Claudius Caesar Death
Claudius Caesar’s Death
The Roman emperor Claudius Caesar had an appetite for mushrooms. Historians believe that Caesar’s wife, Agrippina, wanted to poison him. She mixed into his favorite dish of mushrooms a few of Amanita caesarea, a poisonous species. These mushrooms were able to block enzymes responsible for transcription.
For the first 10 hours after eating the mushrooms Caesar seemed well. After 15 hours his liver cells stopped functioning. He then showed signs of nausea, diarrhea, and confusion because his liver could no longer filter and remove waste from the blood. He died two days later from liver failure.
1. What makes transcription important?
2. What is the purpose of proteins?
3. How would a substance that affects transcription make the liver to stop functioning?
4. Why did it take Caesar two days to die?
Claudius Caesar’s Death
1. What makes transcription important? mRNA transfers the code for proteins from DNA in the nucleus to ribosomes in the cytoplasm
2. What is the purpose of proteins?
Proteins build cells, cause change in other cells, make enzyme to control functions, and help move material through the plasma membrane.
3. How would a substance that affects transcription make the liver to stop functioning?
If mRNA not made, then proteins could not be made. No proteins or enzymes to help liver function.
4. Why did it take Caesar two days to die?
It took time for the poisons to reach the liver to halt transcription. Once halted the liver would have to use up stored enzymes before it ran completely out.
The Roman emperor Claudius Caesar had an appetite for mushrooms. Historians believe that Caesar’s wife, Agrippina, wanted to poison him. She mixed into his favorite dish of mushrooms a few of Amanita caesarea, a poisonous species. These mushrooms were able to block enzymes responsible for transcription.
For the first 10 hours after eating the mushrooms Caesar seemed well. After 15 hours his liver cells stopped functioning. He then showed signs of nausea, diarrhea, and confusion because his liver could no longer filter and remove waste from the blood. He died two days later from liver failure.
1. What makes transcription important?
2. What is the purpose of proteins?
3. How would a substance that affects transcription make the liver to stop functioning?
4. Why did it take Caesar two days to die?
Claudius Caesar’s Death
1. What makes transcription important? mRNA transfers the code for proteins from DNA in the nucleus to ribosomes in the cytoplasm
2. What is the purpose of proteins?
Proteins build cells, cause change in other cells, make enzyme to control functions, and help move material through the plasma membrane.
3. How would a substance that affects transcription make the liver to stop functioning?
If mRNA not made, then proteins could not be made. No proteins or enzymes to help liver function.
4. Why did it take Caesar two days to die?
It took time for the poisons to reach the liver to halt transcription. Once halted the liver would have to use up stored enzymes before it ran completely out.