Breaking Bad Pharmacology and Biochemical Science

Abstract

Breaking Bad is an American crime drama television series following Walter White, who after a recent cancer diagnosis trades in teaching high school chemistry for manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine. Methamphetamine belongs to the phenethylamine family with the parent drug Amphetamine, all deriving from the plant Ephedra. Both drugs act on the neurotransmitter Dopamine allowing the build-up in the synaptic cleft causing psychostimulant effects on the CNS. Methamphetamine is synthesized using both the Red-P method as well as P2P method. By-products of phosphorous gas can be harmful when synthesizing the drug. Different biochemical substances such as hydrofluoric acid, ricin, lily of the valley, and methylamine as used in the show. The veterinary drug selegiline has similar effects on the body as that of methamphetamine.