Poisons : Molecule of the Day

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The author is not a physician. The content on this website does not, and is not intended to constitute medical advice. It should not be relied upon when making medical decisions. It is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare provider.

Poisons:

VX (Kills bugs and people dead)

Category: Poisons

A US Army base in Utah was locked down for some time on Wednesday, because they discovered that they (transiently) misplaced a container of VX - a potent chemical weapon. Like they used in The Rock!...

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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 8:54 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Atropine (Versatile Alkaloids)

Category: Poisons

Atropine can: Dilate pupils Speed the heart Inhibit sweat and salivation Serve as an "antidote" to "nerve gas" Sounds like powerful medicine, and it is, indeed. On the other hand, it is named for Atropos, the Greek goddess responsible for...

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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 9:23 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Cyanuric Acid (The flip side of melamine)

Category: Poisons

Last year, we were fretting about melamine contamination in foods from China. Again, this week, it's happening - melamine was put into milk by some unscrupulous vendors. The idea here is that melamine is high in nitrogen and cheap. An...

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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 8:00 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Sarin (Nasty.)

Category: Poisons

Sarin is an organophosphate that irreversibly inhibits cholinesterase. it's a neurotoxin, and a potent one. It'd be absolutely terrifying as a weapon, if it weren't so unstable. Even if a rogue state had gobs of Sarin last year, it's all...

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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 10:46 PM • 14 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Perchloroethylene (Oddly ubiqutious)

Category: Poisons

Trying to think of a molecule tonight, my friend suggested "pick an ugly one no one wants anymore...a clearance rack molecule." I immediately went to chlorinated solvents. They're in the backwater now, right? Carbon tetrachloride sure has a bad rep....

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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 11:11 PM • 13 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Acetaldehyde (The gross center of the alcohol metabolism chocolate)

Category: Poisons

Acetaldehyde is an intermediate metabolite of alcohol:...

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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 10:57 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Lead Bromide (Volatile lead?)

Category: Poisons

Gasoline and diesel engines operate using very different philosophies. In a gas engine, a spark ignites a compressed fuel-air mixture; in a diesel, air is compressed and gets very hot, and fuel is injected, resulting in ignition. In the case...

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Posted by Molecule of the Day at 8:35 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks