140 likes | 592 Views
What is Cyanide and How Does it Affect the Cell?. Deanna Dailey. What is Cyanide. Chemical Formula: CN - Mass of 26.007 g/mol Soluble in water Lighter than air Mainly a gas, but can be a liquid under 78 degrees F. Tastes or smells like bitter almonds
E N D
What is Cyanide and How Does it Affect the Cell? Deanna Dailey
What is Cyanide • Chemical Formula: CN- • Mass of 26.007 g/mol • Soluble in water • Lighter than air • Mainly a gas, but can be a liquid under 78 degrees F. • Tastes or smells like bitter almonds • Forms salts with Alkali metals. (Na, K, H) • Highly flammable
How does it kill? • It affects a step in cellular respiration. • Electron chain: inhibits the electron transfer to oxygen • It binds to the cytochromeoxidese so the so the oxygen can’t make ATP • No free energy to do anything cellular related • No amount of breathing will help, the oxygen cannot be used. • With hydrogen cyanide, the victim goes into cardiac arrest after 4 min.
Facts About CN- • Hitler used hydrogen cyanide in his internment camps • Pellets were dropped into the chamber • In 1982, the Tylenol extra-strength 500 mg tablets were lased with cyanide. • This made a huge mishap and 7 people died • Used to kill animals on ships and buildings (KCN, NaCN)