Toxin: Encyclopedia II - Toxin - Use

Toxin - Use

Biotoxins are used in nature for two primary reasons:

• Predation (spider, snake, jellyfish, wasp)
• Defense (poison dart frog, deadly nightshade, honeybee, wasp)

Some of the more well known biotoxins include:

• Hemotoxin targets and destroys red bloodcells, and is transmitted through the bloodstream.
• Necrotoxin causes necrosis (i.e., death) in the cells it encounters and destroys all types of tissue. Necrotoxin spreads through the bloodstream, but infects all tissues. In humans, skin and muscle tissues are most sensitive to necrotoxin. Organisms that possess necrotoxin include:
  • The brown recluse or "fiddle back" spider.
  • Necrotizing fasciitis (the "flesh eating" bacteria)
• Neurotoxin primarily affects the nervous systems of animals. Organisms that possess neurotoxin include:
  • The black widow and other widow spiders.
  • The box jellyfish.
  • Elapid snakes.

When toxins are generated by bacteria, they are called toxoids. The toxins may be produced either in the living body during infection (for instance, by tetanus) or by bacteria in dead biological material.

In the context of complementary medicine the term is often used as a broader category of any harmful substance claimed to cause ill health, though mainstream scientists argue that the nature of such substances is usually unproven. Many publishers of non-technical material, such as the BBC, also follow this usage to refer to toxic substances in general, though some such as The Guardian maintain the distinction that toxins are only those produced by living organisms.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Use", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki