BOT 1200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Coffea Canephora, Hemileia Vastatrix, Coffea
Document Summary
Coffee-anatomy: interesting chemicals, history of coffee, cultivation and processing, current issues. We turned to plants as a source of flavourful drinks (fermented beverages, fruit juices) We then looked at beverages that can wake us up. The alkaloid (secondary compound), caffeine, is structurally similar to adenosine (a chemical messenger in the brain that interacts with nerve cells), a chemical found in the brain that leads to sedation. Adenosine causes arteries to dilate and suppresses motor skills. Caffeine out competes the adenosine to make you feel awake. There are natural proteins that can to interact with your brain. Caffeine makes a person more alert because it releases the hormone adrenaline, regulates dopamine levels. Caffeine is a mild stimulant\drug; there is an addiction. These chemicals compete for adenosine receptors in the brain. Within 15 mins of consuming coffee ea, caffeine reaches peak levels in the bloodstream. Effects: stomach of acid, needing to go to the bathroom, increase in metabolic rate.