How does Nicotine Addiction Work on Neurons?
Nicotine, which is an agonist—a substance that can mimic another, mimics acetylcholine by binding to neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which are ligand-gated ion channels constructed from various subunits (Benowitz, 2010). As nicotine binds to the receptor, it generally causes depolarization of the neuron, allowing calcium and sodium to rush through the channels, and will act directly on the presynaptic terminal to release certain neurotransmitters — the catecholamines (Benowitz,…
