A toxin (Gk. toxikon "(poison) for use on arrows,") is a poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms. Toxins are nearly always proteins that are capable of causing disease on contact or absorption with body tissues by interacting with biological macromolecules such as enzymes or cellular receptors. Toxins vary greatly in their severity, ranging from usually minor and acute (as in a bee sting) to almost immediately deadly (as in botulinum toxin). Biotoxins vary greatly in purpose and mechanism, and can be hi ...

Including:

• Toxin - Use
• Toxin - Non-technical usage

Read more here: » Toxin: Encyclopedia - Toxin

Including:

• Botulin toxin - Chemical overview
• Botulin toxin - History
• Botulin toxin - Chemical warfare
• Botulin toxin - Medical uses
• Botulin toxin - Chemical mechanism of toxicity

Read more here: » Botulin toxin: Encyclopedia - Botulin toxin

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 huma ...

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Toxin, Toxin - Use, Toxin - Non-technical usage

Read more here: » Toxin: Encyclopedia II - Toxin - Use

Almost all foods contain tiny amounts of toxins. Normally these toxins do not pose a great danger to a healthy individual. This may be because healthy humans either don't metabolise the toxins in the first place, or if they do, their immune systems can deal with the damage caused. As long as a person has a varied diet there is little danger of overloading the body's defences with any one particular toxin. However, a person may not be aware that th ...

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Healthy eating, Healthy eating - Toxins

Read more here: » Healthy eating: Encyclopedia II - Healthy eating - Toxins

Botulism (from Latin botulus, "sausage") is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin, botulin, that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botulin is the most potent known toxin, blocking nerve function and leading to respiratory and musculoskeletal paralysis. There are three main kinds of botulism: Foodborne botulism is a form of foodborne illness and is caused by eating foods that contain the botulism toxin. Wound botulism is caused by toxin pr ...

Including:

• Botulism - Symptoms foodborne and wound forms
• Botulism - Infant botulism
• Botulism - Botulinum toxin
• Botulism - Diagnosis
• Botulism - Treatment
• Botulism - Complications
• Botulism - Prevention
• Botulism - Reference

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For specific information on prevention and treatment of urushiol poisoning, see Urushiol-induced contact dermatitis. Urushiol (you-ROO-shee-ol) is an oil found in plants of the Family Anacardiaceae, especially Toxicodendron spp. (e.g. poison oak, poison-ivy, and poison sumac). It causes an allergic skin rash on contact. The name comes from urushi, a lacquer produced in Japan from the sap of kiurushi ...

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An allergen is any substance (antigen), most often eaten or inhaled, that is recognized by the immune system and causes an allergic reaction. No comprehensive list of allergens is possible, because sensitivities vary from one person to another and it is possible to be allergic to literally anything. Dust, pollen and pet dander are all common allergens, but it is possible to be allergic to anything from chlorine to perfume. Food allergies are not as common as food sensitivity, but some foods such as peanuts (really a legu ...

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Clostridium difficile (pronunciation ▶ (help·info)) (also referred to as C. diff or C-diff) is a species of bacteria of the genus Clostridium which are gram-positive, anaerobic spore-forming rods. They cause pseudomembranous colitis, a severe infection of the colon, often after normal gut flora is eradicated by the use of antibiotics. Treatment is by stopping any antibiotics and commencing specific anticlostridial antibiotics, e.g. ...

Including:

• Clostridium difficile - Bacteriology
• Clostridium difficile - Characteristics
• Clostridium difficile - Toxins
• Clostridium difficile - Role in disease
• Clostridium difficile - Diagnosis and treatment
• Clostridium difficile - Pharmacotherapy
• Clostridium difficile - Recurrence
• Clostridium difficile - Notable outbreaks
• Clostridium difficile - Cracking of the genetic code of the Quebec strain
• Clostridium difficile - External link

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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 ...

Including:

• Poison - Biological poisoning
• Poison - Poisoning in children
• Poison - Background
• Poison - Management
• Poison - By mechanism
• Poison - Corrosives T54
• Poison - Metabolic poisons energy
• Poison - Neurotoxins T44
• Poison - Teratogens birth defects
• Poison - Mutagens DNA damage
• Poison - Carcinogens cancer
• Poison - By source
• Poison - Non-radioactive inorganic poisons
• Poison - Organic poisons
• Poison - Naturally produced poisons and toxins
• Poison - Famous poisonings
• Poison - Confirmed poisonings
• Poison - Suspected or rumoured poisonings
• Poison - Poisons in crime fiction
• Poison - Novels
• Poison - Plays
• Poison - Films
• Poison - Poison in other literary works
• Poison - Novels

Read more here: » Poison: Encyclopedia - Poison

Hepatitis is a gastroenterological disease, featuring inflammation of the liver. The clinical signs and prognosis, as well as the therapy, depend on the cause. Hepatitis - Signs and symptoms. Hepatitis is characterised by fatigue, malaise, joint aches, abdominal pain, vomiting 2-3 times per day for the first 5 days, loss of appetite, dark urine, fever, hepatomegaly (enlarged liver) and jaundice (icterus). Some chronic forms of hepatitis show very few of these signs and only present when the longstanding inf ...

Including:

• Hepatitis - Signs and symptoms
• Hepatitis - Types of hepatitis
• Hepatitis - Viral
• Hepatitis - Alcoholic hepatitis
• Hepatitis - Drug induced hepatitis
• Hepatitis - Other toxins that cause hepatitis
• Hepatitis - Metabolic disorders
• Hepatitis - Cholestatic
• Hepatitis - Autoimmune
• Hepatitis - Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency
• Hepatitis - Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

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Deadly nightshade or belladonna (Atropa belladonna) is a well-known, hardy perennial shrub, a member of the nightshade family. It is native to Europe, North Africa, and West Asia, and has become naturalized in parts of North America. The plant is not as common in the wild as many field guides may suggest, as it is readily attacked by mint flea beetles and has a very low tolerance for sunlight. In areas where it has become naturalized it can often be found in shady, moist areas with a limestone rich soil. Including:

• Deadly nightshade - Description
• Deadly nightshade - Toxicity
• Deadly nightshade - Uses
• Deadly nightshade - Cosmetics
• Deadly nightshade - Witchcraft
• Deadly nightshade - Modern medicine
• Deadly nightshade - Recreational drug

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An antidote is a substance which can counteract a form of poisoning. Sometimes, the antidote for a particular toxin is manufactured by injecting the toxin into an animal in small doses and the resulting antibodies are extracted from the animals' blood. The venom produced by some snakes and spiders is often treatable by the use of antidotes, although a number do lack one, and a b ...

Including:

• Antidote - Poison and Toxic Signs

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Ciguatera is a foodborne illness poisoning in humans caused by eating marine species whose flesh is contaminated with a toxin known as ciguatoxin, that is present in many micro-organisms (particularly, the micro-algae Gambierdiscus toxicus) living in tropical waters. Like many naturally and artificially occurring toxins, ciguatoxin bioaccumulates, resulting in higher concentrations of the toxin at higher levels of the food chain. Predator species near the top of the food chain in tropical waters, such as barracuda, moray ...

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A biological agent is an infectious disease, or toxin that can be used in bioterrorism or biological warfare. There are more than 1200 different kinds of biological agents. Biological agents include prions, microorganisms (viruses, bacteria and fungi) and some unicellular and multicellular eukaryotes (for example parasites) and their associated toxins. They have the ability to adversely affect human health in a variety of ways, ranging from allergic reactions that are usually relatively mild, to serious medical conditions, even ...

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Urushiol-induced contact dermatitis (also Toxicodendron dermatitis and Rhus dermatitis) is the medical name given to allergic rashes produced by urushiol oil contained in various plants. This includes the genus Toxicodendron (including poison-ivy, poison-oak, and poison sumac), as well as other plants in the family Anacardiaceae (mango, Rengas tree, Burmese lacquer tree, India marking nut tree, and the shell o ...

Including:

• Urushiol-induced contact dermatitis - Mechanism
• Urushiol-induced contact dermatitis - Prevention
• Urushiol-induced contact dermatitis - First aid
• Urushiol-induced contact dermatitis - Treatment
• Urushiol-induced contact dermatitis - Cure
• Urushiol-induced contact dermatitis - Common Myths

Read more here: » Urushiol-induced contact dermatitis: Encyclopedia - Urushiol-induced contact dermatitis

Ear candling, also called ear coning, is a folk medicine practice intended to remove ear wax and toxins from a person's ear. It involves placing a hollow candle in the ear canal and lighting it; the rising hot air is said to create a vacuum that pulls out toxins from the inner ear and the sinuses. Ear candling has been shown to be ineffective at creating a vacuum and removing impurities from ...

Including:

• Ear candling - Dangers
• Ear candling - Legal status

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The German physician and poet Justinus Kerner first developed the idea of a possible therapeutic use of botulinum toxin, which he called "sausage poison." In 1870, Muller (another German physician) coined the name botulism. The Latin form is botulus, which means sausage. In 1895, Emile Van Ermengem first isolated the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. In 1944, Edward Schantz cultured Clostridium botulinum and isolated the toxin, and, in 1949, Burgen's group discovered that botulinum toxin blocks neuromuscular transmission. Throughout the 1950s ...

See also:

Botulin toxin, Botulin toxin - Chemical overview, Botulin toxin - History, Botulin toxin - Chemical warfare, Botulin toxin - Medical uses, Botulin toxin - Chemical mechanism of toxicity

Read more here: » Botulin toxin: Encyclopedia II - Botulin toxin - History

When used non-technically, the term "toxin" is often applied to any toxic substances. Toxic substances not of biological origin are more properly termed poisons. Practitioners of alternative medicine often apply the term in a non-specific manner to refer to a broad category of harmful substances claimed to cause ill health. ...

See also:

Toxin, Toxin - Use, Toxin - Non-technical usage

Read more here: » Toxin: Encyclopedia II - Toxin - Non-technical usage

Botulinum (botulinus) toxin is the toxic compound produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The names Botox® and Dysport® are trade names and should not be used generically to describe the neurotoxins produced by Clostridia species. There are seven serologically distinct toxin types, designated A through G; 3 subtypes of A have been described. The toxins incorporate an enzyme (a protease) that attacks one of the fusion proteins at a neuromuscular junction, preventing vesicles from anchoring to the to the membrane to release a ...

See also:

Botulin toxin, Botulin toxin - Chemical overview, Botulin toxin - History, Botulin toxin - Chemical warfare, Botulin toxin - Medical uses, Botulin toxin - Chemical mechanism of toxicity

Read more here: » Botulin toxin: Encyclopedia II - Botulin toxin - Chemical overview

Botulin toxin has always been considered an inferior agent for chemical warfare since it degrades rapidly on exposure to air, and therefore an area attacked with the toxic aerosol would be safe to enter within a day or so. There are no documented cases of the toxin's actually being used in warfare; however, in "Operation Mongoose" in 1961, the CIA saturated some cigars, of Fidel Castro's favorite brand, with botulinum toxin for a possible assassination attempt. The cigars were never used, but when t ...

See also:

Botulin toxin, Botulin toxin - Chemical overview, Botulin toxin - History, Botulin toxin - Chemical warfare, Botulin toxin - Medical uses, Botulin toxin - Chemical mechanism of toxicity

Read more here: » Botulin toxin: Encyclopedia II - Botulin toxin - Chemical warfare