BIOB38H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Hallucinogen, Psychoactive Drug, Fertile Crescent
Document Summary
Patterns are repetitive and vary: palaeolithic art started from approx. 40 000 bp to the end of pleistocene glaciation 12 000 bp: peyote cactus, from mexico 8000 years bp. Hallucinogens had highest use and sedatives were second to that: mode of action of psychoactive drugs, evolutionary perspective, drugs are used because it is a reward system. Have equal affinity to docking sites to neurotransmitters: way 2: lower rate of diffusion and increase post-synaptic firing by keeping neurotransmitter docked longer at receptor sites. Interacts with serotonin receptors and changes perception and mood (bad or good: less addictive than other drugs, cannabis, sativa: psychoactive use, lighter, and long thing leaves. Indica: psychoactive use, darker, wide broad leaves: ruderalis: short, wild strain with few leaves not used for consumption, psilocybin, found in 200 different species of mushrooms, causes euphoria, and mental hallucinations. Can cause nausea and pain attacks: ayahuasca (amazonian basin; alkaloids, most potent hallucinogen. Schultes discovered it banisteriopsis caapi + psychotria viridis.
