Poison Science: Key Principles

Understanding poisons means understanding chemistry at its most destructive:

• Lethality is measured. The LD50 puts a number on toxicity — the amount it takes to kill half of a test population.
• Mechanisms vary: nerve agents block acetylcholinesterase, cyanide blocks cytochrome oxidase, and heavy metals denature proteins.
• Antidotes work by chemical opposition: atropine counters nerve agents, chelation therapy binds heavy metals, and activated charcoal adsorbs ingested poisons.

Every great poison and every antidote comes down to the same thing — the right molecule in the right amount.