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F E AT U R E S
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ASK THE
SCIENTIST
Physiological
effects of nicotine
withdrawal
SYNAPSE WITH NICOTINE
NICOTINE
Words: Richard Cunningham
S
mokers and vapers of nicotine-containing e-liquids will all be
well-aware of that desire for your next smoke or puff of an
e-cigarette and how diffi cult it is to cut down or quit altogether.
So why is it so hard to quit and what effects are happening within the
body?
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When someone smokes tobacco or vapes nicotine e-liquid, nicotine
DOPAMINE
is rapidly absorbed into the pulmonary
system facilitated by the
large surface area of the lungs. From there, nicotine enters the
arterial bloodstream and into the brain where it interacts with several
receptors and pathways causing a physiological response.
RECEPTOR
The fi rst thing people will notice is that
their heartrate increases. This
is through the activation of the adrenal glands that release adrenaline.
This leads to the constriction of blood vessels and increased heart rate
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and blood pressure, which can give an
enhanced feeling of alertness.
The body has numerous neurotransmitters
that behave as chemical
ABSORBED
messengers which control signalling between neurons, and neurons
DOPAMINE
to muscles, upon interaction with receptors. Nicotine can mimic the
neurotransmitter acetylcholine that is produced naturally in small
amounts and regulated by the body.
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DOPAMINE
RECEPTOR
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DOPAMINE
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