Drugs and Society Essay Example for Free

Drugs and Society Essay 1b. List and describe briefly the major structures of the brain, as presented in your textbook, including the function of those elements that are most related to psychoactive drug reaction. The first layer of the brain is the cortex which covers the top and sides of the brain. This area controls reasoning and language, and this area will be less active when under sedative drugs. The basal ganglia are located underneath the cortex and it is made up of by the striatum. The striatum controls muscle tone and is part of the dopamine pathway which is a potential transport highway for psychoactive drugs. The hypothalamus is at the base of the brain and serves as liaison between the brain and pituitary gland. The pituitary hormonal output is involved in behaviors such as feeding and temperature regulation. The limbic system affects emotion, location memory, and physical activity. Along the brain stem are the medulla, midbrain, and pons from which contain the bulk of neurons that create dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. The lower brain stem controls vomiting and respiratory functions. If affected, the respiratory function can be suppressed by drugs. 1c. Describe the life cycle of a typical neurotransmitter. A cell membrane with the uptake of a particular precursor absorbs amino acids to create a neurotransmitter. The amino acids undergo synthesis with a reaction with enzymes to become a neurotransmitter. Once created, the neurotransmitters are stored in vesicles until they are released into the synapse. Once released, the neurotransmitters will attempt to attach to the membrane of neurons. If the neurotransmitter does not make it to the neuron, then it will either absorb in the originating cell or be metabolized within the synapse. 2b. Differentiate between drug disposition tolerance, behavioral tolerance, and pharmacodynamics tolerance, and provide reasons why these concepts should be taken into account when determining the effects of a drug. Drug disposition tolerance is defined as the increase of the drug’s rate of metabolism or removal. The user may increase the amount of a drug taken due to the drug being metabolized too quickly or being removed from the body. A person may compensate their behavior when exposed to a drug overtime such as learning to drive while intoxicated. The impairment is reduced and this is known as behavioral tolerance. Pharmacodynamics tolerance is the main contributor to the need to increase the dosage of a drug in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms. The user does not feel the same effects of a dosage so the dosage must be increased in order to get the same feeling. 2d. Provide several specific personal and societal steps you would recommend in an effort to reduce the likelihood of adverse reactions to drugs taken in combination. The largest deficit that can be produced to avoid adverse reactions to drug taken in combination is to avoid doing it all such as alcohol and other depressants. Individuals that need to take multiple medications such as person with diabetes and high blood pressure need to be carefully monitored and educated on the effects of the medications individually and the effects of the medications when combined. 3b. Explain the basic rationale and theoretical foundations for the extensive use of amphetamine in the treatment of ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). ADHD individuals have deficits involved with the functions of executive control within the brain. This control center affects concentration, hyperactivity, and learning. Amphetamines have been shown to produce a calming effect upon the individual from the amphetamines ability to increase brain catecholamine activity whereas ADHD individuals suffer from catecholamine deficits in the prefrontal cortex. 3c. Provide your personal viewpoint on major concerns about ADHD diagnoses and the efficacy of drug treatments that have led to recent controversy. The basis of diagnoses of ADHD has not been fully researched due to any widely accepted knowledge as to why stimulants are effective in treating hyperactivity. The causes of ADHD are still not thoroughly understood. There have also been non-stimulant drugs that have been shown to be just as effective as stimulants such as Strattera and Atomoxetine. I believe that ADHD itself is a complicated issue that requires multiple points of attack such as the use of stimulant and non-stimulant drugs. What may work on one individual may not work on another. 4a. Provide evidence of your understanding of the ways in which time course events of barbiturate and benzodiazepine actions contribute to the onset of psychological and/or physical dependence. Barbiturate are fast acting drugs that may work within fifteen minutes and stay in the system for up to three hours. Due to the rapid activity of the barbiturates, they serve as a strong reinforcement to users due to the drug produced a desired effect quickly and leaving the body just as quickly. Benzodiazepine takes longer to initialize, but also stay in the body for up to ten hours. Barbiturates are taken in higher doses more rapidly, while Benzodiazepine is taken at lower does. Withdrawal symptoms of barbiturates from chronic symptoms are severe due to the rapidness the drug leaves the user’s body without the user’s body being able to adapt to the drug adequately. 4b. Describe the key functions of GABA (g-aminobutryic acid) in producing the effects of various sedative-hypnotic agents, with specific reference to benzodiazepines. GABA is a neurotransmitter that is found in CNS areas and deals with inhibitory functions. Benzodiazepine molecules are strongly attracted to the GABA receptor sites and when bound to the GABA receptor, the Benzodiazepine molecules will increase the inhibitory effects of GABA on the receptors.

Witness :: essays research papers

Communication is more than just words   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When one sense is diminished, another is magnified, but can it ever truly be compensated? In some instances, yes however, when addressing the ability to communicate, there are two senses, that when absent hinders the communication process: sight and touch. Communication is more than just words. In an effort to explore this idea further, we will look at the movie â€Å"Witness†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The movie, starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis, takes place in New England. After losing her husband, Rachel Lapp (McGillis) and her son, Samuel, travel via railway to Baltimore, Maryland to celebrate the birth of Samuel’s cousin. When Samuel goes to the restroom during a delay in Philadelphia, he witnesses the murder of a Narcotics Officer. During the investigation, Detective John Book (Ford), discovers that the murderers are two fellow officers in conspiracy with the Chief of Police. In an effort to protect Samuel Lapp, John finds himself living in the Amish community with Rachel, Samuel, and Eli Lapp, Rachel’s father-in-law.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When two worlds such as an Amish community and a 20th century metropolis collide, they give textbook examples of different aspects of communication.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the first half of the movie, when Rachel and Samuel enter into this unknown society, their reactions are mirrored by society’s reactions to them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Rachel and Samuels board the train, we see Eli Lapp, and friend of the family, Daniel; express their discontentment of Rachel’s decision to venture out into a world filled with â€Å"evil†. While Eli’s expressions are of concern and care, we notice, as Daniel gives Samuel a small wooden toy, his countenance pouring with an alterative motive as he smiles flirtatiously at Rachel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next, lets discuss Rachel’s insinuations towards the foreign society. When we see Rachel on Eli’s farm, she seems to be a very devoted Amish woman. This implication remains unchanged, as we see her at the train station in Philadelphia. She is very introverted, as she sits alone on a bench, sewing. She is stiff and apathetic to the world revolving around her and in making no attempt to commune with it, only speaks German to Samuel while in public, succeeding in isolating themselves. She demonstrates great lethargy towards any issue that exists outside her â€Å"realm†. She demonstrates this several times when, while someone talks to her, she stares out the window, making no eye contact and sending a loud and clear message that she does not want to hear what he or she are saying.

Healthy Ways of Keeping Fit

There are a lot of ways to keep fit. The important thing is that you find an activity that you enjoy doing and that you stick with it. There is a variety of things you can do. You can run, walk, swim, bike, go hiking, do yoga, lots of different methods for keeping fit. Another enjoyable way is to go dancing. Dancing is a very good aerobic activity, requires physical liveliness and burns a lot of calories. The other thing that is significant is making sure that you follow a healthy diet. You want to make sure that you have enough energy to do these activities that you actually enjoy doing to keep your body fit.Therefore, following a healthy diet means ensuring that you eat when you are hungry, you stop eating when you are full, you include plenty of different types of fruits and vegatables, whole grains, things like brown rice, oatmeal millet, all those types of things are considered whole grains. You also want to include some type of lean protein whether that’s from legumes, b eans such as pinto beans, garbanzos, or seafood or lean cuts of meat or poultry without the skin. Any of those are sources of lean proteins that are very beneficial for your body.And again, that particular method of eating will make sure that you have the energy that you need to actually perform these different types of activities you enjoy doing. So when you find the activity you like, try to do it several times a week at least 4 to 5 times a week will really help improve your level of fitness. More than that can actually cause you to lose weight if you are trying to actually lose weight. As you see there are several different ways of keeping feet. It can be any type of physical activity that you enjoy doing.

Slavery During The Pre Civil War - 852 Words

During the Pre-Civil War period much of the United States engaged in slavery. Slavery is the keeping of slaves (individual(s) under the domination of another) as a practice or institution. Both the North and South engaged in slavery, however, their views of slave rights and treatments were very different. Slavery proponents were for slavery, while abolitionists were against it; in either case those enslaved were Negros and their owners were white. Slavery proponents used stereotyping and racial prejudice to justify their needs to engage in slavery. Slavery proponents like George Fitzhugh whose racial theory argued that Negros were â€Å"inferior to whites, nothing more than overgrown children with a lack of moral or intellectual capacity in need of someone to guide or govern them.† Fitzhugh says â€Å"he the Negro will become a burden to society† with his claims that slavery in the United States is far better than that of Africa, where he would become â€Å"idolatrous, savage and cannibal.† Slavery was appalling and pure neglect for the human race. There was absolutely no proof or fact based knowledge that Negros lacked morals, furthermore if there was a lack of intellect it was from the white man monopolizing education and power in an effort to hold the Negro back in order to create a weaker class. According to â€Å"The ‘Mudsill’ Theory† James Henry Hammond demonstrates his racism in his speech to the US Senate negating that â€Å"in all social systems there must be a class to do the menialShow MoreRelatedThe Responsibilities Of Directing The Slave Labor1637 Words   |  7 PagesThere are some Civil War scholars who maintain the theory that the responsibilities of directing the slave labor was the catalyst for the downward spiral of Southern women’s morale. While the opinions about the institution of slavery varied during the Civil War, depending on circumstances such as location and amount of slaves, there were two general opinions from Southern women. Either Southern women felt that slavery was a blessing or a burden. Women such as Catherine Edmondston saw their slaveholdingRead MoreEssay about The American Civil War688 Words   |  3 PagesThe American Civil war was a series of transactions, or exchanges, between the North and the South. 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Critics during that time found the portrayal of the white characters insulting, because they were too well balanced in comparison to the white citizens and slave owners in the 1800’s. I personally disagree with these critiques, and argue that the white characters Walker writes about before the Civil War, are given are given a balanced presentation in order to juxtapose the white characters she describes after the Civil War. Walker’s descriptionRead More African American Hardships Essay1283 Words   |  6 PagesAfrican American Hardships During pre-colonial African kinship and inheritance, it provided the bases of organization of many African American communities. African American men were recognized for the purpose of inheritance. They also inherited their clan names based on their accomplishments, as well as other things when one decease. Land was not owned in many parts of Africa during the pre-colonial period. It was yet held and distributed by African American men. Access to the land by women dependedRead MoreAfrican American Hardships1306 Words   |  6 PagesDuring pre-colonial African kinship and inheritance, it provided the bases of organization of many African American communities. African American men were recognized for the purpose of inheritance. They also inherited their clan names based on their accomplishments, as well as other things when one decease. Land was not owned in many parts of Africa during the pre-colonial period. It was yet held and distributed by African American men. Access to the land by women depended on their obligations orRead MoreWhat If Abraham Lincoln Hadnt Died? Essay626 Words   |  3 PagesIf Lincoln hadn’t died, a question that every student has come across while learning about the civil war, but what if he hadn’t died had reconstruction would had been better? Had former slaves gained better civil rights? 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