By: Danielle Kraft Block 3 Project: Caffeine By: Danielle Kraft Block 3

What is Caffeine and what does it do? Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. Caffeine stimulates brain activity, therefore increasing productivity and energy that last about 3-4 hours. Caffeine does this by blocking the collection of adenosine, a chemical in your brain responsible for drowsiness.

Where is Caffeine found? Caffeine is found in many foods and beverages, the most well known being coffee. Other beverages containing caffeine include teas, colas, and energy drinks. Caffeine can be found in chocolate as well.

Where does Caffeine come from? Caffeine comes from plants grown in South America and East Asia. These plants are kola nuts, yerba mate, and guarana. The process called infusion is used to extract caffeine from these plants.

What is Caffeine’s classification? The classification of caffeine is known as the methyl xanthine class.

What is the chemical makeup of Caffeine? The chemical makeup of caffeine is carbon (C), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N), and oxygen (O). These are also elements found in life. Caffeine is related to the nitrogenous bases Adenine and Guanine, which are found in our DNA.

How does one acquire Caffeine? If one would like to acquire caffeine or know how to, the most common area to acquire it is in a grocery store. Purchasing coffee beans, chocolate, soda, or some teas will get one what they need.

What are the slang terms for Caffeine? Due to its full legality, Caffeine doesn’t have any slang (or street) terms. However, since one of the most popular byproducts of caffeine is coffee, many people refer to coffee as Joe, Java, or Go Juice.

How do you ingest Caffeine? Depending on what you buy that has caffeine in it, you simply consume it orally.

What are some drugs similar to Caffeine? Since caffeine is a drug that doesn’t seem to do us harm, similar drugs to caffeine most likely have more extreme effects at the end of their spectrum. Other stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines seem to be more commonly abused stimulants, but since they have more detrimental effects they aren’t completely the same.

Does Caffeine have medicinal uses? While caffeine has a common use for itself, finding its way into our “Is it Friday Yet?” mugs, it also has medicinal uses. It can be prescribed as a citrate (which treats premature babies or young children) to assist with breathing problems. For adults, caffeine can increase the effects of aspirin or acetaminophen (drugs such as Excedrin or Midol). Caffeine is also used with a drug known as Ergotamine to treat migraine headaches.

What are the psychological effects of Caffeine? The psychological effects of caffeine lean both sides: positive and negative, just like many great things do. Positively, caffeine can cause you to become more alert, attentive, and concentrated towards a goal. However, negatively, you may develop short-term anxiety, irritability, or depression. Watch your caffeine!

Citation for Health Picture http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Caffeine