Why is Benzene poisonous? How could such an elegant ring of carbon and hydrogen atoms be so dangerous?
In: Chemistry
The other answer is just wrong, benzene is extremely stable which is probably why you’re asking this. In the mitochondria (and I think ER) of your cells, there is a group of enzymes called cytochrome P450. They catalyze a reaction that oxidizes – adds an oxygen atom – onto organic molecules. It just so happens that they form a stable complex with benzene, and will oxidize it – add an oxygen to one of the carbons in the ring – to form a molecule called benzene oxide that’s now very unstable (it’s an epoxide if you have any organic chemistry knowledge). The benzene oxide will almost immediately break down into phenols and quinones that are extremely toxic.
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