What is it about, let’s say arsenic atoms, that makes it so much more deadly than gold for example. And please expand this to molecules too.
In: Chemistry
The moment you start asking about “why is X deadly”, the answer necessarily stops being about the physical properties of X itself (the number of protons and neutrons, electron configuration, etc.) and more about “what thing in the body does it fuck with that really, *really* needs to be working properly to keep me not dead”.
Typically it involves bricking a specific protein, and often it does that by accidentally getting attached to a very important part of the protein – the part where an actual reaction is supposed to be taking place – and not letting go. Rendering it as useless in sort of the same way as if you put Flex Glue instead of motor oil in your car’s engine.
In the example of arsenic, it bricks a protein called pyruvate dehydrogenase by sticking to the sulfur atoms in it. Pyruvate dehydrogenase is very important for the process of the cell producing energy. Without it working properly, the whole cell sort of grounds to a halt and shuts down because it runs out of energy to do anything.
Gold doesn’t do this. Gold doesn’t really want to stick to any important proteins in your body.
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