Question

How does nerve gas affect the synapse?

Answer 1

In the central nervous system, a synapse is a small gap at the end of a neuron that allows a signal to pass from one neuron to the next. Synapses are found at the point where nerve cells connect with other nerve cells. Synapses are key to the brain's function, especially for the memory.

Complete answer:
Nerve gases are a kind of organic chemical that disrupt the mechanisms by which nerves transfer messages to organs. This disruption is caused by the blocking of acetylcholinesterase, this enzyme catalyzes the breakdown of acetylcholine .acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter.

When a person is exposed to a high dose of nerve gas1, they die within minutes. Respiratory arrest results in death. Even at lower levels of exposure, deaths can occur within the first 24 hours. Before succumbing to respiratory arrest, the victim will experience a variety of symptoms.

These symptoms include intense pupil constriction (miosis) and severe eye pain, constriction of the bronchioles resulting in labored breathing, nausea and vomiting, lacrimation (tearing), salivation, sweating, urination, defecation (basically everything oozes out!) and muscle twitching leading to muscle paralysis. Anxiety, confusion, dizziness,nausea, vomiting, seizures and respiratory depression.

The most common cause of death is respiratory failure. There are two ways for this to happen. The nerve gas paralyzes the diaphragm (smooth muscle) by directly acting on it, and it also slows the firing rate of neurons in a brainstem area that controls breathing.

This area is known as the respiratory center, and it contains neurons that send their axons to the diaphragm, causing muscle contraction and, as a result, breathing. Victims of chronic nerve gas exposure suffer from a variety of neurological and mental disorders, including depression, insomnia, memory loss, mental confusion, and cognitive problems. This was common among US soldiers exposed to nerve gas in Iraq during the dismantling of chemical weapons after the Gulf War.

Note: Immediate eye pain and tearing, dim vision, runny nose and cough are the symptoms when a person exposed to nerve gas, within minutes people may become seriously ill.Sarin is a nerve gas generally considered a weapon of mass destruction.