To determine: The way by which ricin led to the death of Markov.
Introduction: Ricin is a highly toxic protein that is produced from Ricinus communis. The toxicity of ricin is not only twice to the cyanide, but also has the lethal effects much higher than the venom of a cobra. The compound is found to be present in the endosperm of the seed.
Explanation of Solution
Ricin is the combination of two compounds, ricin A and ricin B, in which ricin A is less toxic and found in the form of proricin. However, ricin B possesses the toxicity when disulfide bonds are hydrolyzed after the consumption of animals. The target site of ricin is the ribosome, which results in the inhibition of translation to form proteins.
Georgi Markov was a Bulgarian expatriate, who liked to do work as a novelist. On his way to London, a pinhead-sized metal from an umbrella pierced into the thigh of a person with intense pain. The metal contained approximately 0.2 mg of ricin compound, which injected into the skin of the person and caused the death of a person. The reason is that ricin led to stop the translation of protein and shutting down of
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 38 Solutions
BIOLOGY