Question

5. What is Sarin and how does it affect our nervous and muscular system? Why would it be causing these symptoms? Please answer in detail, some key areas of interest below.

   1. Sodium ions

   2. Sodium ion channels

   3. Calcium ions

   4. Sarcoplasmic reticulum

   5. Actin

   6. Myosin

   7. Troponin

   8. Synapse

   9. Neurotransmitters

   10. Membrane potential

   11. T-tubules

   12. ATP

   13. Pre-synaptic neuron(s)

   14. Post-synaptic muscle fiber

Symptoms:

Dizzines, increase HR, SOB, muscle cramps, unconciousness.

Answer 1

Sarin:

Sarin is an extremely toxic synthetic organophosphorous compound which is colorless and odorless fluid like water.

* It is used as a chemical weapon due to its extreme potency as a nerve agent.

* Exposure is lethal at very minute concentrations and cause an death within 10 minutes after inhalation of lethal dose.

Sarin causes symptoms because

* Increase in sympathetic and parasympathetic tone results in tachycardia, ST segment modulation and arrhythmias.

* Dizziness caused by extent of poisoning caused by sarin depends on the amount of sarin and causes dizziness or drowsiness

* sarin stops the deactivation by blocking the enzyme.without the enzyme switch it off acetylcholine will repeatedly stimulate the nerve cell receptors.

* This leads to acetylcholine buildup in the muscles causes excessive twitch I.e muscle cramps results in paralysis.

* sarin affect the nervous system by interfering with the degradation of the acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junctions.

* calcium ions and calcium ion channels affected by sarin caused the sarcoplasmic reticulum continuously stimulated by the continual electrical signals.

* This wi open the calcium channels and allow calcium ions to bind continuously with troponin.

* The excess Ach would continuously stimulate cholinergic receptors and make the ion channels open to be invaded by sodium and this polarize the membrane and send continue signal.

* sarin interact with presynaptic muscarinic receptors and reduce action potential dependent release of GABA A in the post synaptic neuron.

* Sarin acts as muscarinic receptor antagonist inhibiting the evoked release of GABA.