Alcohol
Alcohol (when used commonly refers to ethanol) is consumed widely around the world for numerous reasons. Its properties have been both praised and demonized. In humans it generally acts as a depressant with, conversely, mild stimulating effects of some parts of the brain. At low levels of consumption alcohol has minimal effects on a person; at higher levels it leads to disorientation, coma, and death. Most alcohol that is consumed is removed from the body via the liver, which breaks alcohol down before removal.
However, alcohol can readily cross any cell membrane. Ethanol is widely used as a solvent and disinfectant. It is used as a solvent because it breaks down many proteins and other molecules, such as lipids, which form the main structure of cell walls. It is used as a disinfectant for the same reasons — it breaks down bacteria and many viruses. When consumed, alcohol has similar effects on cells in the body. It can break down the lipids and proteins that form the walls of cells. Body tissue left in alcohol will dissolve over time (this is one reason why alcohol is sometimes used as a marinade or tenderizer for meat).
Most of the time, the concentration of alcohol in the body is too low to do much, if any, damage to cells; however, over time as alcohol continues to be consumed it can have lasting effects on the body. This is one of the effects that leads to sclerosis of the liver; eventually the toxicity and solvent effects of alcohol are too much for the liver.
Cocaine
Cocaine produces its powerful high by acting on the brain. But as cocaine travels through the blood, it affects the whole body. Cocaine is responsible for more U.S. emergency room visits than any other illegal drug. Cocaine harms the brain, heart, blood vessels, and lungs — and can even cause sudden death. Here’s what happens in the body: Heart. Cocaine is bad for the heart. Cocaine increases heart rate and blood pressure while constricting the arteries supplying blood to the heart.
The result can be a heart attack, even in young people without heart disease. Cocaine can also trigger a deadly abnormal heart rhythm called arrhythmia. Brain. Cocaine can constrict blood vessels in the brain, causing strokes. This can happen even in young people without other risk factors for strokes. Cocaine causes seizures and can lead to bizarre or violent behavior. Lungs and respiratory system. Snorting cocaine damages the nose and sinuses. Regular use can cause nasal perforation. Smoking crack cocaine irritates the lungs and, in some people, causes permanent lung damage. Gastrointestinal tract. Cocaine constricts blood vessels supplying the gut.
The resulting oxygen starvation can cause ulcers, or even perforation of the stomach or intestines. Kidneys. Cocaine can cause sudden, overwhelming kidney failure through a process called rhabdomyolysis. In people with high blood pressure, regular cocaine use can accelerate the long-term kidney damage caused by high blood pressure. Sexual function. Although cocaine has a reputation as an aphrodisiac, it actually may make you less able to finish what you start. Chronic cocaine use can impair sexual function in men and women. In men, cocaine can cause delayed or impaired ejaculation.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a common substance found in many different foods and drinks, including coffee tea, energy drinks, soft drinks and chocolate. Caffeine is a stimulant and as such has direct effects on the central nervous system, including increasing heart rate and blood pressure which can speed up metabolism. In many cases, caffeine has negative side effects such as agitation, anxiousness and sleep disturbance. Many supplements and weight loss plans include caffeine. Nervous System Effects
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system by increasing heart rate and blood pressure. Caffeine works as an antagonist to adenosine, a nucleoside consisting of a sugar and the amino acid adenine, which causes dilation of blood vessels. It blocks the effects of adenosine, causing constriction of the blood vessels and therefore increasing blood pressure.
As heart rate speeds up, the pressure inside the arteries increases as well. Oxygen transport to the muscles increases with heart rate, causing an increase in metabolic activity and thus an increased metabolism. People with pulmonary or heart disorders can be especially sensitive to the effects of caffeine and should consult their physician prior to consumption in any form.
Negative Effects
Increased heart rate can be a benefit of caffeine when used as a supplement to exercise, but people without previous knowledge of the actions of a stimulant may be surprised and may even feel palpitations from caffeine use. Increased blood pressure is usually a negative thing, especially in individuals with history of high blood pressure.
Anxiety, agitation and sleeplessness can also happen as a result of caffeine consumption. Without sleep the body becomes less efficient at repairing itself and may cause drowsiness in the morning, thus leading to increased caffeine intake, perpetuating the cycle. According to a recent study in “Stoke: Journal of the American Heart Association,” caffeine consumption was the leading trigger causing rupture of a brain aneurysm, leading to stroke.
Substance abuse
Substance abuse can simply be defined as a pattern of harmful use of any substance for mood-altering purposes. Medline’s medical encyclopedia defines drug abuse as “the use of illicit drugs or the abuse of prescription or over-the-counter drugs for purposes other than those for which they are indicated or in a manner or in quantities other than directed.” But the broad range of substance abuse in today’s society is not that simple.There are substances that can be abused for their mood-altering effects that are not drugs at all — inhalants and solvents — and there are drugs that can be abused that have no mood-altering or intoxication properties, such as anabolic steroids.
Social Effects
The social effects of drug abuse begin with abusers and their families. Substance abuse has been a factor in divorce, family violence and related problems. The social effects extend into the larger society, as well, such as through crimes committed by drug abusers to get money needed to feed drug habits. Further, the lucrative nature of drug trafficking fuels crime as rival drug gangs fight for control of the traffic. The U.S. government, for example, noted in creased drug-related violence on the U.S.-Mexico border and cited drug gangs in these areas as the nation’s leading organized crime threat.
Economic Effects
Reports by UNDCP have pointed out that the economic effects of drug abuse can be measured in two forms. One is the cost of government drug enforcement policies. Nations around the world spend billions yearly on law enforcement and other efforts aimed at drug interdiction. Because a central principle in economics is that resources are scarce and require decisions about how to allocate them, it follows that money spent on drug enforcement is money not spent on education, public infrastructure, or given to the public in the form of lower taxes. Another economic effect from drug abuse is the lost human productivity, such as lost wages and decreased production that results from illnesses and premature deaths related to drug abuse.
Social economic effects of disease in plants and animals There are a range of social and economic implications of disease in plants and animals. Some of the main ones are outlined in the points below. Usually, the extent of these problems will depend upon how severe and widespread the disease is. It can also be dependent upon how important the animals or plants are to humans, or where they are positioned in the natural food chain.
Effects on crop farmers
If a disease affects the crops of a farmer, the farmer will naturally lose out in terms of income. If the disease wipes out the whole crop, he could be facing a year of poverty. Plant diseases can make the income generated by a farmer highly versatile, which is a negative point particularly considering the profession is a difficult one anyway. Economically, in an agricultural area incomes could drop and shops and businesses could face lower profits.
Food shortages
Diseases in both plants and animals could cause food shortages; smaller quantities of meats and edible crops will be produced. This has a significant economic impact, as the drop in supply leads to a rise in the price of food. Some families may therefore be unable to afford basic items, particularly in poorer countries. This could lead to starvation and malnutrition.
Health effects
In a minority of cases, animal diseases have been known to adapt to effect humans. For instance, this phenomenon has been seen in the recent outbreak of swine flu, and the foot and mouth disease in cattle a few years ago. Potentially, these diseases could turn out to be both dangerous and contagious, and could even lead to a pandemic crisis. Many people could lose their lives or be affected by the outbreak.
Bibliography
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- Chinnery , Louis. CX C Biology .United Kingdom : Cambridge,Jones Geof, 1984
