Medical What Causes Lead & Mercury Poisoning in Humans?

  • Thread starter Thread starter hover
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Lead Mercury
AI Thread Summary
Lead and mercury poisoning in humans is a complex issue, primarily due to their neurotoxic effects. Mercury ions disrupt the structure of cell membranes, particularly in developing neurons, leading to significant cellular damage. There is a debate regarding the safety of mercury exposure; while some argue that small doses are harmless and even used in vaccines, others caution that mercury can accumulate in the body over time, raising concerns about its long-term effects. Lead, similarly, poses risks due to its heavy metal properties and potential for cellular damage, especially in brain and lung cells. The discussion highlights the need for a nuanced understanding of the toxicity levels and the biological mechanisms involved in lead and mercury exposure.
hover
Messages
342
Reaction score
0
Hey everyone,

I have a question about lead and mercury poisoning in the human body. What actually happens in the human body that causes lead and mercury to be poisonous?

Thanks!
 
Biology news on Phys.org
I'm no expert, but i think mercury ions affect the cell membrane struture of developing neurons.
i saw a very informatiove clip on mercury neurotoxicity from the university of calgary,

This isn't an easy topic, it depends who you speak to. Ask a drug company, they'll agree that it is highly neurotoxic, but in small doses is harmless (becuase they put it in vaccines), but some scientists say that mercury has the capability to build up in a person, so I'm not sure what to believe about mercury these days. The establishment opinion is that in very small doses its ok.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
ok i know its a heavy element that is desipated in the cell membrane so the cell can't face this damage and can't remove it from it's membrane ,

specially in the brain cells and lungs cells ...,
 
https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-deadliest-spider-in-the-world-ends-lives-in-hours-but-its-venom-may-inspire-medical-miracles-48107 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versutoxin#Mechanism_behind_Neurotoxic_Properties https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028390817301557 (subscription or purchase requred) he structure of versutoxin (δ-atracotoxin-Hv1) provides insights into the binding of site 3 neurotoxins to the voltage-gated sodium channel...
Popular article referring to the BA.2 variant: Popular article: (many words, little data) https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/17/health/ba-2-covid-severity/index.html Preprint article referring to the BA.2 variant: Preprint article: (At 52 pages, too many words!) https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.14.480335v1.full.pdf [edited 1hr. after posting: Added preprint Abstract] Cheers, Tom
Back
Top