Today’s Poison: Cyanide!

Cyanide can naturally occur in very small concentrations in the pits of some fruits, but is commonly manufactured by blending Ammonia with Hydrogen and Carbon. The cyanide anion is an inhibitor of a key enzyme in the electron transport chain (found in the membrane of the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells). As a result, the electron transport chain is disrupted, meaning that the cell can no longer aerobically produce ATP for energy. Tissues that mainly depend on aerobic respiration, such as the central nervous system and the heart, are particularly affected.