A commonly used method of lethal injection involves the injection of potassium. Explain why having too much potassium in your extracellular fluid would be fatal.
What will be an ideal response?
The process of lethal injection uses a combination of three drugs, administered intravenously: a barbiturate that induces coma, a muscle paralysis agent, and potassium chloride. It is the potassium chloride that actually produces death by stopping the heart, typically within 1 minute of administration. The distribution of potassium across the neural membranes (and the membranes of heart cells, too) is essential for electrical signaling. By increasing the concentration of potassium in the extracellular fluid, the resting potential of cells is increased. This depolarization inactivates sodium channels. The cell is unable to signal again until its normal resting potential is regained.
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