The Chemistry of Drugs
Delta 9 Tetrahydrocannabinol is the primary psychoactive
constituent of Cannibis sativa, and is bound to two cannabinoid
receptors: CB1 receptors, located primarily in the brain, and CB2
receptors, located primarily in the periphery (Wiley & Martin
2002). A cannabinoid is defined as a substance that has
pharmacological properties that resemble those of delta 9 THC i.e.
" a drug that binds to CB1 and /or CB2 receptors in vitro and
produces a profile of in vivo effects in the tetrad model" (Wiley
2002). THC inhibits the function of the enzyme adenylate cyclase
which is involved in the transmission of pain messages. While
there are over 60 cannibinoids identified in the plant Cannabis
sativa, Delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol is the primary mood altering
psychoactive agent in marijuana. Marijuana effects acetylcholine
synthesis and turnover in the limbic region of the brain and in
the cerebellum. (Harwood 2005)
Eldreth, Matochik Cadet, and Bolla (2004) used PET 15 and a
modified version of the Stroop task to determine if 25 day
abstinent heavy marijuana users experienced persistent deficits in
executive cognitive functioning and brain activity. The
performance on a modified version of the Stroop task and brain
activity was compared between 25 day abstinent, heavy users, and a
matched comparison group. The 25 day abstinent users showed no
deficits in performance on the modified version of the Stroop task
when compared to the comparison group. They also found that
despite the lack of performance differences, the anterior
cingulated cortex and the left lateral prefrontal cortex had
hyperactivity in the hippocampus bilaterally, when compared to the
comparison group. The results suggested that users display
persistent metabolic alterations in brain regions responsible for
executive cognitive functioning. (Eldreth, Matochik, Cadet, &
Bolla 2004).
When performing the Stoop task, marijuana users were found to
have greater activation compared to the comparison group in the
left and right hippocampus. Marijuana users also failed to
activate to the same extent as the comparison group in the left
lateral prefrontal cortex and the left perigenual anterior
cingulated cortex.
According to Gardner (2002) drugs that are addictive to
humans are similar to animal model systems in five ways. First,
drugs enhance electrical brain stimulation reward in the core
meso-accumbens reward circuitry of the brain, a circuit
encompassing that portion of the medial forebrain bundle which
links the ventral tegmental area of the mesencephalic midbrain
Today, Johnson & Johnson is a pharmaceutical giant worth $71 billion. The company is listed on NYSE as JNJ with 2.83 billion shares outstanding with the value of $92.7 per share.
Studying the functions of the various structures of the brain is best carried out through analysis of brain defects. For example, individuals with autism exhibit particular behaviors that are not considered normal. Assuming that behavior originates from the brain, then it becomes clear that in order to discover the causes of the abnormal behavior a comparison must be made between and healthy brain and the brain of an autistic person. By finding structural differences such as size and composition, the role that the structures play in the behavior of the autistic can be inferred while also investigating the normal functions of brain structures.
Heath, Joseph. "The democracy deficit in Canada." University of Toronto. homes.chass.utoronto.ca/~jheath/democracy.pdf (accessed October 17, 2013)
useful in the relief of mild to moderate pain. It is also used as a cough remedy
Author, Andrew Johns, in his journal, “Psychiatric Effects of Cannabis,” analyzes the dangers of the drug to human beings. John’s aims to find out the effects of the drug to its users, the rehabilitation process for addicts, and the subsequent damages caused by addiction. He adopts a resilient tone to encourage determination in fighting addiction and use of cannabis to his readers.
The human body produces naturally occurring cannabinoids. The cannabinoids are lipophilic. Delta-8 and Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have been found to produce most of the psychoactive effects of marijuana (Carter et al., 2003). Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol appears to be the most abundant cannabinoid and the main source of cannabis' impact. Cannabidiol is
There are many biological factors that are involved with the addicted brain. "The addicted brain is distinctly different from the nonaddicted brain, as manifested by changes in brain metabolic activity, receptor availability, gene expression, and responsiveness to environmental cues." (2) In the brain, there are many changes that take place when drugs enter a person's blood stream. The pathway in the brain that the drugs take is first to the ventral tegmentum to the nucleus accumbens, and the drugs also go to the limbic system and the orbitofrontal cortex, which is called the mesolimbic reward system. The activation of this reward system seems to be the common element in what hooks drug users on drugs (2).
According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years,” meaning that America’s children need to start eating healthier, including healthier school lunches. The National School Lunch Act is a fairly recent addition to American society. For, as the world waged war a second time, the United States began to worry about the strength and health of the country’s soldiers. However, in the beginning, selling excess agricultural goods was more important than building a healthy, well-balanced meal for students. Unfortunately, many children coming from poorer families could not afford well-balanced school lunches, so in order to compensate, the School Lunch Program changed its focus to help these students. This program, however, decreased schools’ lunch budgets, and schools had a hard time keeping up with the amount of free meals they had to provide, so they came up with some extra ways to increase revenue. However, in a small town in Massachusetts, one chef makes a difference in the health of the school lunch students eat each day, and proves that hiring a trained chef to cook real, healthy meals can increase profit. Unfortunately, that is not the case in most schools across the nation. The quality of health of the food being served in school lunches is extremely poor and was allowed to decline even more with a new set of rule changes. However, there are some improvements currently being made to increase the quality of health of the food being served to students, including teaching them all about food and its nutritional information, both good and bad. In order for students to eat healthier lunches at school, the USDA needs to implement healthier ...
Canada’s parliamentary system is designed to preclude the formation of absolute power. Critics and followers of Canadian politics argue that the Prime Minister of Canada stands alone from the rest of the government. The powers vested in the prime minister, along with the persistent media attention given to the position, reinforce the Prime Minister of Canada’s superior role both in the House of Commons and in the public. The result has led to concerns regarding the power of the prime minister. Hugh Mellon argues that the prime minister of Canada is indeed too powerful. Mellon refers to the prime minister’s control over Canada a prime-ministerial government, where the prime minister encounters few constraints on the usage of his powers. Contrary to Mellon’s view, Paul Barker disagrees with the idea of a prime-ministerial government in Canada. Both perspectives bring up solid points, but the idea of a prime-ministerial government leading to too much power in the hands of the prime minister is an exaggeration. Canada is a country that is too large and complex to be dominated by a single individual. The reality is, the Prime Minister of Canada has limitations from several venues. The Canadian Prime Minister is restricted internally by his other ministers, externally by the other levels of government, the media and globalization.
Ramachandran, Vilayanur S., and Lindsay S. Oberman. "Broken Mirrors: A Theory of Autism." Scientific American Journal. (2006): 62-69. Web. 29 Nov. 2013.
Lunch is one of the most important meals of the day and is consumed mostly in school cafeterias for children and adolescence. Wholesome lunches are vital in maintaining a healthy metabolism and give children energy for the rest of the school day. Children are advised to eat healthily but do not always do so because the choices of tastier, fatty foods offered in school cafeterias. The National School Lunch Program, NSLP, which is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools set nutritious guidelines for lunches served in school cafeterias (USDA). However, school campuses still offer foods high in fat as well as selling candy, chips, and soda in their vending machines, as well as their school shops. In order
Biological evolution is the change in the inherited and genetic characteristics of a species. Much of what makes us human is our physical appearance and biological adaptations. Human ancestry originates in primates and over time, we have physically evolved a great deal in order to become the modern humans that we are today. Humans have larger brain sizes, longer legs, and are habitually bipedal all of which biologically separate humans from other animals and create the human identity.
Do you remember your favorite “School Lunch”? I do, I essentially had two favorites; pizza and hamburgers with fries. Think back, wasn’t there at least one school lunch that the lunch ladies made that everyone was so excited to eat. Kids that habitually brought their super hero lunch box with thermos would leave it at home and be in line for pizza or burgers and fries. We could also go back for “seconds”, it was the best meal of the week including what was served at home. The federal government has been involved in the NSLP (National School Lunch Program) since 1946 with the implementation of the National School Lunch Act. These initial programs developed the commodity distribution program for schools, institutions, needy households, summer
In some people's opinion drug abuse is a choice, and some believe it is forced upon due to peer pressure or the pressures of life. Some people are able to use prescription drugs without ever experiencing negative consequences or addiction. Even though some drugs are not considered hazardous if they are plant based or are only used occasionally in a controlled manner, it can still result in severe consequences. The use of unprescribed drugs should just be avoided in the first place, if not for a legitmate medical use. Drugs can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle, and can cause serious damage physically and mentally. The reasoning for my stern opinion that unhealthy drug use is overall problematic, is due to the experience of losing my best friend from drug abuse.
Intro: Organic chemistry is the scientific study of the structure of organic compounds. This includes the properties of the compounds and what occurs during chemical reactions. The structure of these compounds is found through analysing the results of Ultra violet spectroscopy. There have been many famous chemists over time who have made some ground breaking discoveries. None more so than R.B Woodward who almost single handily revolutionised the field of organic chemistry, winning a Nobel Prize in 1965 for his work on organic synthesis.