effects that will occur as aresult of cyanide in body

Cyanide is a chemical compound that contains monovalent combining group CN. This group consists of a carbon atom triple- bonded to a nitrogen atom. Cyanide is considered to be toxic because it binds to cytochrome c oxidase ie. the fourth complex in the electron transport chain. It attaches to the iron within this protein complex and inhibits the normal activity of the complex system. It binds tightly so that it cannot transport any electrons to oxygen.  This blocks the further passage of electrons throughout the chain, halting ATP production. Since no ATP is made, the electron transport chain stops working. This is so because the protons are not allowed to go back into the matrix of the mitochondria, thus, the concentration of protons build up and the gradient becomes large. Therefore, the person is deprived of chemical energy to perform the many numerous processes that sustain life and the person dies.

Cyanide binds to cytochrome c oxidase in the electron transfer chain. As a result, the chain can no longer produce ATP which quickly leads to both CNS and Cardiac insults. It takes 1-15 minutes to cause death.

Its electronegativity allows it to bind to cytochrome c (an electron-carrying protein) which blocks this cytochrome from receiving other electrons that pass down the electron transport chain to produce energy in the form of ATP.

This is much like a bucket brigade: people in a line passing down a bucket to the place of the fire much like that of an assembly line. If one person in the middle of the line doesn't pass on his bucket, the line backs up. In this sense electrons back up and no further ATP is being produced after a while.

Thus cyanide is lethal because it prevents production of ATP and a person dies because it is deprived of chemical energy to perform the many numerous processes that sustain life.

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