Trona,+Nathaniel

Morphine

Here is the structural formula to morphine:



The chemical formula is C 17 H 19 NO 3

Uses of Morphine
 * The main use of morphine is an analgesic pain reliever
 * Used to treat severe pain
 * For cancer, morphine is used to treat shortness of breath
 * Can be injected intravenously or administered orally, as seen in the pictures below


 * In the past, morphine was used a lot. In World War II, if you were wounded on the field, a medic would dose you up with morphine because it takes the pain away. It is pretty easy to get addicted to morphine, so soldiers that came home coined the term 'Soldier's Disease' for morphine addiction

Here is the portable syringe medics would carry in WWII


 * Morphine is the strongest pain reliever available

How does morphine work, might one ask? Well that's a great question. Being an opioid pain reliever, it binds to opioid receptors in the brain and in the central nervous system. Basically it changes your perception of pain, so what used to hurt a lot now has no feeling, and that's why it's such a good pain reliever. It also reduces your emotional response to pain. However, this drug is highly addictive and can cause terrible side effects like constipation.

Extraction and Synthesis Here's a step by step of how morphine is produced!


 * 1) Collect opium plants - the morphine alkaloid is the most abundant in this plant
 * 2) Add meconic and sulfuric acid. The acid extracts alkaloid molecules from the rest of the plant
 * 3) Repeat that step about 6 times to get maximum alkaloids from the opium
 * 4) A solution of alkaloids is collected from the extraction with acid
 * 5) With that solution, sodium carbonate or ammonium hydroxide is added to precipitate the alkaloids
 * 6) Morphine is then separated from the other alkaloids by purifying, typically with distillation, filtration, etc.

Chemical and Physical Properties

The structure of morphine contains benzene rings. There are also two hydroxyl function groups and an ether linkage. There are many more complexities to the structure of it. Morphine is considered a benzylisoquioline alkaloid. It's molar mass is 285 grams per mole and is a solid at STP. Here's some quick properties:


 * Melting point: 254 Celsius
 * Density: 1.31 g/mL
 * Pure morphine: White, crystalline, odorless, bitter
 * pH of saturated solution of morphine: 8.5
 * One gram dissolves in 5 L of 25 degree C water

Morphine has some pretty powerful characteristics. This narcotic is a drug to be reckoned with.

Side Effects
 * respiratory problems
 * stiff muscles, seizures
 * cold, clammy skin
 * confusion
 * weakness
 * trouble swallowing;
 * troubles with urinating
 * paleness
 * weight loss
 * constipation, diarrhea
 * nausea, vomiting
 * flushing of skin
 * headache, dizziness
 * memory loss
 * sleep problems

Not only can all that happen, but you can get addicted to it.

http://www.emsb.qc.ca/laurenhill/science/morphine_files/image022.gif http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NZVSc0F58-8/RZ5zN9K44sI/AAAAAAAAABc/URL4gLdgL8Q/s400/MorphinPy2.png http://www.drugnet.net/resources/gallery_photo/morphine120.jpg http://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/images/multum/Morphine%20ER%2030%20mg-ABG.jpg http://world-war-two.info/images/US_Morphine_Syrette.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphine#Effects_on_human_performance []