From which plant are opiates such as morphine and codeine derived?

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Multiple Choice

From which plant are opiates such as morphine and codeine derived?

Explanation:
Opiates like morphine and codeine come from the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. The plant produces an latex-like sap when the immature seed pods are scored, and that latex contains several alkaloids, including morphine and codeine. Those compounds are extracted and purified for medicinal use. The other plants mentioned do not produce these opiate alkaloids—cannabis yields cannabinoids, coca yields cocaine, and tobacco yields nicotine—so they are not sources of morphine or codeine.

Opiates like morphine and codeine come from the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. The plant produces an latex-like sap when the immature seed pods are scored, and that latex contains several alkaloids, including morphine and codeine. Those compounds are extracted and purified for medicinal use. The other plants mentioned do not produce these opiate alkaloids—cannabis yields cannabinoids, coca yields cocaine, and tobacco yields nicotine—so they are not sources of morphine or codeine.

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