It takes a little bit more than 100mg of cyanide to kill a 75 kg human being. A little more than 100mg and the unfortunate victim will show the telltale signs of “bluish tones of oxygen deprivation mottle the skin.“
Cyanide Poisoning is as old as the usage of chemical compounds containing cyanide and this episode looks at the chemistry that happens in the body during a poisoning.
“This will be the last episode of Chemistry in Everyday Life for now. It was a huge amount of fun, but for the usual reasons, I have to suspend this beloved hobby project for an indefinite period of time. I would like to thank you all for listening. I enjoyed this experience immensely and I am proud of what I achieved. Take care everyone 😊”
The Podcast will remain online for the time being, but I will not add any new content.
Sources
Historical Background
· The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York, Chapter 3, 2010, D. Blum ISBN: 978-1594202438
Cyanide Poisoning and Cyanide Chemistry
· https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanide_poisoning
· https://www.thoughtco.com/overview-of-cyanide-poison-609287
· https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanide
· https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histotoxic_hypoxia
Oxidative Phosphorylation and Cytochrome C Oxidase
· https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytochrome_c_oxidase#Inhibition
· https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidative_phosphorylation
· https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron_transport_chain
Mitochondria
· https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrion
· https://www.thoughtco.com/mitochondria-defined-373367
Medical Treatment for Cyanide Poisoning