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alkaloid
Any of a group of basic nitrogen-containing organic compounds (mostly heterocyclic) derived from plants and having diverse pharmacological properties. Alkaloids include morphine, cocaine, atropine, quinine, codeine, nicotine, and caffeine, some of which are used in medicine as analgesics or anaesthetics.
Many alkaloid structures consist of a core structure that is common to many compounds. Often, this core has a nitrogen-containing ring. Because many different compounds can be made from the same core structure (say, a 5-membered nitrogen-containing ring), methods for making these core structures can find a lot of use in pharmaceutical research.
Some alkaloids are poisonous, e.g. strychnine and coniine. Colchicine inhibits cell division.
Related category
• BIOCHEMISTRY
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