Methamphetamine Information

Crystal Meth/Methamphetamine Information There are several different types of amphetamines, which are stimulants. Crystal methamphetamine or simply crystal meth is an illegal form of the drug. Heres what you need to know. What Is Crystal Meth? The chemical n-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-2-amine is called methamphetamine, methylamphetamine, or desoxyephedrine. The shortened name is simply meth. When it is in its crystalline form, the drug is called crystal meth, ice, Tina, or glass. See the table below for other street names of the drug. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant. How Is Crystal Meth Used? Usually, crystal meth is smoked in glass pipes, similar to how crack cocaine is used. It may be injected (either dry or dissolved in water), snorted, swallowed, or inserted into the anus or urethra. Why Is Crystal Meth Used? Females often take crystal meth because it can cause extremely rapid weight loss. However, the effects are short term. The body builds up a tolerance to the drug so weight loss tapers off and stops around six weeks after taking the drug. Also, the weight that is lost is regained once a person stops taking methamphetamine. For these reasons, combined with how addictive the drug is, methamphetamine tends not to be prescribed by doctors for weight loss. Some people take meth because of the long-lasting high that it gives. Methamphetamine causes numerous neurotransmitters to be released in the brain, producing a sense of euphoria that may last as long as 12 hours, depending on how the drug was taken. Methamphetamine is popular as a stimulant. As a stimulant, methamphetamine improves concentration, energy, and alertness while decreasing appetite and fatigue. Methamphetamines are also taken by people who are feeling depressed. They may be taken for their side effect of increasing libido and sexual pleasure. What Are the Effects of Methamphetamine Use? This is a list of effects associated with pure methamphetamine use. Because of how its made, crystal meth is never pure, so the dangers associated with taking the street drug extend beyond these effects. Common Immediate Effects EuphoriaIncreased energy and alertnessDiarrhea and nauseaExcessive sweatingLoss of appetite, insomnia, tremors, jaw-clenchingAgitation, irritability, talkativeness, panic, compulsive fascination with repetitive tasks, violence, confusionIncreased libidoIncreased blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, blood sugar levels, bronchodilationConstriction of the walls of the arteriesIn pregnant and nursing women, methamphetamine crosses the placenta and is secreted in breast milk Effects Associated With Chronic Use Tolerance (needing more of the drug to get the same effect)Drug cravingTemporary weight lossWithdrawal symptoms including depression and anhedoniaMeth Mouth where teeth rapidly decay and fall outDrug-related psychosis (may last for months or years after drug use is discontinued) Effects of Overdose Brain damageSensation of flesh crawling (formication)Paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, tension headacheMuscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) which can lead to kidney damage or failureDeath due to stroke, cardiac arrest or elevated body temperature (hyperthermia) Physical and Chemical Properties of Crystal Meth Crystal meth may be distinguished from other drugs and compounds by its properties. The compound forms two enantiomers (compounds which are mirror images of each other), dextromethamphetamine and levomethamphetamine.Methamphetamine hydrochloride salt is a white crystal or crystalline powder at room temperature that is bitter-tasting and odorless, with a melting point  between 170 to 175  Ã‚ °C (338 to 347  Ã‚ °F). It readily dissolves in water and ethanol.The free base of methamphetamine is a clear liquid that smells like geranium leaves. It dissolves in ethanol or diethyl ether and mixes with chloroform.Although crystal meth is a persistent pollutant in soils, it is degraded by bleach or within 30 days in wastewater that is exposed to light. Where Does Crystal Meth Come From? Methamphetamine is available with a prescription for obesity, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and narcolepsy, but crystal meth is a street drug, made in illegal labs by chemically altering over-the-counter drugs. Making crystal meth usually involves reducing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, found in cold and allergy medicine. In the US, a typical meth lab employs something called the Red, White, and Blue Process, which entails hydrogenation of the hydroxyl group on the ephedrine or pseudoephedrine molecule. The red is red phosphorus, white is the ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, and blue is iodine, used to make hydroiodic acid. Making crystal meth is dangerous to the people making it and dangerous to the neighborhood where its being made. White phosphorus with sodium hydroxide can produce poisonous phosphine gas, usually as a result of overheating red phosphorus, plus white phosphorus can auto ignite and blow up the meth lab. In addition to phosphine and phosphorus, various hazar dous vapors may be associated with a meth lab, such as chloroform, ether, acetone, ammonia, hydrochloric acid, methylamine, iodine, hydroiodic acid, lithium or sodium, mercury, and hydrogen gas. Street Names for Crystal Meth Crystal meth goes by a number of names: BatuBikers CoffeeBlack BeautiesBladeChalkChicken FeedCrankCristyCrystalCrystal GlassCrystal MethGlassGo-FastHanyakHiroponHot IceIceKaksonjaeL.A. GlassL.A. IceMethMethlies QuickPoor Mans CocaineQuartzShabuShardsSpeedStove TopSuper IceTinaTrashTweakUppersVentanaVidrioYabaYellow Bam

Modeling Meiosis Lab Lesson Plan

Modeling Meiosis Lab Lesson Plan Sometimes students struggle with some concepts that relate to evolution. Meiosis is a somewhat complicated process, but necessary to mix up genetics of offspring so natural selection can work on a population by choosing the most desirable traits to be passed down to the next generation. Hands-on activities can help some students grasp the concepts. Especially in cellular processes when it is difficult to imagine something so small. The materials in this activity are common and easily found. The procedure does not  rely on expensive equipment like microscopes or take up a lot of space. Preparing for Modeling Meiosis Classroom Lab Activity Pre-Lab Vocabulary Before starting the lab, make sure students can define the following terms: MeiosisChromosomeCrossing OverHaploidDiploidHomologous PairGametesZygote Purpose of the Lesson To understand and describe the process of meiosis and its purpose using models.   Background Information   Most cells in multicellular organisms like plants and animals  are diploid. A diploid  cell has two sets of chromosomes that form homologous pairs.  A cell with only one set of chromosomes are considered haploid. Gametes, like the egg and sperm in humans, are examples haploid. Gametes fuse during sexual reproduction to form a zygote which is once again diploid with one set of chromosomes from each parent. Meiosis  is a process that starts with one diploid cell and creates four haploid cells. Meiosis is similar to mitosis and must have the cells DNA replicate before it can begin. This creates chromosomes that are made up of two sister chromatids connected by a centromere. Unlike mitosis, meiosis requires two rounds of division to get half the number of chromosomes into all of the daughter cells.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Meiosis begins with meiosis 1 when homologous pairs of chromosomes will be split.  The stages of meiosis 1 are similarly named to the stages in mitosis and also have similar milestones: prophase 1: homologous pairs come together to form tetrads, nuclear envelope disappears, spindle forms (crossing over may also happen during this phase)metaphase 1: tetrads line up at the equator following the law of independent assortmentanaphase 1: homologous pairs are pulled aparttelophase 1: cytoplasm divides, nuclear envelope may or may not reform The nuceli now only have 1 set of (duplicated) chromosomes. Meiosis 2 will see the sister chromatids split apart. This process is just like mitosis. The names of the stages are the same as mitosis, but they have the number 2 after them (prophase 2, metaphase 2, anaphase 2, telophase 2). The main difference is that the DNA does not go through replication before the start of meiosis 2. Materials and Procedure You will need the following materials: String4 different colors of paper (preferably light blue, dark blue, light green, dark green)Ruler or Meter StickScissorsMarker4 paper clipsTape Procedure: Using 1 m piece of string, make a circle on your desk to represent the cell membrane. Using a 40 cm piece of string, make another circle inside the cell for the nuclear membrane.Cut 1 strip of paper that is 6 cm long, and 4 cm wide from each color of paper (one light blue, one dark blue, one light green, and one dark green) Fold each of the four strips of paper in half, lengthwise. Then place the folded strips of each color inside the nucleus to represent a chromosome before replication. The light and dark strips of the same color represent homologous chromosomes. At one end of the dark blue strip write  a large B (brown eyes) on the light blue make a lower case b (blue eyes). On the dark green at a tip write T (for tall) and on the light green write a lower case t (short)Modeling interphase: to represent DNA replication, unfold each paper strip and cut in half lengthwise. The two pieces that result from cutting each strip represent the chromatids. Attach the two identical chromati d strips at the center with a paperclip, so an X is formed. Each paper clip represents a centromere.4 Modeling prophase 1:  remove the nuclear envelope and put it aside. Place the light and dark blue chromosomes side by side and the light and dark green chromosomes side by side.  Simulate crossing over by measuring and cutting a 2 cm tip for a light blue strip that includes the letters you drew on them earlier. Do the same with a dark blue strip. Tape the light blue tip to the dark blue strip and vice versa. Repeat this process for the light and dark green chromosomes.Modeling metaphase 1: Place four 10 cm strings inside the cell, so that two strings extend from one side into the center of the cell and two strings extend from the opposite side into the center of the cell. The string represents the spindle fibers. Tape a string to the centromere of each chromosome with tape. Move the chromosomes to the center of the cell. Make sure that the strings attached to the two blue chromosomes  come from opposite sides of the cell (same for the two green chromosomes).  Modeling anaphas e 1: Grab onto the ends of the strings on both sides of the cell, and slowly pull the strings in opposite directions, so the chromosomes move to opposite ends of the cell. Modeling telophase 1: Remove the string from each centromere. Place a 40 cm piece of string around each group of chromatids, forming two nuclei. Place a 1 m piece of string around each cell, forming two membranes. You now have 2 different daughter cells. MEIOSIS 2 Modeling prophase 2: Remove the strings that represent the nuclear membrane in both cells. Attach a 10 cm piece of string to each chromatid.Modeling metaphase  2:   Move the chromosomes to the center of each cell, so they are lined up at the equator. Make sure the strings attached to the two strips in each chromosome come from opposite sides of the cell.Modeling anaphase  2: Grab onto the strings on both sides of each cell, and pull them slowly in  opposite directions. The strips should separate. Only one of the chromatids should have the paper clip still attached to it.Modeling telophase  2: Remove the strings and paper clips. Each strip of paper now represents a chromosome. Place a 40  cm. piece of string around each group of chromosomes, forming four nuclei. Place a 1m string around each cell, forming four separate cells with only one chromosome in each.    Analysis Questions Have students answer the following questions to understand the concepts explored in this activity. What process did you model when you cut the strips in half in interphase?What is the function of your paper clip? Why is it used to represent a centromere?What is the purpose of placing the light and dark strips of the same color side by side?How many chromosomes are in each cell at the end of meiosis 1? Describe what each part of your model represents.What is the diploid chromosome number of the original cell in your model? How many homologous pairs did you make?If a cell with a diploid number of 8 chromosomes undergoes meiosis, draw what  the cell looks like after Telophase 1.What would happen to an offspring if cells did not undergo meiosis before sexual reproduction?How does crossing over change diversity of traits in a population?Predict what would happen if homologous chromosomes did not pair in prophase 1. Use your model to show this.