Describe the fate of oxygen in the patients poisoned with cyanide.
A. Oxygen was available, but could not be used because the electron transport system was no longer functional and could not utilize oxygen as the final electron acceptor.
B. Because the patient's tissues were destroyed by cyanide, the cells that make up the tissues could no longer make oxygen for aerobic cellular respiration to occur.
C. Cyanide blocks the passage of oxygen from the cytoplasm of the cells to the mitrochondria, so oxygen was not available to serve as the final electron acceptor.
D. Cyanide blocks the enzymes that are required for lactate fermentation; oxygen is not involved in this anaerobic process.