Foreign Substances Like Nicotine, Morphine, and Menthol Exert Their Initial

Question

Foreign substances like nicotine, morphine, and menthol exert their initial effects by
A)killing cells immediately, exerting their physiological effects by causing cell death.
B)diffusing through cell plasma membranes and binding to transcription factors to change gene expression.
C)interacting with cell-surface receptors, causing the receptors to transduce signal inappropriately in the absence of the normal stimulus.
D)removing cell-surface receptors from the plasma membrane.

Accepted Answer

Foreign substances like nicotine, morphine, and menthol interact with cell-surface receptors which are designed to recognize endogenous molecules such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and growth factors. By binding to these receptors, these foreign substances can cause them to transduce signals inappropriately leading to altered cellular function.