Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Which is better, 1... or 2? Why Atropine rocks.

Atropine  


Atropine is my favorite organic compound because I would like to become an optometrist. Atropine helps to dilate the eye in the setting of an optometrist or ophthalmologist’s office. Dilation increases the size of the pupil and allows a doctor to examine the important structures in the back of the eye; such as the retina, optic nerve and various blood vessels.

History:
Atropine began its use in the middle ages, although not for doctoral purposes. Woman in the middle ages used atropine to achieve an aesthetic enhancement of their pupils. This could be the reason that the plant which atropine is derived from, Atropa belladonna, is partially translated into “beautiful woman,” this plant is also more commonly known as Deadly Nightshade and is highly toxic.    

Other Uses:
This drug is also sometimes used for organophosphate poisoning and can inhibit salivary and mucus glands.

Fun fact:
Atropine is considered a Tropane Alkaloid, another tropane alkaloid is cocaine.

 - Katilyn Wiggins


Websites consulted: 

1 comment:

  1. I really dislike getting my eyes dilated for one reason: I can't see the rest of the day. Other than that, I think it is wonderful that you are planning on being an optometrist, I will definitely come to you if I ever need new glasses/contacts.

    Besides that, I never knew that the same substance used for dilating our eyes use to be used for aesthetics purposes. I can see why they would do that since back then there was no such thing as contact enhancement (also known as circle lens, etc.). The only thing I cannot imagine is walking around having difficulty seeing where I am going!

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