Balance and the Ears
It might be hard to believe, but your ears are also in charge of your sense of balance! The semicircular canals are three fluid-filled interconnected tubes found inside each ear. They can be seen in Figure above, directly above the cochlea. The canals are positioned at angles between 95 to 115 degrees relative to one another. The angles between the canals are not perpendicular, so movements of the head cause movement of fluid in two canals at the same time.
Each canal is filled with fluid called endolymph and motion sensors with little hairs, called cilia, line each canal. Movement of the head and body cause the endolymph in the canals to move about. The hair cells sense the strength and direction of the fluid’s movement and send electrical signals to the cerebellum which interprets the information and responds to help keep the body’s sense of balance. The interaction of the semicircular canals and the cerebellum allow the performer in Figure below to do his act.
Figure 20.27
Good balance required! This performers sense of balance is dependent on communication between his semicircular canals and his cerebellum.
When the sense of balance is interrupted it causes dizziness and nausea. Balance can be upset by an inner ear infection, a bad head cold or a sinus infection, or a number of other medical conditions. It can also be temporarily disturbed by rapid and repetitive movement, for example riding on a merry-go-round or spinning around in a circle.
Taste and Smell
Taste is one of the two main chemical senses, the other being smell. There are at least four types of taste receptors on the tongue. Taste stimuli from each receptor type send information to a different region of the brain. The four well-known receptors detect sweet, salt, sour, and bitter. The existence of a fifth receptor, for a sensation called umami, was confirmed in 2000. The umami receptor detects the amino acid glutamate, which causes a savory, “meaty” flavor in foods.
Figure 20.28
The location of taste buds. Most of the taste buds in the mouth are embedded in the papillae, the little bumps that cover the tongue. The deep groove (fissure) that runs down the center of the tongue in this photo is a common and perfectly normal condition.
The chemoreceptors of the mouth are the taste cells that are found in bundles called taste buds. Most of the taste buds are embedded within the tiny papillae or “bumps” that cover the tongue, shown in Figure above. Each receptor has a different way of detecting certain compounds and starting an action potential which alerts the brain. The compounds bind to receptors in the taste cells and stimulate neurons in the taste buds. The action potential moves along the facial nerves to the thalamus and then to the taste center of cerebral cortex for interpretation by the brain. The tongue can also feel sensations that are not generally called tastes. These include: temperature (hot or cold), coolness (as in “minty” or “fresh”), spiciness or hotness (peppery), and fattiness (greasy).
Smell is the other "chemical" sense. The chemoreceptors of smell are called olfactory receptors. About 40 million olfactory receptor neurons line the nasal passages. Different odor molecules bind to and excite specific olfactory receptors. The combination of excitatory signals from different receptors makes up what we identify as “smell.” Signals from the olfactory receptors travel along nerves to the olfactory bulb in the brain where they then move to the smell center in the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex. Olfactory receptor neurons in the nose differ from most other neurons in that they die and regenerate on a regular basis. A dog’s keen sense of smell is due to the large area of its nasal passages that are covered by olfactory receptors, and the large number of nerves that bring nerve impulses from the receptors to its brain. For example, the area in which olfactory receptors are located inside the human nose (called the olfactory epithelium), which is shown in Figure below, measures about 12 cm2. The olfactory epithelium of some dogs’ noses can measure about 150 cm2!
Have you ever noticed that you cannot taste anything when your nose is stuffed up? That is because your senses of smell and taste are closely linked. This is due to the fact that your nasal cavity, located behind the nostrils, connects to your mouth at the back of your throat, as shown in Figure below. Your olfactory receptors and taste receptors both contribute to the flavor of food. Your tongue can only tell among a few different types of taste, while your nose can distinguish among hundreds of smells, even if only in tiny amounts.
Figure 20.29
The location of olfactory nerves. Olfactory receptors and their associated nerves (yellow) line the top of the nasal passages. Nerve messages from the receptors are sent to the brain to be interpreted as certain smells.
Touch, Pressure, and Pain
Touch is the sense of pressure perception, which is generally felt in the skin. There are a variety of pressure receptors that respond to variations in pressure and tension. Mechanoreceptors are most numerous on the tongue, lips, face, palms (including fingertips), and soles of the feet.
There are several types of pain receptors, called nociceptors, which respond to potentially damaging stimuli. They are mostly found in the external parts of the body such as the skin, cornea, and mucous membranes, but are also found in muscles, joints, and some internal organs. Nociceptors are classified according to the stimuli to which they respond: thermal, mechanical or chemical. But some receptors respond to many different damaging stimuli of a chemical, thermal, or mechanical nature. Thermal receptors are activated by potentially harmful heat or cold, temperatures above 45°C and below 5°C. Mechanical receptors respond to excess pressure, squeezing, or bending, the type of painful stimuli that a cactus such as the one in Figure below would cause. Together these nociceptors allow the organism to feel pain in response to damaging pressure, excessive heat, excessive cold and a range of chemicals, the majority of which are damaging to the tissue surrounding the nociceptor.
Figure 20.30
Mechanical pain receptors in your skin would warn you if you got too close to this prickly cactus.
Drugs and the Nervous System
A drug is any chemical or biological substance that affects the body’s structure or functions. Drugs in the form of medicines are used to treat many illnesses and disorders. A medicine (or medication), is a drug that is taken to cure or reduce the symptoms of an illness. However, drugs, whether they are medicines, legal or illegal drugs, can be abused for the effects they have on the central nervous system (CNS). In fact many medical uses of drugs depend on the powerful effect they have on brain function. For example, anti-depression medicines are used to treat depression and anxiety disorders, and antipsychotic medicines are used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
A psychoactive drug is a substance that affects the central nervous system by altering cognitive function. Change in cognitive function results in changes in how a person feels, thinks, perceives, and acts. Almost everyone has used a psychoactive drug at some time in their life, and many people take such drugs daily. For example, the coffee or tea that you may have drank to waken yourself up this morning, or the cola, energy drink, or chocolate that you had as a snack contain the psychoactive drug caffeine. Caffeine is a CNS stimulant that makes you feel less drowsy and more alert. Coffee beans, the most common source of caffeine, are shown in Figure below.
Figure 20.31
Roasted coffee beans. Coffee beans are a common source of the stimulant caffeine. Other plant sources include the leaves of tea, cocoa, yerba mate, and guarana plants. These plants use caffeine as a means of protection against being eaten. The caffeine in the leaves of these plants can paralyze and kill the insects that feed upon them.
Drugs and the Brain: How Psychoactive Drugs Work
How we perceive stimuli, feel, think, and do is a result of neurons sending action potentials and neurotransmitters to each other and to other cells in the body. Psychoactive drugs affect how neurons communicate with each other. These drug molecules can alter neurotransmission, by blocking receptor proteins, mimicking neurotransmitters, or chang
ing the amount of neurotransmitter in the synapse, shown in Figure below, by blocking reuptake. In this way a psychoactive drug can change how we feel, think, and interact with the world. Sometimes such effects are beneficial, such as taking a prescribed painkiller (hydrocodone, for example), to ease the pain of a broken bone. Sometimes the effects are harmful, which could happen if the person continued to take the powerful painkiller long after their broken bone had healed. Some examples of psychoactive medicines are listed in Table below.
Figure 20.32
The release of neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft. Depending on its method of action, a psychoactive substance may block the receptors on the post-synaptic neuron, or block reuptake or affect neurotransmitter synthesis in the pre-synaptic neuron.
Some Psychoactive Medicines and Their Uses Type Uses Example Action
Anesthetics Block pain and other sensations. Often induce unconsciousness, which allows patients to undergo medical procedures. Lidocaine, nitrous oxide Mimic the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, or increase the amount of GABA in the synapse which prevents an action potential.
Painkillers (analgesics) Reduce the sensation of pain. Includes narcotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) NSAIDS: aspirin and acetaminophen (paracetamol).
Narcotics: morphine and codeine
Drug molecules mimic endogenous opioids “natural painkillers,” such as endorphins, by binding to opioid receptors.
Antidepressants Antidepressants are used to treat disorders such as clinical depression, anxiety, and eating disorders Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs); Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) SSRIs: Block the uptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin by presynaptic neuron MAOIs: Prevent an enzyme from breaking down serotonin in the synapse. Both actions result in an increase of serotonin in the synapse.
Stimulants Used to treat disorders such as attention deficit disorder and to suppress the appetite Amphetamine salts Increases extracellular levels of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin by various means
Antipsychotics Used to treat psychoses such as schizophrenia and mania. Chlorpromazine Blocks dopamine receptors in post synaptic neurons
Cough medicines (antitussives) Used to treat persistent coughing. Dextromethorphan (DXM) and codeine Inhibit the action of, the NMDA receptor in the post synaptic cell. Reduces action potential, similar in action to anesthetics
Drug Abuse
Psychoactive drugs bring about changes in mood and feelings that a user may find desirable, therefore many psychoactive substances are abused. Drug abuse is the repeated use of a drug without advice or guidance of a medical professional, and use for reasons other than for what the drug was originally intended. With continued use of a drug, a person might find that they cannot function normally without the drug, a state called physical dependence. However, note that physical dependence is not in itself bad, for example, a person who has diabetes is physically dependent on insulin injections. Their body cannot work properly without it. Emotionally or mentally needing a drug to be able to function normally is called psychological dependence. When a person continues to take a psychoactive drug, they eventually need to take larger doses of the drug to get the desired effect; this process is known as building a tolerance to the drug. Drug tolerance can involve both psychological and physical factors.
A person who is abusing a drug may eventually lose control of their drug-taking behavior, partly due to the changes the drug has caused in their brain, and partly due to learned drug-abuse behaviors (such as stealing and lying to get money or drugs). In the state of addiction, a drug addict’s life and activities revolve around getting more of the drug to feed their habit, even if it leads to severe consequences such as getting arrested, dropping out of school, or isolation from friends and family. In a person who is addicted to a drug, the pattern of increasing dose due to tolerance can lead to a drug overdose, also known as an OD. A drug overdose is generally considered harmful and may lead to death. Drug dependence and addiction are caused by changes in the way neurons in the CNS send and receive neurotransmitters. It is for this reason dependency and addiction are treated as brain disorders by medical professionals.
Several classes of psychoactive drugs are commonly abused. Stimulants such as cocaine, nicotine, and amphetamine increase the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, the central nervous system, or both. Stimulants generally increase heart rate, blood pressure, and increase the sense of alertness. Some stimulants, such as caffeine, are used medicinally to increase or maintain alertness, and to counteract fatigue. High doses of stimulants can be fatal. A common source of nicotine is cigarette tobacco, shown in Figure below.
Figure 20.33
Cigarettes are a common source of nicotine. Nicotine is a compound that is found in the leaves of the tobacco plant. It is a potent neurotoxin for insects, and was once used as an insecticide. In addition to the addictive nature of nicotine, long-term tobacco use carries significant risks of developing various cancers as well as strokes and severe cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
Hypnotics, also known as depressants, such as alcohol, codeine, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines generally decrease the activity of the central nervous system. Depressants slow down brain function and give a drowsy or calm feeling. However, taking too much of a depressant drug can cause dangerously slow breathing and heart rates, and may result in death. Many depressants acting on the CNS do so by increasing the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), although there are many receptors that are affected by different depressants. GABA calms the activity of the CNS and promotes sleep. Drugs that stimulate the activity of this amino acid slow down brain function and cause a drowsy or calm feeling, so depressants are generally prescribed to relieve symptoms of anxiety or insomnia.
Hallucinogens, also known as psychedelic drugs, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), phencyclidine (PCP), and ketamine, are psychoactive drugs that do not increase or decrease a certain feeling or emotion, but rather they induce experiences, such as sensory distortions and “out-of-body experiences,” that are very different from those of ordinary consciousness. These experiences are often called trance-like states. The use of psychedelic drugs has been linked to a potential for brain damage.
There are many ways in which psychoactive drugs can affect the CNS. Each drug has a specific action on one or more neurotransmitters or receptors. Drugs that increase activity in particular neurotransmitter systems are called agonists. They act by increasing the synthesis of one or more neurotransmitters or reducing its reuptake from the synapses. Drugs that reduce neurotransmitter activity are called antagonists, and work by interfering with synthesis or blocking postsynaptic receptors so that neurotransmitters cannot bind to them. The drug ketamine, which is used as an anesthetic and a painkiller, blocks the action of the neurotransmitter glutamate. Diacetylmorphine (heroin) enhances the action of endorphins in the brain. Different drugs also affect different parts of the brain. For example, drugs that affect breathing, such as cough suppressants, affect the brainstem to stop the coughing reflex. Painkillers (analgesics) block pain messages coming through the spinal cord from the body. In Figure below the brainstem region is blue, and the spinal cord is yellow.
How Addiction Happens
The neurobiological theory of addiction proposes that certain chemical pathways are greatly changed in the brain of an addicted person. Almost all drugs that are abused affect a certain set of brain structures in the limbic system called the "brain reward system," shown in Figure above. The neurotransmitter dopamine is commonly associated with the brain reward system. The system providing feelings of pleasure (the “reward”), that motivates a person to perform certain activities over and over again. Dopamine is released at synapses by neurons when a person has a pleasurable experience such as eating a favorite food, or eating when very hungry. Such mechanisms have evolved to ensure the survival of organisms.
Figure 20.34
The limbic
system (in red) includes structures in the human brain that have been linked to emotion, motivation, and emotional association with memory. The action of neurotransmitters in the limbic system is altered by addictive drugs.
Some drugs, such as cocaine, nicotine, amphetamines, and alcohol directly or indirectly increase the amount of dopamine in the limbic structures. The pleasurable feelings that these drugs produce trick the body into thinking that the drug is good,important for survival, and needs to be taken repeatedly. Drugs that directly affect the brain reward system are highly addictive. The stimulant nicotine, which is found in tobacco, is highly addictive.
Cocaine is an example of a psychoactive drug that is both used as a medicine, and abused as a drug. Cocaine is highly addictive. It is a dopamine transporter blocker—it blocks the reuptake of dopamine by the presynaptic neuron. This action increases the amount of dopamine left in the synaptic cleft, so dopamine has a stronger effect on the postsynaptic neuron. Continued cocaine use causes a reduction in the number of dopamine receptors on the postsynaptic neuron. Eventually, the post synaptic neuron becomes understimulated because there are fewer dopamine receptors on it to respond to dopamine. At this point, more cocaine must be taken to stimulate the postsynaptic neuron into an action potential. If a person becomes dependent on the drug, they need cocaine for their body to act normally. If a person were to stop taking the drug at this point, their body would not be able to act normally, and they would experience a range of uncomfortable and painful symptoms called withdrawal. Symptoms of withdrawal include vomiting, diarrhea, and depression.
CK-12 Biology I - Honors Page 95
