Well, understanding how rocks are changed by heat, pressure, and chemical solutions can help us in understanding the variety of metamorphic rocks which we actually observe on the Earth's surface.
Noscapine is a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid produced in opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) and other members of the Papaveraceae. It has been used as a cough suppressant and more recently was shown to possess anticancer activity.
The primary three are morphine, codeine, and thebaine (while thebaine itself is only very mildly psychoactive, it is a crucial precursor in the vast majority of semi-synthetic opioids, such as hydrocodone). Legally speaking, the term narcotic is imprecisely defined and typically has negative connotations.