWER the most fundamental cellular units of the nervous system
dendrites - ANSWER the sites on a neuron where information (usually in the form
of chemicals called neurotransmitters) is received
cell body - ANSWER also known as soma, electrical impulses traveling from the
dendrites come together in the soma and if they are powerful enough they cause
the initiation of a new electrical impulse called an action potential
axon - ANSWER action potential is transmitted from one end of a neuron to
another; axons are also covered in an insulating material called myelin, which
helps to prevent the decaying of electrical impulses as they travel down the axon
axon terminal/synaptic boutons - ANSWER when an action potential reaches the
end of a neuron, it will often cause the release of the neurotransmitter to
communicate the signal to other neurons; neurotransmitters are released from
axon terminals
Types of Neurotransmitter Removal - ANSWER -diffusion
-enzymatic degradation
,-reuptake
diffusion - ANSWER a small amount of neurotransmitter will simply diffuse out of
the synaptic cleft after it has been released
enzymatic degradation - ANSWER occurs primarily at synapses for a
neurotransmitter called acetylcholine; during enzymatic degradation of a
neurotransmitter, an enzyme that is present at the synapse breaks down excess
neurotransmitter; the constituent parts of the neurotransmitter can be sent back
into the presynaptic neuron to be used to create more neurotransmitter
reuptake - ANSWER removing excess neurotransmitter; involves a specialized
protein called a transporter or transport protein that is present in the synapse;
when excess neurotransmitter is present in the synaptic cleft, this protein draws
the neurotransmitter to it and then transports it back into the presynaptic
neuron
What happens when one of the neurotransmitter removal processes is blocked?
- ANSWER it will cause neurotransmitters to continue to build up in the cleft and
interacting with receptors; linger and causing more activity
Definition of Pharmokinetics - ANSWER -a branch of pharmacology that focuses
on the kinetics, or movement, of a drug throughout the body-concerned with
what happens to a drug from the time when it is administered until the time it is
excreted from the body-four major processes: (1) absorption, (2) distribution, (3)
metabolism, (4) elimination
ADME: different types of administration and pros/cons - ANSWER (enteral)
oral:
-most common
-relatively safe
-unreliable and inefficient
rectal:
-less predictable and efficient
-reserved when unable to take a drug through another route of administration
(parenteral)
inhalation:
-quickest way to deliver drugs ti the brain
-most common way is smoking
intravenous:
-rapid way of administrating drug
-very efficient
-potentially dangerous (dose too high, no way of removing from bloodstream)
mucous membranes:
-most common: intranasal (snorting)
-quick way of delivering to blood supply
, -not extremely efficient
-also can be done by chewing or holding substance in mouth or placing under
tongue (sublingual administration)
transdermal:
-administering through the skin
-very gradual absorption into the bloodstream
-relatively inefficient, but can be useful when one desires a continuous release
of drug over a prolonged period of time
ADME: what membranes drugs pass through and what characteristics drugs
must have to do so? - ANSWER blood-brain barrier: lipid soluble
placenta: lipid-soluble
Definition of Pharmacodynamics - ANSWER -the interaction of the drug with the
body-deals with drug effects, and how a drug produces those effects
Half-life - ANSWER the amount of time it takes for ½ of an administered dose of
drug to no longer be bioavailable (due primarily to the body's metabolism of the
drug)
steady state - ANSWER When drugs are being administered therapeutically,
often the goal is to reach a point where the blood concentration of the drug
remains consistent—not fluctuating too much in one or the other direction*you
continue dosage until it begins to level off-never getting too high or low= steady
state
Know how to calculate half-life & estimate how long until steady state is
achieved - ANSWER 5-6 half lives till steady state example: drug has a half life of
5 hours, you would reach steady state at 25-30 hours
How many half-lives until a drug is considered removed from the system? -
ANSWER As a general rule of thumb, this usually takes about 5-6 half-lives
Why do psychotropic medicines need to be lipophilic? - ANSWER the blood-brain
barrier is reinforced by non-neuronal cells called glial cells; to pass through this
layer of glial cells, substances must be lipid soluble since glial cells form a fatty
layer
Down-regulation vs. Up-regulation - ANSWER down regulation:
-may occur if neurotransmitter activity is higher than your brain is used to
-remove GABA receptors
up regulation:
-may occur if neurotransmitter activity is lower than your brain is used to
-adds more receptors
Complete Solutions
CNS vs PNS - ANSWER central nervous system-consists of your brain and spinal
cord-the brain communicates with the muscles in creating a plan to accomplish
the movement-spinal cord acts as a conduct that carries motor information from
the brain to the body and sensory information from the body to the
brainperipheral nervous system-made up of all of the nerves that connect the
brain and spinal cord with the rest of the body-sending motor signals-extend
from the spinal cord to the muscle and stimulate it to contract-somatic nervous
system: division of the PNS that is involved in voluntary muscle control; made up
of the nerves that stimulate muscles to elicit movement-autonomic nervous
system: automatic processes-sympathetic: fight or flight-parasympathetic: rest
and digest
Structures of neurons & synapses - ANSWER -neurons
-dendrites
-cell body
-axon
-axon terminal/synaptic boutons
neurons - ANSWER the most fundamental cellular units of the nervous system
dendrites - ANSWER the sites on a neuron where information (usually in the form
of chemicals called neurotransmitters) is received
cell body - ANSWER also known as soma, electrical impulses traveling from the
dendrites come together in the soma and if they are powerful enough they cause
the initiation of a new electrical impulse called an action potential
axon - ANSWER action potential is transmitted from one end of a neuron to
another; axons are also covered in an insulating material called myelin, which
helps to prevent the decaying of electrical impulses as they travel down the axon
axon terminal/synaptic boutons - ANSWER when an action potential reaches the
end of a neuron, it will often cause the release of the neurotransmitter to
communicate the signal to other neurons; neurotransmitters are released from
axon terminals
Types of Neurotransmitter Removal - ANSWER -diffusion
-enzymatic degradation
,-reuptake
diffusion - ANSWER a small amount of neurotransmitter will simply diffuse out of
the synaptic cleft after it has been released
enzymatic degradation - ANSWER occurs primarily at synapses for a
neurotransmitter called acetylcholine; during enzymatic degradation of a
neurotransmitter, an enzyme that is present at the synapse breaks down excess
neurotransmitter; the constituent parts of the neurotransmitter can be sent back
into the presynaptic neuron to be used to create more neurotransmitter
reuptake - ANSWER removing excess neurotransmitter; involves a specialized
protein called a transporter or transport protein that is present in the synapse;
when excess neurotransmitter is present in the synaptic cleft, this protein draws
the neurotransmitter to it and then transports it back into the presynaptic
neuron
What happens when one of the neurotransmitter removal processes is blocked?
- ANSWER it will cause neurotransmitters to continue to build up in the cleft and
interacting with receptors; linger and causing more activity
Definition of Pharmokinetics - ANSWER -a branch of pharmacology that focuses
on the kinetics, or movement, of a drug throughout the body-concerned with
what happens to a drug from the time when it is administered until the time it is
excreted from the body-four major processes: (1) absorption, (2) distribution, (3)
metabolism, (4) elimination
ADME: different types of administration and pros/cons - ANSWER (enteral)
oral:
-most common
-relatively safe
-unreliable and inefficient
rectal:
-less predictable and efficient
-reserved when unable to take a drug through another route of administration
(parenteral)
inhalation:
-quickest way to deliver drugs ti the brain
-most common way is smoking
intravenous:
-rapid way of administrating drug
-very efficient
-potentially dangerous (dose too high, no way of removing from bloodstream)
mucous membranes:
-most common: intranasal (snorting)
-quick way of delivering to blood supply
, -not extremely efficient
-also can be done by chewing or holding substance in mouth or placing under
tongue (sublingual administration)
transdermal:
-administering through the skin
-very gradual absorption into the bloodstream
-relatively inefficient, but can be useful when one desires a continuous release
of drug over a prolonged period of time
ADME: what membranes drugs pass through and what characteristics drugs
must have to do so? - ANSWER blood-brain barrier: lipid soluble
placenta: lipid-soluble
Definition of Pharmacodynamics - ANSWER -the interaction of the drug with the
body-deals with drug effects, and how a drug produces those effects
Half-life - ANSWER the amount of time it takes for ½ of an administered dose of
drug to no longer be bioavailable (due primarily to the body's metabolism of the
drug)
steady state - ANSWER When drugs are being administered therapeutically,
often the goal is to reach a point where the blood concentration of the drug
remains consistent—not fluctuating too much in one or the other direction*you
continue dosage until it begins to level off-never getting too high or low= steady
state
Know how to calculate half-life & estimate how long until steady state is
achieved - ANSWER 5-6 half lives till steady state example: drug has a half life of
5 hours, you would reach steady state at 25-30 hours
How many half-lives until a drug is considered removed from the system? -
ANSWER As a general rule of thumb, this usually takes about 5-6 half-lives
Why do psychotropic medicines need to be lipophilic? - ANSWER the blood-brain
barrier is reinforced by non-neuronal cells called glial cells; to pass through this
layer of glial cells, substances must be lipid soluble since glial cells form a fatty
layer
Down-regulation vs. Up-regulation - ANSWER down regulation:
-may occur if neurotransmitter activity is higher than your brain is used to
-remove GABA receptors
up regulation:
-may occur if neurotransmitter activity is lower than your brain is used to
-adds more receptors
