A poison has been found to hamper the victim\'s energy production. Chemical anal

Question

A poison has been found to hamper the victim's energy production. Chemical analysis reveals that it is a hydrophobic (meaning it integrates into the cellular membranes of the victim) weak acid (meaning it can be reversibly protonated or deprotonated). It was originally marketed as a weight loss product and it was very effective. People who took it immediately started to lose weight rapidly. The problem was that it could not be effectively removed from the body and the weight loss soon became a wasting disease. How does this substance cause compromised energy production in the victim?

Explanation / Answer

The game's afoot Watson

Sounds like cyanide, or some kind of inactive variant of CoQ10 to me. What's happening is, the "weight loss drug" is working by disrputing the electron transport chain; possibly by oxidizing CoQ10 from complex I within the membrane before it can transfer it can transfer its protons to the periplasmic space.

So, the cells can't function since their primary source of energy has been disrupted, so they'll burn all they can in the form of fat and sugar, but it won't be enough, and will result in "wasting".

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