Poison

In the context of biology, poisons are substances that cause injury, illness, or death to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale. Some poisons are also toxins, usually referring to naturally produced substances, such as the bacterial proteins that cause tetanus and botulism. A distinction between the two terms is not always observed, even among scientists. Animal toxins that are delivered subcutaneously (e.g. by sting or bite) are also called venom. In normal usage, a poisonou ...

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Poison - By mechanism

Poison - By source

Poison - Famous poisonings

Poison - Poisons in crime fiction

Poison - Poison in other literary works

Poison - Novels

Read more here: » Poison: Encyclopedia - Poison

Poison: Encyclopedia II - Poison - Biological poisoning Contact or absorption of poisons can cause rapid death or impairment. Agents that act on the nervous system can paralyze in seconds or less, and include both biologically derived neurotoxins and so-called nerve gases, which may be synthesized for warfare or industry. Inhaled or ingested cyanide as used as method of execution on US gas chambers almost instantly starves the body of energy by poisoning mitochondria and the synthesis of ATP. Intravenous injection of an unnaturally high concentration of potassium chloride, such as in the executio ...

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Venom poison - Snake venom

Poison: Encyclopedia - List of poisonings

This is a List of poisonings in alphabetical order of victim. It also includes confirmed attempted and fictional poisonings. Many of the people listed here committed or attempted to commit suicide by poison; others were poisoned by others. List of poisonings - Confirmed poisonings. Adolf Hitler (d. 1945) cyanide and gunshot simultaneously before capture Alan Turing (d. 1954), British mathematician Alan III, Duke of Brittany (d. 1040) Alphonse I, Count of Toulouse (d. 1148)Including:

Poison: Encyclopedia - Arsenic poisoning

Arsenic poisoning kills by massively disrupting the digestive system, leading to death from shock. Arsenic poisoning - Symptoms. Symptoms include violent stomach pains, vomiting and delirium. Symptoms of arsenic poisoning start with mild headaches and can progress to lightheadedness and usually, if untreated, will result in death. Arsenic poisoning can lead to a variety of problems, from skin cancer to keratoses of the feet. Arsenic poisoning - Testing. < ...

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Arsenic poisoning - Reference

Poison: Encyclopedia - Well poisoning

For the logical fallacy, see poisoning the well. Well-poisoning (the malicious manipulation of potable water resources to cause illness or death) is potentially the gravest of three accusations historically brought against Jewish people as a whole (the other two being host desecration and blood libel.) Well poisoning - Historical accusations of well-poisoning against Jews. Medieval people did not know about the existence of viruses and bacteria, thus they could not understand epidemics. Any su ...

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Poison: Encyclopedia - Carbon monoxide poisoning

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a form of toxicity due to two main mechanisms: CO binds to hemoglobin and decreases the oxygen content of blood; this results in acute tissue hypoxic injury CO binds to mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase and impairs oxidative phosphorylation and causes cell damage Carbon monoxide (CO) binds very strongly to the iron atoms in hemoglobin, the principal oxygen-carrying compound in blood. The affinity between CO and hemoglobin is 240 times stronger than the affinity between he ...

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Poison: Encyclopedia - Poison gas in World War I

The use of poison gas in World War I was a major military innovation. The gases used ranged from tear gas to disabling chemicals such as mustard gas and killing agents like phosgene. This chemical warfare was a major component of the first global war and first total war of the 20th century. The killing capacity of gas was limited — only 3% of combat deaths were due to gas — however, the proportion of non-fatal casualties was high and gas remained one of the soldiers' greatest fears. Unlike most other weapons of the period, it was ...