Depressants

**__Depressants__**
//Let's not make them depressing to learn about!//

//By: Karen Lazo//
What are **Depressants**?
 * **Depressants** are drugs (like tranquilizers, sedatives, and hypnotics) that calm and relax (**//depress//**) the central nervous system (CNS) by altering the concentration/activity of chemicals called neurotransmitters.
 * Depressants are sometimes described as anti-depressants because they relieve depression.

**Examples of Depressants: Tranquilizers, Sedatives, Hypnotics, and Benzodiazepines **


 * || **Tranquilizer ** || **Sedative ** || **Hypnotic ** ||
 * || [[image:http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/blow%20dart.jpg width="150" height="93"]] || [[image:http://www.borderdental.co.uk/ivsedationaldershot.gif width="109" height="120"]] || [[image:http://images.clipartof.com/thumbnails/442982-Royalty-Free-RF-Clip-Art-Illustration-Of-A-Cartoon-Hypnotized-Man-Staring-At-A-Spiral.jpg width="125" height="120"]] ||
 * //Dosage // || low to moderate || high || extremely high/lethal ||
 * //Effects// || * calmness
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 105%;">relief from anxiety
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 105%;">very relaxed muscles || * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 105%;">slurred speech
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 105%;">staggering gait
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 105%;">altered perception
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 105%;">sleep induced || * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 105%;">coma/death
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 105%;">respiratory depression

||

|| <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Mogadon® || * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Tranquilizers for anxiety disorder treatments <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">and related insomnia <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">part of the brain that controls emotion.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">**Benzodiazepines** ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 117%; text-align: center;">// **Drugs** // ||  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">Name || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Diazepam || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Nitrazepam || <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%; text-align: center;">**//Uses//** ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">Market Name || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Valium®
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Sleeping pills and muscle relaxants ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">Structure || [[image:http://0.tqn.com/d/chemistry/1/0/a/R/1/Diazepam.jpg width="150" height="169"]] || [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/Nitrazepam.svg/623px-Nitrazepam.svg.png width="206" height="128"]] || * <span style="color: #699393; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">**//Benzodiazepines//** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;"> depress activity in the


 * <span style="color: #e21616; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">**//Danger://** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Dependence ||

<span style="color: #567373; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Another Example: Ethanol**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;"> - clean a small wound <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;"> - on the skin before an injection <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;"> - rubbed on feet to prevent blisters <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;"> - creates mild excitement <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;"> - helps circulation <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;"> - reduces cardio-vascular diseases
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">//Uses// ||
 * * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">Some antiseptic properties
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">Hardens the skin
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">Alcoholic drinks
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">Low doses

||

|| <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;"> abuse and family breakdown <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;"> accidents involving motor vehicles and machinery <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;"> 'hangover' and loss of productivity <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;"> coma/death || * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">dependence/alcoholism, associated with <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;"> withdrawal symptoms
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">**Ethanol Abuse**
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">//Short-term Effects// || <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 105%; text-align: center;">//Long-term Effects// ||
 * * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;"> loss of self-restraint, balance, and judgment
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">memory, concentration, and insight are impaired
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">violent behavior associated with domestic
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">dangerous risk-taking behavior leading to many
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">dehydration caused by increased urine output leading to
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">at high doses, can cause vomiting, loss of consciousness,
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">liver disease, e.g. cirrhosis, liver cancer
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">coronary heart disease
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">high blood pressure
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">fetal alcohol syndrome
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">permanent brain damage ||

<span style="color: #07078a; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Metabolism of Ethanol** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">H-bonds with H2O. Since it's a small organic molecule it can dissolve in lipids and cross cell membranes easily. After <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">being consumed, ethanol passed from the gut into the blood, through the stomach wall, and then to all the tissues of the <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">body.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">So, let's go back to the structure of ethanol, let's especially notice the polar -OH group that lets it form
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">90% of ethanol is broken down in the liver, the rest by the kidneys and lungs.

<span style="color: #044b4b; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Ethanol Analyses**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">The breathalyzer contains crystals of <span style="color: #ff9000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">potassium dichromate (VI) which are orange, but are changed to <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">green <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">chromium (III) ions as they oxidize the ethanol to ethanal and ethanoic acid.
 * <span style="color: #0b9d9d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Breathalyzer Test**



<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">**Note:** Exact wording from the Bubble book!
 * <span style="color: #57584d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Infrared Spectroscopy**

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">- The principle here is that different molecules cause different absorption bands in the infrared spectrum, due to <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">the vibrations of their particular bonds and functional groups. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">-The size of the peak can be used to measure ethanol concentration when compared with a reference from the ambient air.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">Gas-liquid chromatography: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">**Note**- I'm using exact wording from the Bubble book! I can't summarize this that well on my own! <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">non-volatile liquid (the stationary phase).
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Blood and Urine Analysis**
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">Blood or urine is vaporized and injected into a stream of an inert gas (the mobile phase) over the surface of a

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;"> 2. The components of the vapour, including ethanol gas, will move at different rates due to their boiling points and relative <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">solubility in the two phases.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;"> 3. Each leaves the column holding the liquid phase after a specific time interval (retention time).

//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">*A peak at the retention time of ethanol can confirm its presence in the vapor. // //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;"> *The area under the peak is a measure of ethanol concentration relative to a known standard in the mixture such as 1-propanol. //



<span style="color: #751375; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Synergy**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">What is it? No, it isn't a type of energy or new strange brand-name by Colgate or something! <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">**//Synergy//**, specifically for ethanol, is the potential to increase the activity of other drugs when taken at the same time.


 * **<span style="color: #e90909; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">Examples ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Ethanol + alcohol (or medications) -→<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;"> serious/fatal results

|| <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">-→ stomach-lining bleeding + increased risk of ulcers || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">-→ coma (possibly)
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">Ethanol + aspirin
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">Ethanol + other depressants -→ heavy sedation

|| <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">-→ seems to increase the incidence of cancers (esp. intestines and liver)
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">Ethanol + tobacco

|| <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">-→ interferes with metabolism through the liver <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">-→ greater and more prolonged drug effects
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 115%;">Ethanol + many other drugs

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<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">**//Any Questions?//**



<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">//**Sources**// <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">IB Study Guide: Chemistry <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">3rd Edition Chemistry by: John Green & Sadru Damji <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Pearson Baccalaureate HL Chemistry <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Google Images