---

Quote: from Its Bearsy Bitch at 10:32 pm on Aug. 28, 2008

---

Quote: from TheOtherHorseman at 7:28 pm on Aug. 28, 2008

---

Quote: from Its Bearsy Bitch at 10:26 pm on Aug. 28, 2008

---

sooo

the molecules of cocaine are shaped so funny no one can get in

---

Okay, imagine a doorknob with a keyhole.

One key unlocks the door (Key 1), but many keys might be able to be inserted.

Put a key that doesn't unlock it into the door.

Without removing that key, can you now unlock the door with Key 1?

That is what is happening. It is a similar enough shape so as to get in, but different enough so that nothing happens, and the real key finds that its seat on the bus is taken.

---

Oh right, right.

Yeah it makes fine sense... so it is only one cocaine molecule in the door or it is multiple

---

It only takes one. If it helps you to envision it, cocaine IS bigger. (the relative size is still irrelevant here, though)

DOPAMINE

COCAINE AGAIN

---

ok. I see this. You snort the cocaine and it goes in your membrane and blood and all up in you brain and in there it's molecules start blocking the door and thirty seconds late you have tons of dopamine in action and you feel them

-------
click and please click
^use head phones

---

Quote: from marshmellowman at 7:36 pm on Aug. 28, 2008

---

Quote: from Its Bearsy Bitch at 3:31 am on Aug. 29, 2008

---

What if your parking space is blocked by empty boxes, no problem    

  I think it would have to be a certain size.    

  I'm getting confused though. could two molecules be the same shape ever?  
 

---

Well it'd just have to be similar enough to fit into the active site and form bonds with the active site (so not 'fall out'), but can have like one or two different functional groups which means it stays there but does nothing. Picture from wikipedia below:  
 

---

but not the same shape

---

Because if it only takes one molecule to block a door I don't see why more cocaine at once does more to a person.

Post edited at 7:44 pm on Aug. 28, 2008 by Bearsy

-------
click and please click
^use head phones

---

That little bit on the bottom is the part which is the key, and the part it fits into is the keyhole.

It doesn't matter what the rest of the key looks like, just the important part with all the ridges and such.

---

---

Wait a minute how many doors are there?  

Because if it only takes one molecule to block a door I don't see why more cocaine at ones does more to a person.

---

Okay, so it makes sense that the cocaine doesn't block the door forever, right? Otherwise, you'd do cocaine once, and you'd be high for all of time.

Eventually, of its own accord, it leaves the door. The more cocaine you have floating around, the more likely a new molecule will randomly come in and bind again before dopamine can get in.

-------
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

---

Quote: from TheOtherHorseman at 7:40 pm on Aug. 28, 2008

---

That little bit on the bottom is the part which is the key, and the part it fits into is the keyhole.  

 It doesn't matter what the rest of the key looks like, just the important part with all the ridges and such.

---

the hexagon??

---

I was referring to the picture marshmellowman had, where you said they were different shapes.

Post edited at 7:46 pm on Aug. 28, 2008 by TheOtherHorseman

-------
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

---

Wait a minute how many doors are there?

Because if it only takes one molecule to block a door I don't see why more cocaine at ones does more to a person.

---

EDIT: If you mean why the person isn't constantly feeling it's effects, then it's because the cocaine eventually leaves. It doesn't stay there forever.

Post edited at 7:46 pm on Aug. 28, 2008 by marshmellowman

-------
and victorious in war shall be made glorious in peace.

---

Quote: from Its Bearsy Bitch at 10:42 pm on Aug. 28, 2008

---

Wait a minute how many doors are there?

 Because if it only takes one molecule to block a door I don't see why more cocaine at ones does more to a person.

---

Okay, so it makes sense that the cocaine doesn't block the door forever, right? Otherwise, you'd do cocaine once, and you'd be high for all of time.

Eventually, of its own accord, it leaves the door. The more cocaine you have floating around, the more likely a new molecule will randomly come in and bind again before dopamine can get in.

---

so it's about likelihood. So if I put two molecules of cocaine in your brain you might get high but it's unlikely since they're the only guys floating about

-------
click and please click
^use head phones

---

Quote: from Its Bearsy Bitch at 10:44 pm on Aug. 28, 2008

---

Quote: from TheOtherHorseman at 7:40 pm on Aug. 28, 2008

---

That little bit on the bottom is the part which is the key, and the part it fits into is the keyhole.

It doesn't matter what the rest of the key looks like, just the important part with all the ridges and such.

---

the hexagon??

---

I was referring to the picture marshmellowman had, where you said they were different shapes.

---

---

Quote: from Its Bearsy Bitch at 3:42 am on Aug. 29, 2008

---

Wait a minute how many doors are there?  

Because if it only takes one molecule to block a door I don't see why more cocaine at ones does more to a person.

---

There are a lot of doors (millions), so that more cocaine will block more doors, but there will be a plateau eventually where if you take more than x amount you'll still have the same effect because there are no more doors to block.

EDIT: If you mean why the person isn't constantly feeling it's effects, then it's because the cocaine eventually leaves. It doesn't stay there forever.

---

---

Quote: from TheOtherHorseman at 7:44 pm on Aug. 28, 2008

---

Quote: from Its Bearsy Bitch at 10:42 pm on Aug. 28, 2008

---

Wait a minute how many doors are there?    

  Because if it only takes one molecule to block a door I don't see why more cocaine at ones does more to a person.

---

 

 Okay, so it makes sense that the cocaine doesn't block the door forever, right? Otherwise, you'd do cocaine once, and you'd be high for all of time.  

 Eventually, of its own accord, it leaves the door. The more cocaine you have floating around, the more likely a new molecule will randomly come in and bind again before dopamine can get in.

---

but when the blood comes in to take the blood away doesn't everybody get washed out?

so it's about likelihood. So if I put two molecules of cocaine in your brain you might get high but it's unlikely since they're the only guys floating about

---

Once you get into tiny molecular levels, it becomes very much a game of probability.

Andd, the blood doesn't come in and wash things out. Things diffuse into capillaries in their own sweet time and take the magical luge ride to veins.

-------
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

Learning is fun

-------
click and please click
^use head phones

---

and yet if one took more they'd get high for longer. Is the luge ride blocked too  if there's more  

Learning is fun

---

If there's more of it, on average it will take longer for enough of it to float into the capillaries and go away to make you stop being high..

-------
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

---

I don't know if that makes sense but I'll accept it for now

---

It does.

-------
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"