Drugs, Smoking and the Autonomic System
Not what you're looking for?
1. Explain the difference between sympathomimetic drugs and sympatholytic drugs
2. Explain why smoking is a risk factor for heart disease in terms of the autonomic system
3. Why can the sympathetic division produce simultaneous effects throughout the body, but parasympathetic effects typically are localized to specific organs?
Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary
Briefly discussed are the topics:
Sympathomimetic vs. sympatholytic drugs
Why and how smoking increases a cardiovascular disease risk
Why sympathetic functions are widespread and simulataneous while parasympathetic is more specific
Solution Preview
I'll try to address these points briefly so you can use them as a starting point for your paper.
Sympathomimetic drugs mimic, as the term suggests, sympathetic actions. They're generally agents that are very similar to sympathetic signals by molecular nature, either in structure or what they can bind to. In contrast, sympatholytic drugs are those that act to disallow sympathetic action, typically by blocking the sympathetic signaling somehow. Usually this takes the form of sympathetic antagonism using an agent that either actively suppresses the SNS or is able to bind to sympathetic receptors (adrenaline receptors) but not trigger their action. In ...
Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
Breastfeeding Basics
How much do you know about breastfeeding? Find out with this quiz!
Basic Concepts in Neuroscience
This quiz provides a review of the basic concepts in neuroscience.
Creating a Birth Plan
Preparing for a birth and want to make sure that you're including all the right information? Use this quiz to get on the right track and check your birth plan knowledge!
Labor Comfort Measures
Do you know how to comfort someone in labor?
Pregnancy Knowledge
How much do you know about being pregnant? Test your Pregnancy IQ with this quiz!