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Multiple Choice

Morphine is a natural-product analgesic derived from which plant?

Morphine is a natural-product analgesic derived from the opium poppy. The latex produced by the pod of Papaver somniferum contains morphine (and other related alkaloids) and has long been used as a potent pain reliever. The other plants produce different compounds: the coca plant yields cocaine alkaloids, the willow tree provides salicin (a precursor to salicylic acid used in aspirin), and the tea plant gives caffeine and other constituents rather than narcotic analgesics. So, the source plant for morphine is the opium poppy.

Morphine is a natural-product analgesic derived from the opium poppy. The latex produced by the pod of Papaver somniferum contains morphine (and other related alkaloids) and has long been used as a potent pain reliever. The other plants produce different compounds: the coca plant yields cocaine alkaloids, the willow tree provides salicin (a precursor to salicylic acid used in aspirin), and the tea plant gives caffeine and other constituents rather than narcotic analgesics. So, the source plant for morphine is the opium poppy.