Posions: Arsenic

The most recent thing we have been learning about in biology is enzymes. We are looking at poison because they play a huge role in our body, they can extremely affect our bodies. Poisons are known as inhibitors of enzymes. Poisons happen to be irreversible inhibitors, this means they permanently affect enzymes. Not all poisons are bad. Some poisons are found inside of medicines to help prevent enzymes from producing bacteria. When Jane Austen was still alive she was taking a medicine that contained Arsenic and when she passed away a theory came out. The theory states that she was poisoned by the Arsenic that was present in the medicine she was taking. They came to the conclusion that if you get to much of the poison, you can die from it because it affects to much of your enzymes.


 Some examples of poisons are Penicillin, which is a poison that inhibits an enzyme special to bacteria. Heavy metals ( Arsenic) binded with enzymes stop the production. Another type of poison is cyanide, which inhibits an enzyme and slows ATP production.


Arsenic is semi-metallic and occurs in nature and is found on the periodic table
Arsenic is found in some glass, electronics, metals and wood preserves.
Scientist have came to the conclusion that long exposure to Arsenic is linked to diabetes, thickening of the skin, some types of cancer, liver disease and some digestive problems. Many medicines contain Arsenic. You may be freaked out about how such a horrible chemical can help you instead of affecting you. Arsenic is harmless if its under one part per million, but going above that is dangerous and can harm you. Being exposed to a great amount of Arsenic can lead to death. A symptom of Arsenic will usually show up about 30 minutes after being exposed. Also be aware that if the exposure decreases the time of symptoms may occur longer after the exposure. If you are exposed to a great amount of Arsenic, you will have trouble swallowing, have a metallic taste in your mouth and you will produce a lot of saliva. Vomiting might start to occur along with diarrhea. You may start having painful stomach cramps and have a break out of sweat. The next stage is having a seizure and going into shock. After that your kidneys may shut down and you may possibly die.

In my opinion the theory that Jane Austen was poisoned by
Arsenic is credible, you may have a different opinion. Poisons can be a big help or can be a terrifying substance. If you want to learn some more, click on the links below.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=jane-austen-arsenic&page=2

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/arsenic_poisoning.shtml

http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/eh/chemfs/fs/arsenic.htm



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