Ana+Gutierrez

__** How teens become addicted to drugs and the maturation of the brain Submitted by: Max A.(chinchilla03) During adolescent years, major changes in the brain occur, including those involved with regulating the effects of drugs and other stimuli. The brain is, until the early 20’s, is a work in progress and develops in fits. Brain segments controlling sensory, the reward system and physical development mature first. However, the very last part of the brain to mature is in charge of making sound judgments and calming unruly emotions. Nicotine, the addictive element of tobacco, impacts this brain maturation and leads to lifelong addiction. .The teen brain is still undergoes changes long after puberty ends, for that is just the physical changes. Because of all the changes in the brain, teenagers may be more susceptible to drug abuse than adults. Without judgment teens do not look at the long-term effects of things, like drugs and alcohol. The teenage tendency to leap before looking is an effect of the impaired judgment system in the brain. The reward center is affected by certain drugs like cocaine, that release dopamine, one of the chemicals in the brain that is responsible for motivation and arousal. The sensitivity to intoxication is different from adults, possibly contributing to continuous drinking and an increased risk for alcohol dependence. The enhanced reward system will make the pleasure factor of the drugs skyrocket, and thus make them much more addicting. Teens are more receptive to the rewarding effects of nicotine, the addictive drug in cigarettes and tobacco, than adults. Eighty percent of tobacco users started when they were teenagers. Drug addiction is a very serious thing and teens should know just how and why they become addicted to drugs. When some drugs are inhaled they will cause immense feelings of pleasure and the reward center will remember that pleasure. The ndrug. ext time you get a chance to take the drug the reward center will recall what pleasure you received the last time and it will push you to take it again. After you use the drug certain number of times you will find that you will go into a withdrawal. You won’t be able to function correctly without the drug every-so-often however you will still get a little of the “high” sensation. Further along the line your brain will have “reset” its feeling of normal. You will feel normal when you take the drug and go into withdrawal when you are off the drug, you will no longer feel “high” when you use the REFLECTION/SUMMARY drug addiction is very wrong because all the adult people are using drugs and the young people are going to be using drugs or selling to another people.
 * __The Brain Develop  <span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)">

copied from: http://7gtscience.wikispaces.com/Brain

<span style="COLOR: rgb(21,89,172)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(222,132,27)">copied from: [|http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=8529]

<span style="COLOR: rgb(21,89,172)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(222,132,27)">copied from:[|http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/DrugIssue/Features/Immature_Brain_Places_Teenagers_at_Risk_to_Drugs]

<span style="COLOR: rgb(21,89,172)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(222,132,27)">copied from: [|http://www.lcsc.edu/ps205/inside.htm]

__Alcohol: Other Names: Booze__

<span style="COLOR: rgb(25,148,93)">Alcohol also has a very bad effect on the brain, when it is not used in moderation. Using it in moderation, may end in a bad result as well. You could be allergic to alcohol, and could break out in a rash, or worse. When alcohol gets to the brain, it affects millions of your nerve cells. Your communication abilities become slurred, and if you take too much, you may not have enough strength to keep yourself up. Alcohol deprives your cells from retaining oxygen, which can kill them or greatly hurt them.” the brain matures more slowly than other organs of the body, young adults may be even more susceptible to certain permanent, irreversible effects of alcohol.” If your friend is drunk, make sure not to be too pushy because their vision may also be impaired from the injured blood cells. <span style="COLOR: rgb(164,19,19)">Reflections/summary

ALCOHOL ALSO HAS A VERY BAD EFFECT TO BRAIN BECAUSE YOU DO A LOT OF THINGS LIKE YOU CAN CRASH OR YOU CAN GET ARRESTED BY THE POLICE AND YOU CAN GO TO JELL. YOU CAN BE IN JELL

<span style="COLOR: rgb(239,196,42)">Copied from:http://www.teengrowth.com/index.cfm?action=info_article&ID_article=1372&category=danger&catdesc=Danger&subdesc=Drugs#Marijuna http://www.streetdrugs.org/

__Drinking damage__
<span style="COLOR: rgb(139,32,167)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(10,107,194)"> The age when drinking starts affects future drinking problems. For each year that the start of drinking is delayed, the risk of later alcohol dependence is reduced by 14 percent. ** Copied: ** http://www.dontserveteens.gov/dangers.html

** Reflection/Summary: ** <span style="COLOR: rgb(40,1,15)"> This is saying that drinking effects not only effect you for a while its actually effects you for the rest of your life

=**<span style="COLOR: rgb(27,24,160)">Brain **= **
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(8,21,181)">The brain is the "control center" of the nervous system.

**<span style="COLOR: rgb(23,106,155)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(8,21,181)">__The Main Parts of the__ __Brain:__ **
**
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(193,21,21)">__Cerebrum:__
 * **<span style="COLOR: rgb(193,21,21)">Largest Part **
 * **<span style="COLOR: rgb(193,21,21)">"The Grey Matter" **
 * **<span style="COLOR: rgb(193,21,21)">Controls- thinking, awareness, memories, and voluntary movement. **

**
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(151,173,31)">__Cerebellum:__
 * **<span style="COLOR: rgb(151,173,31)">Controls- balance, cordination, and (repeated, practiced) voluntary movements. **

**
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(23,77,151)">__Medulla:__
 * **<span style="COLOR: rgb(23,77,151)">Controls- all automatic, involuntary functions. **


 * copied from: http://7gtscience.wikispaces.com/Brain

<span style="COLOR: rgb(179,77,234)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(64,143,237)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(146,80,237)">Reflection/summary The main parts of the brain are the CEREBRUM, CEREBELLUM, MEDULLA, the CEREBRUM is the largest part and controls thinking, awareness,memories, and voluntary movement ...... the CEREBELLUM controls -balance, ordination and repeated, practiced ........the MEDULLA controls all automatic, involuntary functions.. those are the important parts of the brain ..........

__HOW DOES MARIJUANA AFFECT THE BRAIN?__**

<span style="COLOR: rgb(16,37,229)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(20,119,240)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(233,141,12)">Marijuana impinges on the central nervous system by attaching to brain's neurons and interfering with normal communication between the neurons. These nerves respond by altering their initial behavior. For example, if a nerve is suppose to assist one in retrieving short-term memory, cannabinoids receptors make them do the opposite. So if one has to remember what he did five minutes ago, after smoking a high dose of marijuana, he has trouble. Marijuana plant contains 400 chemicals and 60 of them are cannabinoids, which are psychoactive compounds that are produced inside the body after cannabis is metabolized or is extorted from the cannabis plant. Cannabinoids is an active ingredient of marijuana. The most psychoactive cannabises chemical in marijuana that has the biggest impact on the brain is tetrahedron's, or THC. THC is the main active ingredient in marijuana because it affects the brain by binding to and activating specific receptors, known as cannabises receptors. "These receptors control memory, thought, concentration, time and depth, and coordinated movement. THC also affects the production, release or re-uptake (a regulating mechanism) of various neurotransmitters."[|(2)] Neurotransmitters are chemical messenger molecules that carry signals between neurons. Some of these affects are personality disturbances, depression and chronic anxiety. Psychiatrists who treat schizophrenic patient advice them to not use this drug because marijuana can trigger severe mental disturbances and cause a relapse.
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(233,141,12)">Pot, weed, grass, ganja and skunk, are some of the common words used to describe the dried leaves drug known as marijuana. Marijuana is a cannabis plant that is "usually smoked or eaten to entice euphoria." [|(1)]. Throughout the years, there has been research on the negative and positive effects of marijuana on the human body and the brain. Marijuana is frequently beneficial to the treatment of AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, and chronic pain. However, researchers such as Jacques-Joseph More have been working to explain how marijuana has harmful affects on the functions of central nervous system and hinders the memory and movement of the user's brain. The focus of my web paper is how the chemicals in marijuana, specifically cannabinoids and THC have an effect on the memory and emotions of a person's central nervous system.

<span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,222)">copied from: [|http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1808]>

<span style="COLOR: rgb(192,5,204)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(245,0,224)">REFLECTION/SUMMARY:<span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(48,183,243)"> Pot, weed, grass, ganglia and skunk, are some of the common words used to describe the dried leaves drug known as marijuana. Marijuana is a cannabis plant that is "usually smoked or eaten to entice euphoria." [|(1)]. Throughout the years, there has been research on the negative and positive effects of marijuana on the human body and the brain THATS WHAT IT MAKES WHEN YOU USE MARIJUANA... ** <span style="COLOR: rgb(14,11,14)">

__**<span style="COLOR: rgb(106,208,22)">EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT **__ <span style="COLOR: rgb(180,24,123)">copied from: <span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"> " **[|**http://www.echeat.com/essay.php?t=28967**]**<span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)">" <span style="COLOR: rgb(115,43,107)">reflection\summary: <span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"> <span style="COLOR: rgb(137,215,80)">Frequent marijuana users often forget important things in their life. They don't like admitting their addiction. I myself didn't really like telling other people that i smoked weed, because of the fact that i started at a young age. **<span style="COLOR: rgb(137,215,80)"> __<span style="COLOR: rgb(192,5,204)"> **MARIJUANA EFFECTS THE BRAIN IN DIFFERENT WAYS.**__ <span style="COLOR: rgb(198,36,128)">copied from: "**[|**http://www.echeat.com/essay.php?t=28967**]**" <span style="COLOR: rgb(220,106,106)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(140,69,127)">reflection\summary: <span style="COLOR: rgb(49,74,94)">The use of marijuana can lead you to other, stronger drugs. That will lead you to addiction. I didn't try any other drug but <span style="COLOR: rgb(47,62,106)">marijuana. **<span style="COLOR: rgb(192,5,204)">
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(188,21,21)">A frequent user’s emotional development is delayed when he starts using, and usually takes much longer to develop once the user has become clean and sober for an extended period of time. Drug misuse usually leads to denial. “Denial is one of the hallmarks of chemical dependency. Frequent users not only deny that their drug use is a problem; they may begin using denial to pretend other problems do not exist either. Forgotten birthdays, missed social engagements, and unmet commitments are all ‘no big deal’.”
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(237,137,38)">Marijuana effects the brain in many different ways.marijuana in habits short-term memory by disrupting the nerve cells the hippo campus, the area of the brain where memories are formed. THC binding to receptors in the cerebellum slows reactions and visual tracking, impairing ability to drive or operate machinery. Long term use brings on the inability to extract and understand concepts. Deeper in the brain the psychological effects come into play. Frequent usage changes one’s perceptions, resulting in more intense physical feelings and less intense emotional feelings. Continued stimulation of THC receptors creates the need for more, resulting in addiction. Depending on individual physiological reactions, the use of marijuana can lead to the use of harder drugs such as heroin and methamphetamines.

__**<span style="COLOR: rgb(162,55,241)">How Does Your Brain Communicate? **__
<span style="COLOR: rgb(211,80,209)">In a neuron, a message is an electrical impulse. The electrical message travels along the sending branch, or axon, of the neuron. When the message reaches the end of the axon, it causes the release of a chemical called a neurotransmitter. The chemical travels across a tiny gap, or synapse, to other neurons. <span style="COLOR: rgb(111,235,199)">Specialized molecules called receptors on the receiving neuron pick up the chemical. The branches on the receiving end of a neuron are called dendrites. Receptors there have special shapes so they can only collect one kind of neurotransmitter. <span style="COLOR: rgb(111,235,199)">In the dendrite, the neurotransmitter starts an electrical impulse. Its work done, the chemical is released back into the synapse. The neurotransmitter then is broken down or is reabsorbed into the sending neuron. <span style="COLOR: rgb(111,235,199)">Neurons in your brain release many different neurotransmitters as you go about your day thinking, feeling, reacting, breathing, and digesting. When you learn new information or a new skill, your brain builds more axons and dendrites first, as a tree grows roots and branches. With more branches, neurons can communicate and send their messages more efficiently. **
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(211,80,209)">The brain's job is to process information. Brain cells called neurons receive and send messages to and from other neuron. There are billions of neurons in the human brain, each with as many as a thousand t **<span style="COLOR: rgb(211,80,209)"> **<span style="COLOR: rgb(211,80,209)">hreadlike branches that reach out to other neurons.

<span style="COLOR: rgb(196,139,244)">REFLECTION/SUMMARY :<span style="COLOR: rgb(238,68,68)">How does your brain communicate well the brain jobs is to process information. brain cells called neurons receive and send messages to and from other neuron. <span style="COLOR: rgb(50,231,128)"> **
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(211,120,204)"> <span style="COLOR: rgb(217,74,215)">Copied Form :http://teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/facts_brain1.asp

__<span style="COLOR: rgb(50,231,128)">What Do Drugs Do to the Brain? __
** http://teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/facts_brain1.asp** <span style="COLOR: rgb(255,194,0)">**REFLECTION/SUMMARY**
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(182,130,237)">Some drugs work in the brain because they have a similar size and shape as natural neurotransmitters. In the brain in the right amount or dose, these drugs lock into receptors and start an unnatural chain reaction of electrical charges, causing neurons to release large amounts of their own neurotransmitter. **
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(182,130,237)">Some drugs lock onto the neuron and act like a pump, so the neuron releases more neurotransmitter. Other drugs block reabsorption or reuptake and cause unnatural floods of neurotransmitter.
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(182,130,237)">All drugs of abuse, such as nicotine, cocaine, and marijuana, primarily affect the brain's limbic system. Scientists call this the "reward" system. Normally, the limbic system responds to pleasurable experiences by releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine, which creates feelings of pleasure. **
 * Copied From:
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(134,200,86)">All drugs of abuse, such as nicotine, cocaine, and marijuana, primarily affect the brain's limbic system. Scientists call this the "reward" system. Normally, the limbic system responds to pleasurable experiences by releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine, which creates feelings of pleasure.

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__**<span style="COLOR: rgb(26,135,224)">What Happens if Someone Keeps Using Drugs **__
**
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(239,93,93)">Think about how you feel when something good happens-maybe your team wins a game, you're praised for something you've done well, or you drink a cold lemonade on a hot day-that's your limbic system at work. Because natural pleasures in our lives are necessary for survival, the limbic system creates an appetite that drives you to seek those things. **
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(239,93,93)">The first time someone uses a drug of abuse, he or she experiences unnaturally intense feelings of pleasure. The limbic system is flooded with dopamine. Of course, drugs have other effects, too; a first-time smoker may also cough and feel nauseous from toxic chemicals in a tobacco or marijuana cigarette.
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(239,93,93)">But the brain starts changing right away as a result of the unnatural flood of neurotransmitters. Because they sense more than enough dopamine, for example, neurons begin to reduce the number of dopamine receptors. Neurons may also make less dopamine. The result is less dopamine in the brain: This is called down regulation. Because some drugs are toxic, some neurons may also die. **
 * Coped From:**
 * http://teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/facts_brain1.asp**


 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(197,66,240)">REFLECTION/SUMMARY **
 * <span style="COLOR: rgb(239,93,93)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(105,227,89)">The first time someone uses a drug of abuse, he or she experiences unnaturally intense feelings of pleasure. The limbic system is flooded with dopamine. Of course, drugs have other effects, too; a first-time smoker may also cough and feel nauseous from toxic chemicals in a tobacco or marijuana cigarette.

**