BIOC 2010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Silicon Dioxide, Silane, Silanes
Document Summary
Exists in nature only as the s enantiomer. Cns stimulant (psychoactive drug: activates a particular kind of receptor, agonist at nicotinic cholinergic receptors throughout the ans, stimulates neurotransmitter release (including dopamine and serotonin) Normal ligands for these nicotinic cholinergic receptors is acetylcholine. Don"t necessarily see mimicry like we did with caffeine and various purines. Since acetylcholine is a relatively simple molecule, the receptor can be activated by a large number of similar compounds. Over time, if you are not exposed to the nicotine level, the number of receptors goes down. When there is a c-c single bond, rotation is allowed. If there is a double bond, no rotation: substituents exist in a single bond. Carbon bonding is special because of the various bonding arrangements: branched, linear, cyclic skeletons that are the basis of all biomolecules. Because of the rotational flexibility of the c-c single bond, long chains tend to be very flexible: great deal of conformational flexibility of biomolecules.