Nicotine: Pharmacological Category: Stimulant

Pharmacology Project: Nicotine

Pharmacological Category: Stimulant By definition, nicotine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant. Nicotine behaves in the body much in the way caffeine does. Mainly, it gives you focus, concentration, accelerates your heart rate, breathing rate, and increases blood pressure. Cigarettes and other tobacco products are both physically and psychologically addictive, because they contain a powerful drug called nicotine . Nicotine is a chemical compound present in tobacco. It is absorbed into the bloodstream through mucosal surfaces lining the mouth, nose and airways. Within the body, nicotine is quickly distributed to all the organs and crossed into the
These receptors are abundant in the brain as well as in other areas of the body such as the muscles, heart, adrenal glands and other vital organs. Normally, these receptors are activated by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which is produced at nerve endings in the brain and in the nerves of the peripheral nervous system. Acetylcholine stimulation of the receptors is involved in maintaining healthy respiration, heart function and muscle movement as well as cognitive functions such as memory. Since nicotine has a similar structure to acetylcholine, it can activate the cholinergic receptors. However unlike acetylcholine, nicotine disrupts normal brain function, causing chemical changes and
When a person stops smoking, the withdrawal side effects will appear in one to two days, peaking during the first week, and then subsiding within two to four weeks. Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal include anxiety, cravings, depression, difficulty concentrating, impaired performance, increased appetite and weight gain, irritability, frustration and anger, restlessness and impatience, and sleep disturbances, such as insomnia or sleeping too much. The probable lethal dose of nicotine has been reported to be between 40 and 60 milligrams On average, a cigarette manufactured in the United States contains about 9mg of nicotine, but this is not the amount of nicotine that is ingested by a smoker. When cigarettes are burned, the smoke is inhaled by the user, so the nicotine enters the lungs and is then absorbed into the body, and then enters the bloodstream. The amount of nicotine actually entering the body is typically less than