What is Zyklon B?
Q: What is Zyklon B?
A: Zyklon B is a trade name of a pesticide containing hydrogen cyanide, which was invented in Germany in the 1920s.
Q: What was Zyklon B used for in Nazi Germany?
A: Zyklon B was used in gas chambers to kill Jews as part of the Holocaust, such as at Auschwitz and other extermination camps.
Q: What is the effect of hydrogen cyanide on cells?
A: Hydrogen cyanide is a poisonous gas that interferes with respiration in cells. The cyanide ion stops the cell from making ATP by binding into a protein involved in the reaction.
Q: Did Zyklon B contain only hydrogen cyanide?
A: No, Zyklon B contained other chemicals in addition to hydrogen cyanide.
Q: Was Zyklon B used as a pesticide more widely than in Nazi Germany?
A: Yes, Zyklon B was used as a pesticide in various countries around the world including the US, Canada and the UK prior to its use in Nazi Germany.
Q: When was Zyklon B invented?
A: Zyklon B was invented in Germany in the early 1920s.
Q: What was the main purpose of using Zyklon B in the gas chambers?
A: The main purpose of using Zyklon B in the gas chambers was to quickly and efficiently kill large numbers of people, particularly Jews, during the Holocaust.