What Is a Nerve Agent?

A nerve agent is also known as nerve gas. It is also considered an essential class of organic chemicals. As we know that nerves transfer messages from one part of the body to another part of the body. The main aim of nerve agents is to disrupt the mechanism of these nerves. This kind of an essential disruption is caused by the acetylcholinesterase. These nerve impulses are colourless. These nerve agents are also tasteless and it can also easily convert into gas. As a student, if you are not able to write an academic paper about nerve agent, then you can get help from experts of dissertation writing services.

Biological effects

There are also some biological effects of these nerve agents. These effects are given below;

  • As we have discussed earlier that these nerve agents disrupt the nervous system. With the help of these nerve agents, it is easy for us to produce a cholinergic These cholinergic crises are responsible for the breakdown of Ach. Its main function is to control muscle contraction.
  • With the help of exposure of these nerve agents, it is easy for us to tighten the chest and to construct the pupils.
  • With the help of these nerve agents, it is also possible for us to lose control of the body functions. After losing the control of these body functions, we can experience involuntary salivation and vomiting.
  • These biological effects of nerve agents are not short lasting rather than these effects are long-lasting and one can easily increase the tenure of these nerve agents with the help of continuous explosion of these nerve agents.

Classes of nerve agents

These nerve agents are classified into different classes. The properties of the members of different classes are the same. These classes are explained below;

  • G-series

It is considered the first family of the nerve agents. These agents are named G-series because they were synthesized by a German scientist. These nerve agents are also known as non-persistent. If we take an overview of the compounds of this essential class, then we come to know that all of its compounds were discovered during and before World War 2. This family is also considered as one of the oldest families of the nerve agents. The famous agents of this family are GA, GD and GF etc.

  • V-series

G-series is non-persistent whereas V-series is persistent. There are different compounds of this class and the most famous are VE, VG and VX etc. The most studied agent in this class is VX and first of all, it was discovered in 1950.

  • Novichok Agents

These are also essential nerve agents because these agents are considered as a serious of organophosphate compounds. The main aim of Novichok was to manufacture those weapons which were still unknown to Europe.

  • Carbamates

These nerve agents have discovered on the claim of that all the nerve agents are not organophosphates because there are also some nerve agents which are also known as Carbamates. These are also three times more toxic than the nerve agents of the V-series.