Cigarette smoke contains hundreds of toxic substances.
(Baonghean.vn) - Cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000 substances. Of these, hundreds are harmful to health, 69 are carcinogenic, including addictive substances and toxic substances. These substances are divided into 4 main groups.
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| Cigarette smoke contains up to 69 carcinogens. Photo: Internet source |
Nicotine:
Nicotine is a colorless substance that turns brown when burned and has an odor when exposed to air. Nicotine is absorbed through the skin, mouth, and nasal mucosa or inhaled into the lungs.
PeoplesmokeThe average person inhales 1 to 2 mg of nicotine per cigarette smoked. Smoking delivers nicotine quickly to the brain, within 10 seconds of inhalation. The addictive effects of nicotine quickly reach the brain, within 10 seconds of inhalation.
The addictive effect of nicotine is mainly on the central nervous system with the presence of nicotine receptors on nerve cells in the "reward center" in the limbic system of the brain, neurotransmitter chemicals including dopamine, serotonin, noradrenaline are released. They cause many neuropsychiatric effects such as feeling of euphoria, happy mood, increased attention, increased cognitive activity and short-term memory.
The brain quickly realizes that it can usecigaretteto stimulate dopamine release and thus initiate the process of smoking that lasts for many months and years. That neuropsychiatric effect”.
Carbon monoxide (CO gas):
CO gas has a high concentration in cigarette smoke and will be absorbed into the blood, binding to hemoglobin with an affinity 210 times stronger than oxygen. CO gas quickly enters the blood and takes the place of oxygen on red blood cells. The affinity of red blood cell hemoglobin for CO is 210 times stronger than O2 and so after smoking, a number of red blood cells in the blood temporarily lose the function of transporting O2 because they have bound to CO. As a result, the body does not have enough oxygen to use.
Small molecules in cigarette smoke:
Cigarette smoke contains many gaseous and particulate irritants. These irritants cause structural changes in the bronchial mucosa leading to proliferation of bronchial glands and mucus-secreting cells and loss of ciliated cells. These changes increase mucus secretion and reduce the efficiency of mucociliary clearance. Most of these changes are reversible upon cessation of smoking.
Carcinogens:
Cigarette smoke contains about 69 carcinogenic substances, such as aromatic compounds with closed rings, Benzopyrene or Nitrosamines. These chemicals affect the surface cells of the respiratory tract, causing chronic inflammation, tissue destruction, cell transformation leading to dysplasia, metaplasia and malignancy.