First Advisor

Hugo Maynard

Term of Graduation

Summer 1979

Date of Publication

8-1-1979

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.) in Psychology

Department

Psychology

Language

English

Subjects

Nitrous oxide -- Physiological effect, Consciousness

DOI

10.15760/etd.837

Physical Description

1 online resource (4, vi, 189 pages)

Abstract

Psychological and physiological effects of nitrous oxide resemble those of eight other drug categories. Lipid solubility or hydrate microcrystal theories correlate behavioral measures with measurable parameters of the molecule N2O. N2O, a spindle poison, halts mitosis in metaphase, producing widespread physiological consequences. N2O affects the microtubules of the spindle in a number of specific ways. Microtubules are utilized in other parts of eukaryotic cells, in a wide variety of functions. In neurons, microtubules build and maintain dendritic sensory processes. Since microtubules are built of two dissimilar proteins, constantly assemble and disassemble, and maintain a more negative interior potential, they would be responsive to changes in summed post-synaptic dendritic potential. Microtubules respond to N2O with a loss of communication between subcellular components, and between cells. Chromosomes, proteins, and ATP are no longer transported efficiently. Such fundamental changes might explain nitrous oxide's effects in "potentiating" other drugs, and upon perception and memory.

Rights

© Dody Michelson Orendurff 1979

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Comments

If you are the rightful copyright holder of this dissertation or thesis and wish to have it removed from the Open Access Collection, please submit a request to pdxscholar@pdx.edu and include clear identification of the work, preferably with URL.

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/4318

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