Chapter 7, Problem 1CT

Summary Introduction

To determine:

The reason that cyanide poisoning starts with the same symptom as altitude sickness.

Introduction:

The people who live at higher altitudes face some medical problems. They suffer from weakness, dizziness and so on. They even suffer from breath shortness. However, people suffering from cyanide poising also show the same symptoms. It has been discovered that the cyanide has the ability to bind to a molecule called cytochrome c oxidase. The binding of these two units reduces the concentration of oxygen present in mitochondria of the cell. As a result, this type of bonding of cytochrome c oxidase and cyanide inhibits the transfer of electrons inside mitochondria.