Lindane

Lindane is the gamma isomer of hexachlorocyclohexane, an organochlorine insecticide formerly used in agriculture and to treat lice and scabies.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor: A receptor that responds to the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA and helps regulate neuronal activity. Lindane disrupts inhibitory signaling by blocking insect GABA-gated chloride channels.
Michael Faraday: An English chemist and physicist whose 1825 experiments produced hexachlorocyclohexane. Faraday first prepared the compound from which lindane’s isomers were later distinguished.
Pediculosis: Infestation by lice, including head lice, body lice, or pubic lice. Lindane lotion was used as a prescription treatment for lice infestations.
Neurotoxicity: The capacity of a substance to damage or disrupt the nervous system. Lindane can cause neurological poisoning, especially after substantial exposure.
GABA-gated chloride channel: A membrane channel that opens in response to GABA, allowing chloride ions to cross. This channel is the direct neural target through which lindane causes excitation and seizures in insects.
Hexachlorocyclohexane isomers: Stereoisomers of hexachlorocyclohexane that differ in chlorine arrangement and insecticidal activity. Separating these isomers identified gamma-HCH as lindane’s active form.
Scabies: A contagious skin infestation caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei. Lindane lotion was used to kill scabies mites when other treatments were unsuitable.
Persistent organic pollutant: An organic chemical that resists degradation, persists in the environment, and can travel or accumulate far from release sites. Lindane’s persistence and long-range transport led to its listing under this category.
Organochlorine pesticide: A pesticide containing carbon–chlorine bonds, often noted for environmental persistence and biological toxicity. Lindane belongs to this pesticide family, whose persistence shaped its regulation.
Organochlorine chemistry: The chemistry of organic compounds containing carbon–chlorine bonds. Lindane’s synthesis and persistence arise from its chlorinated molecular structure.

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