A toxin (Greek: τοξικόν, toxikon, lit. Toxicology (from the Greek words toxicos and logos) is the study of the adverse effects of Chemicals on living organisms Forensic toxicology is the use of Toxicology and other disciplines such as Analytical chemistry, Pharmacology and Clinical chemistry to aid medicolegal Toxinology is the specialized area of Toxicology that deals specifically with animal plant and microbial toxins but is also considered a science in its own right The history of Poison stretches from before 4500 BC to the Present day. S00-T14 - Injury (S00-S09 Head ( Superficial Injury of head ( Superficial injury of 17 Injury and poisoning (800-999 fracture of skull (800-804 ( Fracture of Vault of skull ( Fracture of Base of skull In the context of Biology, poisons are substances that can cause damage, Illness, or Death to Organisms usually by This article is about the class of Biotoxins For other uses see Venom (disambiguation and Venomous (disambiguation. A toxicant is a chemical compound that has an effect on organisms An antidote or counterdose is a substance which can counteract a form of Poisoning. Acceptable daily intake or ADI is a measure of the amount of a specific substance (usually a Food additive, or a residue of a veterinary drug or pesticide in Acute toxicity describes the adverse effects of a substance which result either from a single exposure or from multiple exposures in a short space of time (usually less than 24 hours Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a toxic substance at a rate greater than that at ftudruinsubstance is lost Biomagnification, also known as bioamplification, or biological magnification is the increase in concentration of a substance such as the Pesticide Fixed Dose Procedure (FDP proposed in 1984 is a method to assess a substance's acute oral Toxicity. In Toxicology, the median lethal dose, LD50 (abbreviation for “Lethal Dose 50%” or LCt50 (Lethal Concentration & Time of a A lethal dose (LD is an indication of the Lethality of a given substance or type of Radiation. Toxic capacity can mean the Toxicity of a substance possibly in relation to a specific Organism and toxic capacity can mean the capacity of an organism Toxicity Class refers to a classification system for Pesticides created by a national or international government-related or -sponsored organization This article is about the class of Biotoxins For other uses see Venom (disambiguation and Venomous (disambiguation. A neurotoxin is a Toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells ( Neurons, usually by interacting with Membrane proteins such as Ion channels Necrosis (in Greek Νεκρός = "dead" is the name given to unnatural Death of cells and living tissue. Hemotoxins, haemotoxins or hematotoxins are Toxins that destroy Red blood cells (that is cause Hemolysis) disrupt Blood Mycotoxin (from the Greek μύκης (mykes mukos "fungus" is a Toxin produced by an organism of the Fungus kingdom which includes Mushrooms Aflatoxins are naturally occurring Mycotoxins that are produced by many species of Aspergillus, a Fungus, most notably Aspergillus Phototoxins are Toxins that can cause allergic reactions in particularly susceptible individuals and which can cause dangerous Photosensitivity in a much broader range This is a list of toxins poisons and chemical weapons from works of fiction (usually in Fantasy and Science fiction) The Bradford sweets poisoning was the accidental Arsenic poisoning of more than 200 people in Bradford, England in 1858 an estimated 20 people died when sometimes referred to as, is a neurological syndrome caused by severe Mercury poisoning. is a Neurological syndrome caused by severe Mercury poisoning. Alexander Litvinenko was a former officer of Russian Federal Security Service, who escaped prosecution in Russia and received a Political asylum in The Bhopal disaster was an Industrial disaster that occurred in the city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, resulting in the immediate deaths The 2007 pet food recalls comprise the contamination and wide recall of many brands of cat and dog foods beginning in March 2007 and the ensuing developments This is a list of Poisonings in chronological order of victim Toxic metals are Metals that form Poisonous soluble compounds and have no biological role i Lead poisoning (also known as saturnism, plumbism, or painter's colic) is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the metal Lead in Mercury poisoning (also known as mercurialism, hydrargyria, Hunter-Russell syndrome, or acrodynia when affecting children is a Disease Cadmium has no constructive purpose in the Human body It and its compounds are extremely Toxic even in low concentrations and will Bioaccumulate in Antimony (IPA (Received Pronunciation, /ˈæntɪmoʊni/ (US is a Chemical element with the symbol Sb (stibium meaning "mark" and Arsenic Poisoning kills by Allosteric inhibition of essential metabolic Enzymes, leading to death from multi-system Beryllium (bəˈrɪliəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Be and Atomic number 4 Iron poisoning is caused by a large excess of Iron intake It has been primarily been associated with young children who consumed large quantities of iron supplement pills Thallium (ˈθæliəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Tl and Atomic number 81 In high concentrations soluble Fluoride Salts are somewhat Toxic. Oxygen toxicity or oxygen toxicity syndrome (also known as the " Paul Bert effect" or the "Lorrain Smith effect" describes harmful effects caused There are four syndromes called shellfish poisoning, which share some common features and are primarily associated with bivalve molluscs (such as Mussels Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP is one of the four recognized syndromes of Shellfish poisoning (the others being Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning, diarrhetic Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP is one of the four recognised symptom types of Shellfish poisoning, the others being Paralytic shellfish poisoning, Neurotoxic Amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP is a human illness caused by consumption of the marine biotoxin called Domoic acid. Ciguatera is a Foodborne illness poisoning in humans caused by eating Marine species whose flesh is contaminated with a toxin known as Ciguatoxin, Scombroid food poisoning is a foodborne Illness that results from eating spoiled (decayed Fish. Tetrodotoxin (anhydrotetrodotoxin 4-epitetrodotoxin tetrodonic acid TTX is a potent Neurotoxin with no known antidote which blocks Action potentials in Nerves Pesticide Poisonings occur when chemicals intended to control a pest affect non-target organisms such as Humans Wildlife, or Bees Since Many Organophosphates are potent Neurotoxins functioning by inhibiting the action of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE in nerve cells. Foodborne illness (also foodborne disease) is any Illness resulting from the consumption of food Historically most cases of nicotine poisoning have been the result of its use as an Insecticide; however such use is less frequent now than previously Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after the inhalation of Carbon monoxide gas Vitamin poisoning, or hypervitaminosis, refers to a condition of high storage levels of Vitamins which can lead to Toxic Symptoms The medical The term drug overdose (or simply overdose or OD) describes the Ingestion or application of a Drug or other substance in quantities See also List of deadly fungi Mushroom poisoning, also known as mycetism, refers to deleterious effects from ingestion of Toxic substances present This is a list of Plants containing Poisonous parts that pose a serious risk of illness, injury or Death to Humans or Animals. Hazard symbols are easily recognizable symbols designed to warn about hazardous materials or locations The term carcinogen refers to any substance Radionuclide or radiation that is an agent directly involved in the promotion of Cancer or in the fatation of its propagation In Biology, a mutagen ( Latin, literally origin of change) is a physical or chemical agent that changes the genetic information (usually DNA) This is a list of Extremely Hazardous Substances as defined by Section 302 of the U Biological warfare (BW — known as a germ warfare, biological weapons and bioweaponry — is the use of any Pathogen ( Bacterium Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly (poison) for use on arrows) is a poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms that is active at very low concentrations. In the context of Biology, poisons are substances that can cause damage, Illness, or Death to Organisms usually by Toxins can be small molecules, peptides, or proteins and are capable of causing disease on contact or absorption with body tissues by interacting with biological macromolecules such as enzymes or cellular receptors. In Pharmacology, a small molecule is a small Organic compound that is biologically active ( Biomolecule) but is not a Polymer. Peptides (from the Greek πεπτίδια, "small digestibles" are short Polymers formed from the linking in a defined order of α- Amino Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism The term macromolecule by definition implies "large Molecule " Enzymes are Biomolecules that catalyze ( ie increase the rates of Chemical reactions Almost all enzymes are Proteins In Biochemistry, a receptor is a Protein molecule embedded in either the Plasma membrane or Cytoplasm of a cell to which a mobile signaling 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). Bees are flying Insects closely related to Wasps and Ants Bees are a Monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea A stinger (a Colloquialism for the term "sting" is a common term for a sharp organ or body part found in various Animals (typically Arthropods Botulinum toxin is a Neurotoxin Protein produced by the Bacterium Clostridium botulinum.

Biotoxins vary greatly in purpose and mechanism, and can be highly complex (the venom of the cone snail contains dozens of small proteins, each targeting a specific nerve channel or receptor), or relatively small protein. This article is about the class of Biotoxins For other uses see Venom (disambiguation and Venomous (disambiguation. The cone snails or cone shells, sometimes simply known as "cones" (family Conidae) are a Taxonomic family of medium-sized to large sophisticated Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl

Use

Biotoxins in nature have two primary functions:

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

Some of the more well known types of biotoxins include:

• Cyanotoxins, produced by cyanobacteria
• Hemotoxins target and destroy red blood cells, and are transmitted through the bloodstream. Spiders are Predatory Invertebrate Animals that have two body segments, eight legs no chewing mouth parts and no wings A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. Scorpions are eight-legged Carnivorous Arthropods They are members of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. They have several different basic morphologies that represent several different cnidarian classes including the A wasp is any Insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a Bee nor Ant. Bees are flying Insects closely related to Wasps and Ants Bees are a Monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea Poison dart frog (also dart frog, poison frog or formerly poison arrow frog) is the common name of a group of Frogs in the family Atropa belladonna or Atropa bella-donna, commonly known as belladonna or deadly nightshade, is a perennial Herbaceous This article refers collectively to all true honey bees for the "common" domesticated honey bee see European honey bee Honey bees A wasp is any Insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a Bee nor Ant. A cyanotoxin is a Toxin produced by certain Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, blue-green bacteria or Cyanophyta, is a phylum of Bacteria that obtain their energy Hemotoxins, haemotoxins or hematotoxins are Toxins that destroy Red blood cells (that is cause Hemolysis) disrupt Blood Organisms that possess hemotoxins include:
  • Pit Vipers, such as rattlesnakes. Common names: pit vipers pitvipers The Crotalinae, or crotalines are a subfamily of venomous vipers found Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous Snakes, genera Crotalus and Sistrurus.
• Necrotoxins cause necrosis (i. Necrosis (in Greek Νεκρός = "dead" is the name given to unnatural Death of cells and living tissue. e. , death) in the cells they encounter and destroy all types of tissue. Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism Necrotoxins spread through the bloodstream, but infect all tissues. In humans, skin and muscle tissues are most sensitive to necrotoxins. The skin is the outer covering of living tissue of an animal (or plant Muscle (from Latin musculus, diminutive of mus "mouse" is contractile tissue of the body and is derived from the Organisms that possess necrotoxins include:
  • The brown recluse or "fiddle back" spider. The brown recluse Spider, Loxosceles reclusa, is a well-known member of the family Sicariidae (formerly placed in a family "Loxoscelidae"
  • Necrotizing fasciitis (the "flesh eating" bacteria)
• Neurotoxins primarily affect the nervous systems of animals. Necrotizing fasciitis (NF or fasciitis necroticans, commonly known as "flesh-eating disease" or "flesh-eating bacteria" is a rare Infection Streptococcus pyogenes is a spherical Gram-positive Bacteria that grows in long chains and is the cause of Group A streptococcal infections A neurotoxin is a Toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells ( Neurons, usually by interacting with Membrane proteins such as Ion channels Organisms that possess neurotoxins include:
  • The Black Widow and other widow spiders. The black widow spider is a group of Spiders which includes the southern black widow ( Latrodectus mactans) the northern black widow The widow spiders are members of the genus Latrodectus, in the family Theridiidae.
  • Most scorpions. Scorpions are eight-legged Carnivorous Arthropods They are members of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida.
  • The box jellyfish. Box jellyfish are invertebrates belonging to the class Cubozoa, named for their Cube -shaped medusae.
  • Elapid snakes. The Elapidae, or elapids are a Family of venomous snakes found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world including the Indian Ocean and
  • The Cone Snail. The cone snails or cone shells, sometimes simply known as "cones" (family Conidae) are a Taxonomic family of medium-sized to large sophisticated

Ricinis is a plant toxin found in the castor bean plant. Ricin (ˈraɪ sɨn is a Protein Toxin that is extracted from the castor bean ( Ricinus communis)

Environmental toxins

Non-technical usage

When used non-technically, the term "toxin" is often applied to any toxic substances. Toxicity is the degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism Toxic substances not of biological origin are more properly termed poisons. In the context of Biology, poisons are substances that can cause damage, Illness, or Death to Organisms usually by Many non-technical and lifestyle journalists also follow this usage to refer to toxic substances in general, though some specialist journalists at publishers such as the BBC and The Guardian maintain the distinction that toxins are only those produced by living organisms. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group.

In the context of alternative medicine the term is often used non-specifically to refer to any substance claimed to cause ill health, ranging anywhere from trace amounts of pesticides to common food items like refined sugar or additives like artificial sweeteners and MSG. The term alternative medicine, as used in the modern western world encompasses any healing practice "that does not fall within the realm of conventional Medicine. A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose. Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavour or improve its taste and appearance Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate and MSG, is a Sodium salt of the non-essential Amino acid Glutamic acid [1]

See also

• Apitoxin
• Exotoxin
• Hemotoxin
• Mycotoxin
• Neurotoxin
• Phototoxin
• Toxicophore
• Toxoid
• Venom
• List of fictional toxins

External links

• Society of Toxicology
• The Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases
• Cycad toxicity
• Corrections and clarifications, The Guardian, 30 May 2005. An exotoxin is a soluble Protein excreted by a Microrganism, including bacteria, Fungi, Algae, and Protozoa. Hemotoxins, haemotoxins or hematotoxins are Toxins that destroy Red blood cells (that is cause Hemolysis) disrupt Blood Mycotoxin (from the Greek μύκης (mykes mukos "fungus" is a Toxin produced by an organism of the Fungus kingdom which includes Mushrooms A neurotoxin is a Toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells ( Neurons, usually by interacting with Membrane proteins such as Ion channels Phototoxins are Toxins that can cause allergic reactions in particularly susceptible individuals and which can cause dangerous Photosensitivity in a much broader range A toxicophore is a feature or group within a Chemical structure that is thought to be responsible for the toxic properties either directly or via Metabolic A toxoid is a bacterial Toxin (usually an exotoxinwhose Toxicity has been weakened or suppressed either by chemical (formalin or heat treatment while other properties This article is about the class of Biotoxins For other uses see Venom (disambiguation and Venomous (disambiguation. This is a list of toxins poisons and chemical weapons from works of fiction (usually in Fantasy and Science fiction) The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• Special Issue on "Marine Toxins"