MedicineNet.com
About Us | Privacy Policy | Site Map
November 24, 2009
MedicineNet home Picture Slideshows Diseases and conditions Symptoms and signs Procedures and tests Medications Health and Living Picture Image Collection MedTerms medical dictionary
Font Size
A
A
A


Nicotine

What is nicotine?

Nicotine is the drug in tobacco leaves. Whether someone smokes, chews, or sniffs tobacco, he or she is delivering nicotine to the brain. Each cigarette contains about 10 milligrams of nicotine. Nicotine is what keeps people smoking despite its harmful effects. Because the smoker inhales only some of the smoke from a cigarette and not all of each puff is absorbed in the lungs, a smoker gets about 1 to 2 milligrams of the drug from each cigarette. A drop of pure nicotine would kill a person-in fact, nicotine can be used as a pesticide on crops.



Next: What are the common street names for nicotine? »

Printer-Friendly Format  |  Email to a Friend


Suggested Reading by Our Doctors
MedicineNet Doctors
  • Lung Cancer - Get the facts on lung cancer treatment, diagnosis, staging, causes (smoking), types (adenocarcinoma, squamous cell), prevention, symptoms, warning signs and survival rates.
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - Learn about COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease which is primarily two related diseases - chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
  • Emphysema - Learn about emphysema, a progressive lung disease. Emphysema is a symptom of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) with symptoms like shortness of breath, wheezing. Manifestations of COPD include chronic bronchitis, asthma, bronchiectasis, and emphysema.

Latest Medical News


Smoking Cessation

Get tips, treatments, & motivation.


Are you Depressed? Take the Quiz

Your Guide to Symptoms & Signs: Pinpoint Your Pain



Nicotine

What are the lungs?

The lungs are a pair of organs in the chest, which are primarily responsible for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air we breathe and the blood.

What does breathing accomplish?

The cells in the body constantly need a new supply of oxygen to produce energy. With lack of oxygen, cellular function is impaired and damage or cell death may occur. As energy is utilized, waste products are created, one of which is the gas carbon dioxide. Eliminating carbon dioxide from the body is just as important as breathing in oxygen from the air. If carbon dioxide builds up in the blood it will lead to headaches, drowsiness, coma, and eventually even death.

What is the structure of the respiratory system?

Air enters the body via the nose (preferably) or the mouth. The air enters the main windpipe, called the trachea, and continues en route to each lung via ...

Read the Lungs Design And Purpose article »










Health categories:

Slideshows | Diseases & Conditions | Symptoms & Signs | Procedures & Tests | Medications | Health & Living | News & Views | Medical Dictionary

Popular health centers:

Allergies | Arthritis | Cancer | Diabetes | Digestion | Healthy Kids | Heart | Men's Health | Mental Health | Women's Health | More...

Publications:

ePublications (PDFs) | XML News via RSS | Audio Podcasts | Email Newsletters

MedicineNet.com:

About Us | Privacy Policy | Site Map | WebMD® | Medscape® | eMedicine® | eMedicineHealth® | RxList®

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify. This site complies to the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.

©1996-2009 MedicineNet, Inc. All rights reserved. Notices and Legal Disclaimer.
MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.