Explain the Role of Endogenous Opioids in the Pain Experience

question 23

Essay

Explain the role of endogenous opioids in the pain experience.

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Definitions:

Basic Drives

Fundamental biological impulses that drive behavior, such as hunger, thirst, sleep, and reproduction.

Hypothalamus

A region of the brain below the thalamus that coordinates both the autonomic nervous system and the activity of the pituitary, controlling body temperature, thirst, hunger, and other homeostatic systems, and involved in sleep and emotional activity.

Cerebral Cortex

Outer gray matter layer of the cerebrum; region responsible for most complex behavior.

Gray Matter

Central nervous system tissue consisting of neuron axon terminals, cell bodies, dendrites, and some neuroglia.