PSY 214 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Cometabolism, Cocaethylene, Atropine
Document Summary
A substance that binds to receptors in the body that induces a biological change that would not exist without it can act directly (chemically) or indirectly (placebo effects) Exogenous (ingested) vs. endogenous (produced within the body) Pharmacology- drug action & effects (in vivo) Neuropharmacology - drug actions & effects on the nervous system. Psychopharmacology- drug effects on emotions, thought, and behaviour. Drug effects reflect that the brain is complex and dynamic. Drug effects extend from site of action: ex. atropine is a drug used in ophthalmology to dilate the pupil of the eye before eye exams. Atropine has a site of action (the eye muscles of the iris) that is close to the site of its ultimate effect (widening the pupil), so it is administered directly to the eye. In comparison, morphine applied to the eye itself has no effect. Yet when it is taken internally, the drug"s action on the brain leads to pinpoint pupils.
