Forensics Poisons Info

How certain poisons work and the signs and symptoms of them.

Arsenic (how it works)

Stops transport of the Krebs cycle. Disrupts production of ATP causing cells to die from lack of energy.

Arsenic (Signs and symptoms)

Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, tingling of fingers and toes, skin lesions

Cyanide (how it works)

Binds with iron in the mitochondria stopping the ETC from happening. Ultimately, this stops the production of ATP in cells.

Cyanide (Signs and Symptoms)

Reddening of the skin, difficulty breathing, cardiac arrest

Methanol (how it works)

Metabolizes into formic acid which then goes on to halt the process of the ETC.

methanol (Signs and Symptoms)

Drowsiness, dizziness, blindness, inability to coordinate muscle movements.

Radium (how it works)

Body recognizes radium as calcium and deposits it into bones. Bones then degrade and the cells can amputate causing cancer

Radium (Signs and Symptoms)

nausea & vomiting, diarrhea, headache, hair loss, bloody vomit & stool.

Thalidomide (how it works)

Degrades factors that influence transcription & translation of DNA

Thalidomide (Signs and Symptoms)

Shortened, nonfunctional limbs in newborn babies.

Ecstasy

Serotonin; stimulant

Marijuana

Dopamine; stimulant

Alcohol

GABA Receptors; Depressant

LSD

Serotonin, stimulant

Meth

Dopamine, Stimulant

Heroin

Dopamine; depressant

Cocaine

Dopamine; Stimulant

Serotonin

Promotes feelings of happiness and satisfaction, can also make you nauseous

Dopamine

Plays a major role in brain’s reward system, causing joy when you succeed at a task

Which drugs mimic serotonin

LSD & Ecstasy

which drug doesn’t mimic Serotonin or Dopamine?

Alcohol (GABA Receptors)