Psilocybin

Psilocybin

By Andre Pascual, Prabh, Amrit, and Chanpreet

The full scientific name for Psilocybin is Psilocybe Cubensis.

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Psilocybe comes from the greek words “Psilo”  meaning Bare/Bald and “cybe” meaning head.

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Common names for Psilocybin are magic mushrooms, shrooms, golden halos, cubes, or gold caps.

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Psilocybin occurs in all the continents but most commonly found in the subtropics and tropics.

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Psilocybin is usually found on rich pasture soil.

​Basic Information

Unique Characteristics

• Small-medium sized 

• Long, skinny stems that are brown to yellowish colour and have a bluish colour to it.  

• When bruised this means it's an active psilocybin mushroom.

• Any contact with the mushroom will cause the reaction.​

• Their spore prints a purplish-brown or black colour.

Unique Characteristics PT 2

• They're golden brown(younger stage) and they're a light golden brown(adult)

• Their caps are bigger than most of the other magic mushrooms.

• Their caps are hygrophanous (the tissue of the mushrooms changes colour as it absorbs or loses water.)

• The center of the mushroom has a brown spot.

Life Cycle

The psilocybin is a fruiting body and that is the only stage of the life cycle that is visible to us in nature. 

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​Since they cannot produce their own food, they feed on dead plants and break them down to obtain the nutrients.

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​Psilocybin reproduces with their spores, spores are tiny one celled reproductive units.

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Psilocybin have asexual spores that gives the mushroom mycelium and that separates the mushroom from the sexual life cycle.               

Human Relationship

Psilocybin works in humans by activating serotonin receptors that are in the prefrontal cortex which is the part of the brain that handles mood and your perception. 

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In the medical field, doctors have done tests on psilocybin to treat cluster headaches, depression, and anxiety. 

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Psilocybin use can leave many side effects such as high blood pressure, nausea, and paranoia. 

Interesting Facts

• Many people that have had psilocybin have described seeing things move around and hearing different sounds.

• Some researchers say that Psilocybin could help with stress and anxiety.

• You may also feel like everything around you feels like slow motion. 

• More than 200 species of psilocybin mushrooms exist.

• Studies have also showed that Psilocybin eliminates fear.

Multiple Choice

What's the Greek meaning of the word "Psilo" "cybe"

• Egg headed

• Big Head

• Bald/Bare headed

• Magic Shrooms

Multiple Choice

What are some side-effects of Psilocybin?

• high blood pressure, nausea, and change of skin colour

• nausea, paranoia, and high blood pressure

• high blood pressure, farting, and paranoia. 

• high blood pressure, blindness and starvation. 

Bibliography

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybe_cubensis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybin_mushroom

https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-what-magic-mushrooms-does-to-your-body-and-brain

https://www.livescience.com/48704-odd-facts-about-magic-mushrooms.html

https://psychedelicspotlight.com/what-are-psilocybin-spores/

https://sciencing.com/how-to-identify-wild-psilocybin-mushrooms-13426991.html

https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/49/6/440/229441