Atropamine

/əˈtroʊpəˌmiːn/ noun

Definition

An alkaloid compound related to atropine, derived from plants in the nightshade family.

Etymology

From 'Atropa' (the plant genus) + '-amine' (chemical suffix for nitrogen-containing compounds). This term emerged in 19th-century pharmacology as chemists isolated and named alkaloids from poisonous plants.

Kelly Says

Chemists discovered that Atropa plants contain multiple related poisons, not just atropine—so they named the similar ones with '-amine' endings to show they're chemical cousins in the deadly nightshade family!

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