DEA Pharmacology and Drug Effects Flashcards
7 cards from real DEA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 DEA Pharmacology and Drug Effects flashcards as text
What is the blood-brain barrier and why is it pharmacologically significant?
Answer: A selective semipermeable barrier that limits which substances can enter the brain
The blood-brain barrier is a selective semipermeable membrane formed by endothelial cells that protects the brain by restricting which substances can pass from the bloodstream into brain tissue.
Which drug class encompasses heroin, morphine, codeine, oxycodone, and fentanyl?
Answer: Opioids
All of these drugs belong to the opioid class, which includes natural opiates derived from the opium poppy and semisynthetic or fully synthetic compounds with similar receptor activity.
What term describes the branch of pharmacology that studies the biochemical and physiological effects of drugs and their mechanisms of action?
Answer: Pharmacodynamics
Pharmacodynamics studies what drugs do to the body — their mechanisms of action, receptor interactions, and dose-response relationships at the molecular and physiological level.
MDMA ('ecstasy' or 'molly') produces its characteristic effects primarily by affecting which neurotransmitter systems?
Answer: Serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine systems simultaneously
MDMA causes a massive flood of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine into synapses, producing euphoria, emotional closeness, and mild hallucinations characteristic of its effects.
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) produces its hallucinogenic effects primarily through which mechanism?
Answer: Acting as an agonist at serotonin 5-HT2A receptors in the cortex
LSD produces hallucinations primarily by acting as a potent agonist at serotonin 5-HT2A receptors in the prefrontal cortex, disrupting normal sensory perception and cognition.
What is the primary process by which the body chemically transforms drugs into metabolites for elimination?
Answer: Metabolism via hepatic enzyme systems
Metabolism (biotransformation) primarily occurs in the liver through cytochrome P450 enzyme systems, chemically altering drugs into metabolites that are more water-soluble and easily excreted.
Naloxone (Narcan) reverses opioid overdose by which pharmacological mechanism?
Answer: Competitively binding and displacing opioids from their receptors as an antagonist
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist with high receptor affinity that rapidly displaces opioids from mu, kappa, and delta receptors, reversing respiratory depression within minutes.