The practice of death by lethal injection is a controversial one. But whether or not you believe in its use, the science behind the method is very interesting. The article from ScienceLine goes into the controversy and ethics of this process. This method involves a series of three shots to be administered in a particular order, all through an intravenous drip. The three shots each affect different aspects of the body and are administered in order to ensure that the individual feels no pain.
The first injection is sodium thiopental. This is an anesthetic that quickly puts the individual into a state of unconsciousness so deep that they will not be able to feel pain. This anesthetic works by suppressing the activity of the CNS (central nervous system) as opposed to just numbing pain in the nerves. The sodium thiopental also amplifies GABA which is a neurotransmitter that suppresses brain activity. This complex state of unconsciousness can be reached in as little as 30 seconds. The dose administered is theoretically large enough to keep the individual under throughout the process. Around 5,000mg are administered during executions as opposed to around 150mg for a 15 minute surgery.
A saline solution is then administered through the drip. After that, a neuromuscular blocker, pancuronium bromide is administered. This chemical prevents the nerves from communicating with the muscles. This prevents the muscles from moving and subsequently, as the diaphragm can no longer contract, causes the lungs to stop working. Another dose of saline is administered before the next step.
The last chemical administered is potassium chloride. This chemical fills the heart with charged particles that stop the heart from beating by interrupting the signals. These three chemicals together, administered in this order, effectively numb the body, inhibit the lungs, and inhibit the heart.
http://scienceline.org/2007/11/ask-sergo-deathpenalty/
Posted By Erica Bonnell(1)
Creepy, but much better than electrocution! It amazes me how effective science has been in determining how to interrupt pathways to lead to death, but science still struggles to interrupt pathways to stop cancer from growing and reoccurring. If we can kill humans with pathway signaling why can't we kill tumors? Obviously the answer is extremely complex, but nonetheless it makes me wonder.
ReplyDelete-Karen Melendez
Yea, that's a good point. But I looked up the history of this process and it took several anesthesiologists working on it over the course of about 100 years to come up with the formula we use now. I'm not sure how long cancer research has been going on, but there have been several promising blogs from this class and articles that make it seem as though we are close to a "cure".
DeletePosted By Erica Bonnell(1)
I'm glad i read this because i knew that lethal injection was a shot but i didn't know it was three or what they actually did to the human body. The chemical breakdown is fascinating. Even though i still am unsure of my opinion on lethal injection, it is much better than other methods of terminating life.
ReplyDeletePosted By: Jen Silva(3)
This is an interesting topic, and definitely an area of active debate. Just because they are unconscious and cannot feel any pain, does it still make it OK to kill them? I'm not really sure when it is and when it isn't, as I think a lot of people are. But, this also brings up an important question... why do they have to use a sterile needle when the person is dying anyway?
ReplyDeletePosted by Laura Moro (2)
I am completely against the death penalty, as there have been many people who have been proven innocent after being killed. Also: a killer kept alive can be made the participant in all sorts of psychological, biological, and chemical studies. Regardless, this is really interesting. Considering all of the ways that one can die, it seems like three separate shots are a pretty complicated way of ending things. There are plenty of chemicals out there that can kill a person outright if only a microgram enters the blood, so why is killing somebody painlessly such a convoluted process?
ReplyDeleteMike Selden (3)
I didn't find anything on why they chose this particular method of killing people. It was originally developed in the 1800s and modified over time. This method also complies with all legal standards, particularly the one about cruel and unusual punishment which prohibits pain being inflicted. However it does seem complicated if there are chemicals that can painlessly kill with only a microgram.
DeletePosted By Erica Bonnell(1)
Very interesting! I had no idea the death penalty consisited of administering three different shots in a particular order. I only knew about the third shot, potassium chloride, as I thought this was the only thing administered. It is very interesting how certain chemicals given in correct doses and order can combine to be a lethal yet not painful experience. What exactly would happen if the doses and order were mixed up? Would it cause pain or injure the individual not killing them? Has this happened?
ReplyDeleteI am assuming that if the first chemical, the painkiller, were not administered first then the person would probably feel pain because the other two chemicals work rather quickly. The doses are very carefully calculated and tested because they are the same chemicals used in certain types of surgeries. I found that interesting.
DeletePosted By Erica Bonnell(1)