How does nerve gas cause suffocation?

Answer 1

Basically, nerve gas stops the nerves in your body from responding. It takes nerves in your lungs and chest cavity to enable you to breathe. When you breathe in the nerve gas, the gas stops your nerves in your lungs and eventually stops your breathing altogether... and you suffocate.

Answer 2

Originally developed as a pesticide, sarin is a toxic nerve agent that, in high doses, can cause death by respiratory failure (suffocation). Sarin shares similar chemical characteristics with organophosphate pesticides such as DTT. All organophosphates have similar hazardous effects on the nervous system, in particular where nerves connect to and control muscles.

In order for a nerve cell to stimulate a muscle to flex, the nerve cell releases neurotransmitter molecules into a tiny space between the nerve cell and the muscle – called the neuromuscular junction. Those neurotransmitter molecules then physically interact with receptor proteins on the surface of muscle cells, causing the muscle to flex. Meanwhile, other enzymes in the neuromuscular junction destroy the neurotransmitters, preventing further muscle stimulation, thus allowing the muscle to relax.

Organophosphate compounds such as sarin and DTT are dangerous to insects and humans because they interfere with the enzymes that destroy the neurotransmitter. This causes the neurotransmitter to accumulate in the neuromuscular junction and the muscle stays flexed. The build-up of neurotransmitter can result in loss of muscle control and lead to seizures and paralysis.

Answer 3

The gas paralyzes the muscles in the body including the lungs. Therefor they cannot contract to bring in air to breath.

Answer 4

The same way carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide or helium does- it replaces the oxygen your body needs.... Of course once nerve gas enters the bloodstream (instead of oxygen), it starts afffecting your nervous system, as well...

Answer 5

it makes the respiratory muscles paralyzed,so the affected one cant take his breath and die from suffocation.