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Nicotine

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Nicotine

Nicotine
There are sixty-four species of tobacco plants that are native to Americans. The tobacco plant is naturally a sticky plant that has large leaves and flowers. Physically, tobacco plants are categorized into the nightshade family. Nicotine is produced in the roots and stored in its leaves. The function of nicotine is an insecticide which protects the plant from herbivores.
The drug nicotine was brought from America to Europe by Fernando Cortes in the early 1500’s. A man named Jean Nicot used tobacco as a cure for headaches, which led to the use of his name in the term “nicotine.” People in Europe continued to use tobacco as a cure for certain illnesses. It wasn’t until 1807, that Gaspare Cerioli first extracted nicotine from the tobacco plant. (Katarina Lah May 08, 2011)
There are over four thousand chemicals that tobacco leaves contain when burned, nicotine being the most popular. The nicotine is what causes smokers to become addicted. When you inhale tobacco, the nicotine is what spreads to every organ in your body. Small or large doses can stimulate the brain and nervous system. Your heart rate and blood pressure increase, and give to the excessive clotting in smokers.(Nicotine, n.d.)
Our brains consist of millions of nerve cells. They converse by releasing chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. Each neurotransmitter specifically fits into a hole, called a receptor. When the two find each other, it stimulates the receptors nerve cell. A nicotine molecule that matches the form of a neurotransmitter is called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine consists of heart rate, muscle movement, breathing, learning and memory. When nicotine reaches the brain it attaches to the acetylcholine receptors and copies them, producing feelings of pleasure called dopamine. Dopamine is the key role in addictions. ( Maria Trimarchi,2001)
Of the many drugs

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