HealthCare News
Morphine, Making Our OwnMorphine is a naturally occurring member of a large class of chemical compounds called alkaloids. The name morphine (which comes from Morpheus, the mythologic god of dreams) was coined in 1805 by the German apothecary Adolf Serturner to designate the main alkaloid contained in opium which, in turn, comes from the poppy plant. Study: Now, 200 years later, a group of German researchers have reported that human cells also produce morphine. They suggest that morphine may be a naturally occurring compound in the human body. Comment: This is only part of the story. There are still many questions to be answered. How much morphine is produced by humans? Under what circumstances? Does this morphine bind to the morphine receptors present on all the cells in the body? Could the internal production of morphine be enhanced in some way? This should be very interesting research to follow. Barbara K. Hecht,Ph.D.
Frederick Hecht, M.D.
Medical Editors, MedicineNet.com
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