LS15 PRACTICE EXAMINATION 2026
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
GUARANTEED TO PASS.
◍ How does alcohol block pain? Answer- Endorphins block pain
messages. Alcohol stimulates endorphin release.
◍ Alcohol + Depression. Answer- Serotonin makes us context. Alcohol
increases serotonin receptor activity.
◍ How does alcohol slow you down? Answer- Glutamate is an
excitatory NT that alcohol blocks the receptors of. It is slowed/slurred
speech.
◍ How do our bodies process alcohol? Answer- Ethanol --> Alcohol
dehydrogenase --> Acetaldehyde --> Aldehyde dehydrogenase -->
Acetic acid
◍ Why can we metabolize alcohol? Answer- Our internal bacteria
produce alcohol in small amounts.
◍ Why does Asians get Asian flush? Answer- 50% of Asians produce
an inactive form of aldehyde dehydrogenase, so acetaldehyde levels
,increase. Acetaldehyde causes rapid pulse, sweating, skin flushing,
nausea/vomiting. Fast flushing is having both copies of inactive
aldehyde dehydrogenase gene, and slow flushing is when there is one
copy.
◍ What are many genetic diseases or beneficial conditions the result of?
Answer- Non-functioning metabolic pathways.
◍ Non-genetic influences on alcohol metabolism. Answer- Antabuse:
Blocks action of aldehyde dehydrogenase
Aspirin: Blocks alcohol dehydrogenase
◍ Why does Antabuse have a low success rate in treating alcoholism?
Answer- Nobody wants to take a daily pill for negative results. Could
work better as a one-a-year thing.
◍ Dopamine receptor gene. Answer- Long version of the gene: more
responsive receptor
Short version of the gene: less responsive receptor
Worldwide, at least 20% carry at least 1 copy of the long gene, so they
get more pleasure from dopamine release.
◍ Short DRD4 gene traits. Answer- -reflective
-rigid
,-loyal
-stoic
-slow-tempered
-frugal
◍ Long DRD4 gene traits. Answer- -impulsive
-exploratory
-fickle
-excitable
-quick-tempered
-extravagant
◍ Correlations and predictions of risk-takers (6 things). Answer- 1.
Spicy food preference
2. Alcohol use/abuse (3.5x more are alcoholics)
3. Sexual novelty seeking (Straight men are 6x more likely to have had
sex with another man, gay men are 5x more likely to have had sex with a
woman)
4. Smoking: Heaviest smokers are 2x more likely to have long allele
5. Drug use: more likely to have tried cocaine
6. ADHD
, ◍ Synapse functioning (6 steps). Answer- 1. Action potential arrives at
terminal button
2. Calcium channels open and calcium rushes in
3. Vesicles fuse with terminal button membrane
4. Neurotransmitter dumped into synapse
5. NT binds with post-synaptic receptors, causing muscle contraction or
action potential
6. Reuptake/enzymatic breakdown of NT
◍ What happens at the synapse? Answer- An action potential is
converted to a chemical signal, releasing NT to stimulate tissue or
another neuron.
◍ Pleasure centers in animal brains, studied by who? Answer- James
Olds put electrodes in the mesolimbic area of rats' brains. Rats loved the
sensation and would do anything to get it. Would navigate complex
mazes, or would self-stimulate to the point of death from starvation
(more than 700 times per hour). It is called a "do-it-again" center.
◍ What good does it do an animal to have a set of neurons that makes
them feel really good? Answer- It feels good when you get status, food,
sex, shelter, etc. We can be motivated to do anything (survive,
reproduce, etc).
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
GUARANTEED TO PASS.
◍ How does alcohol block pain? Answer- Endorphins block pain
messages. Alcohol stimulates endorphin release.
◍ Alcohol + Depression. Answer- Serotonin makes us context. Alcohol
increases serotonin receptor activity.
◍ How does alcohol slow you down? Answer- Glutamate is an
excitatory NT that alcohol blocks the receptors of. It is slowed/slurred
speech.
◍ How do our bodies process alcohol? Answer- Ethanol --> Alcohol
dehydrogenase --> Acetaldehyde --> Aldehyde dehydrogenase -->
Acetic acid
◍ Why can we metabolize alcohol? Answer- Our internal bacteria
produce alcohol in small amounts.
◍ Why does Asians get Asian flush? Answer- 50% of Asians produce
an inactive form of aldehyde dehydrogenase, so acetaldehyde levels
,increase. Acetaldehyde causes rapid pulse, sweating, skin flushing,
nausea/vomiting. Fast flushing is having both copies of inactive
aldehyde dehydrogenase gene, and slow flushing is when there is one
copy.
◍ What are many genetic diseases or beneficial conditions the result of?
Answer- Non-functioning metabolic pathways.
◍ Non-genetic influences on alcohol metabolism. Answer- Antabuse:
Blocks action of aldehyde dehydrogenase
Aspirin: Blocks alcohol dehydrogenase
◍ Why does Antabuse have a low success rate in treating alcoholism?
Answer- Nobody wants to take a daily pill for negative results. Could
work better as a one-a-year thing.
◍ Dopamine receptor gene. Answer- Long version of the gene: more
responsive receptor
Short version of the gene: less responsive receptor
Worldwide, at least 20% carry at least 1 copy of the long gene, so they
get more pleasure from dopamine release.
◍ Short DRD4 gene traits. Answer- -reflective
-rigid
,-loyal
-stoic
-slow-tempered
-frugal
◍ Long DRD4 gene traits. Answer- -impulsive
-exploratory
-fickle
-excitable
-quick-tempered
-extravagant
◍ Correlations and predictions of risk-takers (6 things). Answer- 1.
Spicy food preference
2. Alcohol use/abuse (3.5x more are alcoholics)
3. Sexual novelty seeking (Straight men are 6x more likely to have had
sex with another man, gay men are 5x more likely to have had sex with a
woman)
4. Smoking: Heaviest smokers are 2x more likely to have long allele
5. Drug use: more likely to have tried cocaine
6. ADHD
, ◍ Synapse functioning (6 steps). Answer- 1. Action potential arrives at
terminal button
2. Calcium channels open and calcium rushes in
3. Vesicles fuse with terminal button membrane
4. Neurotransmitter dumped into synapse
5. NT binds with post-synaptic receptors, causing muscle contraction or
action potential
6. Reuptake/enzymatic breakdown of NT
◍ What happens at the synapse? Answer- An action potential is
converted to a chemical signal, releasing NT to stimulate tissue or
another neuron.
◍ Pleasure centers in animal brains, studied by who? Answer- James
Olds put electrodes in the mesolimbic area of rats' brains. Rats loved the
sensation and would do anything to get it. Would navigate complex
mazes, or would self-stimulate to the point of death from starvation
(more than 700 times per hour). It is called a "do-it-again" center.
◍ What good does it do an animal to have a set of neurons that makes
them feel really good? Answer- It feels good when you get status, food,
sex, shelter, etc. We can be motivated to do anything (survive,
reproduce, etc).
