How do carbon monoxide and cyanide cause death?
2 Answers
Carbon monoxide
Both prevent the cells from being able to use oxygen, but they don't react with oxygen.
Explanation:
Carbon monoxide binds with the iron in hemoglobin preferentially to oxygen. This prevents oxygen from binding to hemoglobin and being carried to cells for aerobic cellular respiration. Without oxygen, aerobic cellular respiration stops, preventing aerobic cellular respiration from producing ATP. Without ATP, the cells will die.
The cyanide anion,