Introduction
Have you ever been so tired that you reached for that favorite drink of yours to give you a pick me up? have you ever wondered what gives you that energy that makes you feel like you just set your heart on a roller coaster? The answer to what makes that reaction is the one and only, Caffeine. I chose caffeine because I, personally, am addicted to this substance and i use in my everyday life through coffee.
Composition of ...
Caffeine is made up of four elements:
Main Chemicals, Compounds, Components
To make caffeine you would need to add carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen,and oxygen.
The four compounds added and ballanced make up the scientific formula C8 H10 N4 O2, which is trimethylxanthine.
That means that you need 8 carbons, 10 hydrogens, 4 nitrogens, and 2 oxygens.
Chemistry's Role
When you consume caffeine, a chemical reaction occurs in your brain. Caffeine uses the same biochemical mechanisms as other stimulants to stimulate the brain function.It causes increased neuronal firing. This affects everyone differently. Some may have reactions that others may not. For example some may have the jitters or insomnia.
Another chemical reaction that happens is considered dependency. Your brain creates dopamine, the good feeling you get, every time you consume it. After a period of time, your body become dependent on the substance and one can experience withdrawal symptoms when not having it.
Background Research
Caffeine is not a man made substance, it is made through plants. But it can be found in many man made products, soda, as well as in natural made, like the beautiful coffee. There are some good things that caffeine does, it gives people energy and it is said that if you were to drink up to one to three cups of caffeine a day, you have a 9% less likely chance to contract diabetes, as found in a Harvard study.
Resources
http://www.howstuffworks.com/caffeine.htm
http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/nutrition/caffeine.html
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/features/article/dalyacolumn2.htm/
About the Author
Marisa Salazar is addicted to caffeine and drinks up to ten coffees a day. She is currently a barista at starbucks. She will be attending Rocky Mountain College in the fall to major in geology. Her favourite color is orange and she runs about 5 miles a day. Her priorities are in the following order: Running, coffee, rocks. She plans on attending the Rock and Roll running marathon in Las Vegas Nevada this November.Marisa Salazar is addicted to caffeine and drinks up to ten coffees a day. She is currently a barista at starbucks. She will be attending Rocky Mountain College in the fall to major in geology. Her favourite color is orange and she runs about 5 miles a day. Her priorities are in the following order: Running, coffee, rocks. She plans on attending the Rock and Roll running marathon in Las Vegas Nevada this November