Alcohol and cars – a volatile mix

Glossary

axon. An extension of a nerve cell that transmits nerve impulses to other cells.

neurotransmitter. A chemical substance, given off by the terminals of a nerve cell or nerve fibre, which affects the next nerve cell or fibre in the chain, thus allowing a message to be passed between different links in the chain. It is the arrival of the electrical impulse at the end of the nerve fibre that causes the release of a neurotransmitter into the small gap (called the synapse) between nerve cells. The neurotransmitter travels across the synapse and excites or inhibits the next nerve cell in the chain.

sphincter. A ring of muscle surrounding a tubular organ or the opening to a hollow organ such as the stomach. When a sphincter muscle contracts, the organ is closed off.

volatile. Volatile substances readily change from a solid or liquid form to a gaseous form. They have a low boiling point and a high vapour pressure.

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Posted October 1999.