Nicotine


 * Background Section**

Nicotine is used in cigarettes and cigarette products because it acts like a stimulant and it makes people become addicted to the product. Nicotine is in cigarettes and cigars. It is also in certain patches and gums to help people stop smoking. Nicotine acts as a stimulant for the body. It releases adrenaline and increases your metabolism. It also releases Glutamate, which is involved in memory and endorphins which make you happy. Nicotine is used all over the world, including America and Europe, and all major continents for that matter.


 * Chemistry section**

The atomic structure of nicotine is: C10H14N2. The chemical compound looks like

Nicotine is a naturally occurring liquid alkaloid. Nicotine is metabolized in the lungs into Cotinine and nicotine oxide. Nicotine works by docking to a subset of receptors that bind the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Nicotine stimulates cholinergic neurons, which produce dopamine, which is a chemical in the reward pathways of your brain, making you mildly euphoric. Nicotine releases glutamate, which is related to the learning and memory parts of your brain. Nicotine is a naturally occurring liquid in the leaves of the tobacco plant. The leaves are taken and cured for 70-90 days, and then allowed to ferment. The Nicotine is then used in Cigarettes and other products like them. Cigarettes when smoked release carbon monoxide, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, benzene, formaldehyde, acetone, methanol, and vinyl chloride. The vapors can soak into walls floors and carpeting.

Several immediate effects of nicotine are: Increase in blood pressure, Increase in heart rate, Thickening of blood, Narrowing of arteries, Decrease in skin temperature, Increase in respiration, Stimulation of the central nervous system, Vomiting, Diarrhea
 * Human health section**

Long-term effects of nicotine are: High blood pressure, Blockage of blood vessels, Depletion of vitamin C, Reduction in the effectiveness of the immune system, Cancer of the mouth, throat, and lungs, Cancer of the upper respiratory tract, Bronchitis and/or emphysema, Stomach ulcers, Weight loss, Dryness and wrinkling of the skin, Production of abnormal sperm in males, Effects of nicotine on pregnancy/birth, Low birth weight, Premature birth, Greater occurrence of miscarriage and stillbirth, Impairment of mental development, Impairment of physical development, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Baby has a greater likelihood of being hyperactivity.

Withdrawal effects: Drop in pulse rate, Drop in blood pressure, Disturbance of sleep, Slower reactions, Tension, Restlessness, Depression, Irritability, Constipation, Difficulty in concentration, Craving for tobacco

Assorted effects: Nicotine takes 48-72 hours to leave your system. The effects on the human body occur in both long and short term. The long term is significantly worse (cancer, etc) than the short term (nausea).


 * Environmental/political section**

Nicotine is used most commonly by the Tobacco industry. The tobacco industry revolves around lobbying to keep cigarettes and other nicotine products legal. When Nicotine degrades, it releases more nicotine into the air. It can take anywhere from a week, to three months to fully degrade. Nicotine is ingested, which is the only way it is disposed of, cigarettes and cigarette butts are thrown in the trash, in ash trays, or sometimes on the ground. If nicotine were banned, the tobacco industry would take on tremendous losses. Alternative drugs to nicotine are almost all recreational drugs that have the ability to become addictive. They are significantly more expensive than nicotine. If it were banned, we would no longer have cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, nicotine gum, or nicotine patches. Countries that export nicotine are most South American countries that have a warm climate, and anywhere tobacco has the ability to grow. The ban would affect a lot of smokers who are addicted to nicotine, because they would no longer have it. Political ramifications of banning this chemical are that politicians would no longer get pay-offs from the tobacco industry, and the government would lose a lot of money on taxes because cigarettes would no longer be able to be legally sold, and no longer legally taxed.


 * Abstract**

Nicotine is a drug found in tobacco. It is beneficial for large tobacco companies because nicotine is highly addictive. Nicotine is so addictive for several reasons. It acts as a stimulant for mammals and releases endorphins such as glutamate and dopamine. It has been said that nicotine addiction is as powerful as the addiction to crack or heroine. Nicotine is a vital part of society because of the tobacco industry. Nicotine causes a lot of health issues, such as heart and lung disease, Bronchitis, and Cancer. People have become addicted to it because of the good feeling it gives them and the addictive qualities of the chemical, even though the fumes tend to linger in the air and people’s clothing. The Lobbyists of the tobacco industry have kept the chemical legal, and the government has allowed nicotine to be used to keep people using cigarettes so they can continue to collect money on takes from people purchasing their product. I feel like nicotine is definitely hurting the people of the United States, as well as the environment. With so many people in the U.S. smoking and the high rate of things like lung cancer caused by nicotine and tobacco, there is no doubt that something has to be done. However, America relies strongly on the substance. Without it, there would be an outrage and the U.S. would lose large amounts of intake from cigarettes, chewing tobacco, etc. Perhaps a substitute other than a recreational drug can be used as a substitute without the addictive affects.

Nicotine is a vital chemical to the tobacco industry, but at a high cost. Tobacco companies kill off 1% of their clientele each year due to nicotine addiction making them smoke more cigarettes, increasing long term damage. It has very few benefits. Some of these include curbed appetite and a relaxed state of mind; but these come at a hefty cost. People become addicted to it and become irritable without large amounts circulating through their system.
 * Summary**


 * Here is the link to our PSA, please be patient, as it may take time to load.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1084868/Q3_Bmark_Biochem.mov**