The first place I heard of nerve gas was in the foxtv sequel "24". I was portrayed as a very dangerous chemical weapon used by terrorists in extreme situations. Now we have heard is has been used in Syrian which means the war is not a joke. Guess who are its casualty! Children. Over 1,300 people were killed in Syria as a direct result of the exposure of verve gas. UN believes this weapon was used by the Syrian government against the rebels.
Wikipedia - "Nerve agents are a class of phosphorus-containing organic chemicals (organophosphates) that disrupt the mechanism by which nerves transfer messages to organs. The disruption is caused by blocking acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme that normally relaxes the activity of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter.
As chemical weapons, they are classified as weapons of mass destruction by the United Nations according to UN Resolution 687 (passed in April 1991) and their production and stockpiling was outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993; the Chemical Weapons Convention officially took effect on April 29, 1997. The use of dangerous gases in warfare was forbidden by treaty already in the Geneva Protocol of 1925.
Poisoning by a nerve agent leads to contraction of pupils, profuse salivation, convulsions, involuntary urination and defecation, and eventual death by asphyxiation as control is lost over respiratory muscles. Some nerve agents are readily vaporized or aerosolized and the primary portal of entry into the body is the respiratory system. Nerve agents can also be absorbed through the skin, requiring that those likely to be subjected to such agents wear a full body suit in addition to a respirator".
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