Technical Fact Sheet
CHEMICAL CLASS/TYPE Morphine is an opiate alkaloid, which are a group of chemical compounds with analgesic (pain-relieving) and narcotic (sleep-inducing) properties. Similar compounds in its class include buprenorphine, and the synthetic opioid heroine. It is found naturally in the environment in the sap of the opium poppy plant, Papaver sominferum (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2012). These compounds exert their actions on the body through the opioid receptors, which are found on many different tissues. Morphine has widespread effects in the body, of which the most prominent are on the central nervous system and on smooth muscle ( ...
