A common neurotransmitter is acetylcholine (ACh), which excites the post-synaptic neuron - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 18 - 2011 - Paper 1
Question 18
A common neurotransmitter is acetylcholine (ACh), which excites the post-synaptic neuron. Lack of ACh in brain synapses has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. A num... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A common neurotransmitter is acetylcholine (ACh), which excites the post-synaptic neuron - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 18 - 2011 - Paper 1
Step 1
a. administer eserin as a drug.
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Answer
Administering eserin could be beneficial as it inhibits acetylcholinesterase, which means it would allow acetylcholine (ACh) to remain in the synapse longer, potentially improving communication between neurons affected in Alzheimer's disease.
Step 2
b. inject curare into the patient’s CNS.
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Answer
Injecting curare would likely have negative effects, as it blocks ACh receptors. This would hinder synaptic transmission and worsen the patient's condition.
Step 3
c. recommend that the patient stop smoking.
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Answer
While recommending that the patient stop smoking is generally good health advice, it is not directly related to addressing the cholinergic deficiencies in Alzheimer's disease and thus not a specific treatment.
Step 4
d. purposely infect the patient with Clostridium.
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Infecting the patient with Clostridium is also inadvisable because it would lead to the release of botulinum toxin, which prevents the release of ACh and could cause further neurological damage.
