BOT 2000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Robusta Coffee, Coffea Arabica, Coffea Liberica
Document Summary
Caffeine is considered a staple by many people across the globe and is the primary compound of interest in a variety of stimulating beverages. Caffeine is an alkaloid, a class of compound you will remember from previous units. This psychoactive compound is structurally similar and is a competitive inhibitor (antagonist) of adenosine as it can bind in the adenosine receptor. Since adenosine is associated with sleepiness, inhibiting its action leads to the stimulating effects of caffeine. Another consequence is the accumulation of adrenaline, which has another set of side effects. Caffeine has a wide array of biological effects; it stimulates the heart, acidifies the stomach, causes increased urination, and increases metabolic rate by about 10%. As many students know, excessive amounts can cause anxiety, headache, dizziness, heart problems, insomnia, and mild delirium. Long term use leads to dependence and lack of caffeine can lead to withdrawal symptoms in heavy users. There is much debate about the health implications of caffeine.
