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Morphine: Difference between revisions
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Morphine acts on the central nervous system by binding to opioid receptors. It binds primarily to the mu-receptors in the thalamic, hypothalamic, and amygdalar regions of the brain, the nucleus caudatus, the putamen, and certain cortical areas, as well as the periaqueductal grey area of the brain, the ''substantia gelatinosa'' region of the spinal cord, and the spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve<ref name=emsb/><ref name=toxipedia/><ref name=newsmedical2>[http://www.news-medical.net/health/Morphine-Pharmacology.aspx]</ref>. It can also bind to kappa and delta-type opioid receptors<ref name=toxipedia>[http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Morphine]</ref>. | Morphine acts on the central nervous system by binding to opioid receptors. It binds primarily to the mu-receptors in the thalamic, hypothalamic, and amygdalar regions of the brain, the nucleus caudatus, the putamen, and certain cortical areas, as well as the periaqueductal grey area of the brain, the ''substantia gelatinosa'' region of the spinal cord, and the spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve<ref name=emsb/><ref name=toxipedia/><ref name=newsmedical2>[http://www.news-medical.net/health/Morphine-Pharmacology.aspx]</ref>. It can also bind to kappa and delta-type opioid receptors<ref name=toxipedia>[http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Morphine]</ref>. | ||
In the brain, morphine works by altering the body's perception of pain. It binds to | In the brain, morphine works by altering the body's perception of pain. It binds to mu-receptors in the brain and keeps them from receiving pain signals<ref name=toxipedia/>. When morphine binds to and activates the mu-receptors, it also causes sedation, euphoria, physical dependence, and respiratory depression<ref name=newsmedical2/>. Morphine binds to the mu-receptors at the same sites that endorphins and dynorphins usually do. Endorphins and dynorphins are responsible for relieving pain or anxiety when a person is injures, and since morphine can bind to the mu-receptors in much greater quantities than endorphins normally do, it creates feelings of euphoria<ref name=enotes>[http://www.enotes.com/drugs-substances-encyclopedia/morphine/effects-body]</ref>. Morphine also attaches to GABA inhibitory interneurons that control the inhibition of pain. The morphine also binds to the descending pain inhibitory pathway in the spinal cord, where it inhibits the release of neurotransmitters in the opioid receptors<ref name=drugbank>[http://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00295]</ref>. This decreases the amount of pain stimuli that reach the brain from the body<ref name=nda>[http://www.nda.ox.ac.uk/wfsa/html/u03/u03_016.htm]</ref>. Morphine can bind to the opioid receptors because it has the same B-phenylthylamine unit that endorphins have. LSD and many other hallucinogens also possess this unit and can bind to the same sites<ref name=toxipedia/>. | ||
== Chemical Structure == | == Chemical Structure == | ||
