Answer:
C. A powerful, addictive narcotic drug
Explanation:
OPIUM is an opioid or narcotic, made from the white liquid in the poppy plant. Opium is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy Papaver somniferum. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which is processed chemically to produce heroin and other synthetic opioids for medicinal use and for illegal drug trade.
Regular use can lead to drug tolerance or physical dependence. Chronic opium addicts in 1906 China or modern-day Iran consume an average of eight grams of opium daily.
Both analgesia and drug addiction are functions of the MU opioid receptor, the class of opioid receptor first identified as responsive to morphine.
