Psilocybin's Impact On The Brain
At least 100 different varieties of mushrooms contain psilocybin, a naturally occurring tryptamine chemical. Psilocybin is typically administered orally, when it undergoes hepatic metabolism to create psilocin. Psilocin, not psilocybin, is the pharmacologically active ingredient in " magic mushrooms" that is thought to be in charge of the psychoactive effects. Psilocin has a high affinity for serotonin (5-HT) receptors. It is a partial agonist of 5-HT2A receptors (40% activation efficacy) and binds to 5-HT2C, 5-HT1A, and 5-HT1B receptors in the thalamus and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Given that the thalamus is responsible for processing sensory input, it looks likely that the hallucinations associated with psilocybin usage are caused by the activation of receptors in this region of the brain. Meanwhile, serotonin receptors located all across the PFC are known to regulate a number of essential body activities, including as one's circadian rhythm, memory, social behaviour,