CHEMISTRY TO KILL OR TO CURE Ziqi (Jade) Fang (LVI

CHEMISTRY TO KILL OR TO CURE

Ziqi (Jade) Fang, LVI

Chemistry is always fascinating, whether you like doing experiments or analysing results; there is almost certainly an aspect of the vast field which targets your interest and hooks your curiosity with ease. For some, it might be the colourful combustions, exciting explosions or even analysing atoms, but personally, the bait that I fell for, and I believe lots of others do, are the dangers lurking behind seemingly normal and common chemicals.

Why can some chemicals save you when you are at the edge of losing your grip on life? Why can some take your breath away abruptly within a matter of seconds? Why can others possess the ability of both when in different quantities?

The thought of having a potential cure around in the most brutal situations is certainly very reassuring, but the thought of enjoying a walk in the woods and encountering a fatal substance is certainly less so, and the thought of potentially facing death using the same chemical that could act as a cure is confusing. So, what are some examples?

ARSENIC

Rivalling cyanide (a famous and deadly poison, mentioned in Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’) in both lethality and infamy, arsenic makes recurring appearances in Victorian plays and highprofile murders. The compound can be ingested accidentally through things like occupational exposure, groundwater or even rice. A small dose of the poison can cause headaches, drowsiness, diarrhoea and confusion, but a larger dose can cause death within a span of 24 hours. Arsenic disrupts cells at a molecular level. It mimics phosphorous, replacing this element in phosphates and targeting the reaction that allows cells to store energy. By displacing this necessary chemical, arsenic can block energy production and cell signalling, making it impossible for cells to keep up the basic processes that keep us alive.

Death by arsenic is especially horrific because the poison damages several body functions simultaneously. It also combines with sulphur groups on proteins, which are usually in charge of holding important amino acids in a specific formation. Disrupting these basic formations can cause a wide variety of problems within the cell, which ripple out and manifest as different symptoms such as bloody vomit, convulsions, stomach pain and cramps.

The element itself can cause cancer, as well as other health problems, but that does not mean it cannot also cure cancer. Arsenic, which can be found in nature as well as in pesticides, building products and some industrial processes, has been used for medical treatment in previous eras, like to treat syphilis in Victorian times. It is still used now to treat a rare blood cancer called acute promyelocytic leukaemia. This cancer is associated with serious bleeding and clotting problems, and arsenic may be used in patients whose bodies cannot tolerate the usual route, a class of chemotherapy drugs called anthracyclines.

VENOM

Deaths caused by animal venom in the modern day are still being reported in the most remote places. What power does animal venom have? Perhaps the most common type of toxin in animal venom are nerve toxins. This group can act in diverse ways to block or over-stimulate the nervous system – rarely a good thing. However, the most dangerous of these are the ones that block nerve signalling, causing paralysis of the muscles required for breathing. Depending on the toxin, such paralysis may be very rapid (within minutes) or moderately slow (within hours). The most dangerous paralysing toxins destroy the nerves themselves. Once this type of damage occurs, it may take weeks for the nerves to repair and during this time you cannot breathe without external support.

Not only do venoms affect the nerves, but most venoms can also destroy factors that help clot blood. Arguably the most dangerous venom in the world is that of the box jellyfish, Chironex fleckeri, because of its ability to kill a healthy adult human in minutes. This remarkable lethality is attributed to powerful toxins that are injected into the skin through millions of tiny venom-filled harpoon-like extrusions on the jellyfish tentacles. Once in circulation, these toxins seem to specifically target and punch holes into the outer membrane of heart muscle cells. These holes disturb the smoothly coordinated contraction of the heart muscles.

A more insidious effect, particularly of snake venoms, is muscle destruction known as myotoxicity. While not as quick as the effect on blood clotting, heart function or nerve signalling, myotoxicity can also be lethal. Typically, snake venom toxins dissolve the membrane of muscle cells. Not only is this a painful experience, but it also causes the muscle protein, known as myoglobin, to leak into the urine, potentially poisoning the kidneys in the process.

There are lots of animals that produce dangerous venoms, but they are not all bad. The African sawscaled viper’s venom was used to create the blood thinner tirofiban. There are also several venomderived pharmaceuticals on the international market: Captopril, which is used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure and diabetes-caused kidney problems, can be traced back to venom from the Brazilian viper. The diabetes drug Exanatide helps the body produce insulin and comes from the venomous saliva of a lizard, the Glia monster that is indigenous to the southwestern United States and north western Mexico.

So why do some chemicals possess this ability? The core answer to this question is rooted in nature itself. The existence of these chemicals with contrasting and conflicting properties is most certainly one of the most alluring mysteries and continues to inspire many to dive into the vast field of chemistry. So, in response to my question in the title: Chemistry can be used as both a horrifying and gruesome means of attack, but also a lifesaving antidote. Yes, chemicals on their own can be dangerous and fatal but we must also acknowledge that their harm and purpose can be easily altered by the user. Thus, the next time you encounter a foreign chemical, beware of its dangers and explore its other uses.

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