Cyanide

Cyanide is the CN⁻ ion and a class of compounds containing it. Many cyanide compounds are highly toxic because cyanide can inhibit cellular respiration.

Cytochrome c oxidase: A mitochondrial enzyme complex that transfers electrons to oxygen at the end of the respiratory chain. Cyanide binds this enzyme’s iron-containing center and prevents oxygen reduction.
Cyanide ion: The negatively charged polyatomic ion CN⁻, composed of one carbon atom bonded to one nitrogen atom. It is the defining unit shared by cyanide compounds.
Gold cyanidation: An industrial process that dissolves gold from ore using cyanide solutions. It is a major use of cyanide, relying on soluble gold–cyanide complexes.
Cyanide poisoning: A potentially fatal condition caused by exposure to cyanide sufficient to disrupt cellular oxygen use. It is the direct clinical consequence of cyanide’s inhibition of mitochondrial respiration.
Amygdalin: A cyanogenic glycoside found in some plants, including bitter almonds and apricot kernels. Its breakdown can release hydrogen cyanide, linking plant chemistry to cyanide exposure.
Oxidative phosphorylation: The process that uses an electrochemical gradient across a membrane to make ATP. Blocking respiration disrupts the gradient that drives this main source of cellular ATP.
Hydrogen cyanide: A volatile molecular compound, HCN, that forms hydrogen cyanide gas or aqueous hydrocyanic acid. It is the protonated form associated with the cyanide ion in acid–base equilibria.
Sodium cyanide: A highly toxic, water-soluble ionic compound with formula NaCN. It is widely used in industrial metal extraction and chemical synthesis.
Hydroxocobalamin: A form of vitamin B₁₂ used as an antidote that binds cyanide to form cyanocobalamin. It treats cyanide poisoning by sequestering cyanide in a form the body can excrete.
Cyanogenic glycoside: A plant compound that can release hydrogen cyanide after enzymatic breakdown. These compounds are a major natural source of cyanide.

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