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 cytochrome oxidese 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.

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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)