Becker's World of the Cell 9th Edition by Lewis Kleinsmith, Jeff Hardin, Gregory Paul Bertoni

Exercise 9

Stricken by Strychnine. The plant alkaloid strychnine is a poison that occurs at high levels in a particular deciduous tree ( Strychnos nux-vomica)found in India. It is an effective poison for killing rodents and other small vertebrates. In small doses, it has been used illegally by athletes as a stimulant. Strychnine antagonizes the glycine receptor, which, like the GABA receptor, is a ligand-gated chloride channel. Explain why strychnine has the effects it has.