Addiction

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/addiction

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary neurotransmitter?Dopamine plays a central role in the reward pathway dysregulated by addiction
2. What is the historical perspective shift?Addiction's understanding evolved from a moral failing to a recognized brain disorder
3. What is addiction and how does it affect the brain?Addiction is a chronic brain disorder that makes people keep seeking drugs or behaviors even when it causes harm. It changes brain circuits that control reward, memory, and impulse control. These changes make it hard to stop.
4. Why does the brain keep wanting addictive stuff even when it hurts?The brain’s reward system releases a huge burst of dopamine when using addictive substances, stronger than natural rewards. This strengthens the link between the substance and the feeling, and weakens the brain’s ability to stop cravings.

Neuroadaptations: Changes in brain structure and function resulting from repeated exposure to substances or behaviors.
Mesolimbic Pathway: A key neural circuit in the brain associated with reward, motivation, and pleasure.
Epigenetic Modifications: Changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the underlying DNA sequence.