AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Psychoactive drugs can act as agonists or antagonists for a given neurotransmitter system. Agonists are chemicals that mimic a neurotransmitter at the receptor site and, thus, strengthen its effects. An antagonist, on the other hand, blocks or impedes the normal activity of a neurotransmitter at the receptor.

Detailed explanation-2: -An agonist is a drug that activates certain receptors in the brain. Full agonist opioids activate the opioid receptors in the brain fully resulting in the full opioid effect. Examples of full agonists are heroin, oxycodone, methadone, hydrocodone, morphine, opium and others.

Detailed explanation-3: -Drugs interfere with the way neurons send, receive, and process signals via neurotransmitters. Some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, can activate neurons because their chemical structure mimics that of a natural neurotransmitter in the body.

Detailed explanation-4: -Psychoactive drugs generally produce their effects by affecting brain chemistry. Generally, they act either as agonists-which enhance the activity of particular neurotransmitters-or as antagonists, which decrease the activity of particular neurotransmitters.

Detailed explanation-5: -Some psychotropic drugs facilitate the effects of a neurotransmitter, and are called agonistic. While other psychotropic drugs inhibit the effects of particular neurotransmitters, and are called antagonistic.