Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Do You Know The Immediate Results Of Nicotine

Nicotine is the active ingredient in tobacco products.


Nicotine (chemical formula C10H14N2) is a naturally occurring oily liquid that is derived from the Solanaceae or tobacco family of plants. It is the active ingredient in tobacco products, including cigarettes, snuff and cigars, and constitutes approximately 0.6 to 3.0 percent of the weight of tobacco. According to "Drugs and Society," nicotine reaches the brain within 10 seconds of inhalation, leading to a range of acute and long-term effects. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, nicotine inhalation due to cigarette smoking causes more than 400,000 deaths in the United States annually.


Physiological Effects


Nicotine stimulates the production of adrenaline, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Adrenaline increases the blood pressure and heart rate by 15 to 20 beats a minute. Other immediate physiological effects of nicotine ingestion include narrowing of the arteries, increase in the rate of respiration, decrease in the temperature of the skin, thickening of the blood, diarrhea and vomiting. Nicotine also suppresses the appetite, accelerates the metabolism and leads to a reduction in weight. It irritates the mucous membranes in the mouth and inhibits the formation of urine.


Psychological Effects


The psychological effects of nicotine vary from person to person. Some report a heightened state of relaxation while others feel mildly agitated and restless. According to the book "Be a Fix-It Genius Using 7 Simple Tools," nicotine has paradoxical effects. It stimulates the central nervous system while having a calming effect on the individual. The book also notes that nicotine injections reduce aggression in animals. According to the "Handbook of Psychology: Health Psychology," nicotine, in general, has positive effects on cognitive functions, such as learning, attention and memory. Its administration improves information processing, vigilance and verbal recall. These effects are impaired if a user is deprived of nicotine.


Release of Neurotransmitters


According to the book "100 Questions & Answers About Quit Smoking," nicotine affects the action of various neurotransmitters, including endorphins, serotonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine and acetylcholine. These neurotransmitters improve short-term attention, memory and learning, enhance pleasure, diminish pain response and improve concentration. Nicotine also affects the parts of the brain that are responsible for regulating the feelings of contentment and gratification. This effect is most likely responsible for the abuse potential of nicotine. One of the immediate effects of nicotine is the release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with addiction and pleasure.









Related posts



    Nicotine is one of the primary components in tobacco, and it is a highly addictive drug. When tobacco smoke is inhaled, nicotine is absorbed into the blood stream and can affect the brain within s...
    Nicotine Side EffectsNicotine is the main ingredient in tobacco products, but is also used in smaller doses to help smokers quit. While nicotine is generally smoked, it can be placed in chewing gu...
    Nicotine Effects on Dopamine ReceptorsNicotine has an effect on the brain that stimulates responses. Essentially, nicotine fires up receptors within the brain which causes a release of neurotransm...
    Nicotine, a naturally occurring alkaloid found in tobacco leaves, most commonly enters the human body as cigarette smoke. Each cigarette contains 10mg to 20mg of nicotine, but the body absorbs onl...
    In his article, "Smoke Gets in Your Brain," Professor of Biology, Henry A. Lester, Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at UCSB, describes the neurological effects of ni...