Meth, short for methamphetamine is an illegal drug in the same class as cocaine and other powerful drugs. It is commonly known as meth, crank, speed, or ice. The term “ice” is derived from its appearance of a crystalline white powder. Meth is a synthetic drug, made from common household chemicals, i.e Acetone, lithium, or even sodium hydroxide. Meth can be swallowed, snorted, smoked or injected into a vein. Meth also known as a “poor man’s cocaine”, is a synthetic stimulant that affects the central nervous system.

Normally, brains are made up of millions of neurons. One neuron will never come in contact with another one. Therefore, to communicate with each other they use chemical transmitters known as neurotransmitters. The neuron releases the neurotransmitter into the synapse, a small space that separates the neurons. The neuron then floats to the other side of the synapse and attaches itself to the receiving neuron, sending a signal. Once the neurotransmitter has received the message, it is then destroyed or recycled for use later on. There are many different neurotransmitters. The one that is the most affected by meth is dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that controls the pleasure in your brain. When something good happens like scoring a goal or passing a test, this feel good chemical is released into the synapse where it connects to the receptors. When the sending neuron containing dopamine send the signal to the receiving neuron, that is when you feel the sensation of pleasure.

A person, who has taken meth, will feel an overload of pleasure. This is because Methamphetamine when ingested will block the transporters, which recycle the dopamine back into the sending neuron. This will create an excess amount of dopamine in the synapse giving us an extreme high that can last 12-18 hours. Furthermore, meth will also destroy the transmitters. Including all the overstimulation, the receptors withdraw. Therefore, it will be harder to get high the next time around. The first time will always have the greatest reaction.

My artwork is a representation of what happens in the synapse when a person has ingested methamphetamine. My artwork portrays 5 of Peter Atkins’s 9 big ideas of Chemistry. The first one I incorporated is “Matter is made up of atoms”. His idea is represented everywhere in my artwork. Molecules are a group of atoms that create matter. Methamphetamine is a molecule that is composed of specific atoms. The molecule dopamine is also composed of specific atoms and forms important matter in the brain. The next idea demonstrated in my artwork is “elements display periodicity”. Methamphetamine is a molecule composed of the carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen atoms organized into a specific shape.

The next big idea explored in my art is: “molecular shape is a crucial feature in chemistry”. Because methamphetamines share a similar shape to dopamine, it is able to bond with the receptor. “Elements display periodicity” is also demonstrated through this molecule. The components of meth display periodic trends that give the molecule its characteristics. The idea that states: “chemical bonds form an electron pair” is demonstrated by the creation of the meth molecule. Through the interaction of C, H and N atoms, the methamphetamine molecule is created. By binding with the receptor it blocks the re-uptake of dopamine, thus creating an excess amount of dopamine in the synapse. This leads to the euphoric feeling experienced by the individual. This blocking also demonstrates the Atkins idea that states “ there are residual forces between molecules”. The process of blocking the transmitters demonstrates a strong intermolecular force, which makes the transmitter and meth molecule stick together, preventing the dopamine from entering and leaving the synapse. The idea that states: “chemical bonds form an electron pair”

References

http://www.anti-meth.org/brainbody.html

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/newsweek-cover-the-meth-epidemic---inside-americas-new-drug-crisis-54864282.html

http://www.bridgeinc.org/pages/?pageID=52

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/crystalmeth/history-of-methamphetamine.html

http://www.montana.edu/wwwai/imsd/rezmeth/transmit.htm

http://www.utexas.edu/research/asrec/drugs.html

http://www.methproject.org/answers/what-does-meth-do-to-your-brain.html#Brain-Damage

http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/252/atoms.html