The chemistry in Breaking Bad
areas. This causes an electrical potential over the membrane causing automaticity (cardiac cells initiating an electrical impulse) and ventricular ectopy (electric signals in the heart starting in a different place and travelling a different way through the heart). This causes an abnormal heart rhythm leading to dizziness, fainting, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and even severe heart block (electrical signals from the top chambers of your heart fail to conduct properly to the bottom chambers), leading to cardiac arrest. Overall, the show is rather accurate, as the symptoms of both poisons do share some similarity, while the lethal dose of cardiac glycosides(>160µg/kg) 13 is greater than that of ricin(5-10µg/kg) 11 therefore the ‘lily of the valley’ plant will be less lethal with similar doses. General formula of the cardiac glycosides present in the ‘Lily of the valley’ plant from Khanin et al. 2016
Conclusion
Considering its dramatic tone and entertainment objectives, Breaking Bad presents a surprisingly accurate picture of chemistry. The methamphetamine syntheses shown in the show are interesting and chemically viable, despite certain features being scientifically incorrect, such as the product's blue hue or the frequent absence of important steps like adding aluminium amalgam. On the other hand, the use of hydrofluoric acid is inaccurate, as organic tissue/skin would be mostly inert to the acid, so it would not be able to dissolve bodies despite the corrosion of the ceramic bathtub being chemically accurate. Thermite and fulminated mercury reactions are successfully depicted in the show apart from the unusual size of the fulminated mercury crystals. Although conceptually conceivable, the homemade battery is unlikely to produce the voltage needed to start an RV, demonstrating a use of dramatic effect by the show. The use of poisons, however, does have basis in chemical and biological accuracy. The show accurately depicts symptoms and descriptions of how and to what effect the poisons work. Overall, despite some aspects being simplified, inaccurate or exaggerated for dramatic effect, there is a reasonable grounding in many of the chemical applications shown throughout the show.
Bibliography
Feng, X. 2009. ‘ Chemical and biochemical basis of cell-bone matrix interaction in health and disease ’ , Current Chemical Biology 3.2: 189 – 96 Gal, Y. et al. 2017. ‘ Treatments for pulmonary ricin intoxication: current aspects and future prospects ’, Toxins 9.10: 311 Hall, F.W. 2000 . ‘ Aluminothermic Processes ’, i n Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry (eds. Harnisch.F and Salthammer.T.). New Jersey The Chemistry of Breaking Bad . 2013. https://www.chemistryviews.org/details/ezine/5416791/The_Chemistry_of_Breaking_Bad/. Date accessed: 21/08/24
13 Roberts et al. 2016.
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