Research Paper On Alkaloid Coniine

Alkaloids are a group of nitrogen-containing compounds found primarily in plants. In fact, they are one of the largest assortments of chemical weapons produced by plants. “According to R.F. Raffauf, more than 10,000 different alkaloids have been discovered in species from over 300 plant families” (Fester, 2010). Although these chemicals are thought to have been present in our world long before humanity came into being, the structure of some alkaloids such as dopamine and serotonin are unmistakably comparable to the chemicals in our brains known as neurotransmitters whose job is to transmit information throughout our brain and body. Alkaloids have been used throughout history in a variety of ways including medicines, poisons, and drugs used to eliminate suffering. For example, morphine, atropine and cocaine are all types of alkaloids that are known for their medicinal purposes. However, cocaine and morphine have also been recklessly consumed for pleasure and have often caused tragic addictions because many people are unaware of just how powerful these chemicals can be. The alkaloids strychnine and …show more content…
Coniine is a clear, oily substance that rapidly evaporates and is most commonly found in the poisonous plant, Hemlock. Coniine is only one of the eight known alkaloids found in Hemlock; however, it is the alkaloid that is most abundant and primarily responsible for the toxicity of the plant. It is “one of the most toxic plants known” (Larson, 2004). It is poisonous to humans and animals and depending on the dosage, may result in death. However, if poisoned, an individual does have the ability to completely recover if the chemical is properly flushed from the body. Coniine by itself is described to have the same affect on the body as nicotine and is not necessarily deathly on its own unless the “quantity of poison was so overwhelming that it would be impractible” (Larson, 2004) as it has been in some