For those of us who can't survive the morning without our cup of coffee, we know the benefits of caffeine. It gives us the artificial energy that we need to survive our heavy workloads. But what exactly does caffeine do to our bodies? What is this chemical and how does it affect us in such an overpowering way?.
Caffeine, also known as trimethylxanthine, is derived from a wide variety of plants. Contained in coffee beans, tealeaves, and cocoa pods caffeine is most likely the world's most popular recreational drug. It provides users with numerous sensations, such as rapid heart rate, excitement, and dizziness.
Caffeine is composed entirely of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, with the general formula C8H10N4O2. This combination of chemicals causes blood vessels in the brain to close so the brain and body cannot sleep. They also cause the release of adrenaline into the body, so the body remains active and alert, as well as manipulate dopamine production in the brain, so the person experiences a temporary "high." .
Fig. 1.2 Shorthand Notation.
The simple shape of caffeine influences how it reacts in the body. In it's pure form it is either a crystalline with hexagonal prisms or a white powder. The chemical structure of caffeine is very similar to that of adenine (a component of ATP, DNA, and cyclic AMP). The only difference is the substituents. .
This similar structure is why Caffeine is such a stimulant in the body. "Because of the structural similarities, caffeine can slip right into adenosine receptors, keeping cyclic AMP active rather than it being broken down. When cyclic AMP breaks down, the body's energy supply decreases. Because caffeine fools the body into using enzymes to break it down instead, the cyclic AMP supply remains higher for longer. (3)" .
Fig. 1.3 Lewis Structure.
