"All natural ingredients." Must be good for you, right?

There are a tremendous variety of poisonous plants, animals, and fungi. Here are some pretty pictures Pictures be sure to look at them all.

The toxins are extremely diverse chemicals. Look at these from Timbrell ©. They vary from "C," formic acid, (red ant stings) to "E," a protein in honey bee venom..

We could not hope to cover more than a few, but here is an overview. I'll try to call your attention to a few key ideas or items on each site.

Animal toxins
1. Most snake venoms are complex protein mixtures and Relative tox. Note the actions. Also, that the LD₅₀ varies with the injection site. Also note that these Australians don't think much of our western diamondback rattler.

2. Homer Simpson ate some bad sushi and almost died. Homer . What got him was Tetrodotoxin. (Just read the Background and Pathophysiology and look at the two pictures at the very bottom.) Tetrodotoxin, abbreviated TTX, blocks Na channels, and nerve transmission ceases. TTX is a laboratory chemical for experiments that require the sodium ion channels to be blocked.

Microbial toxins
Some microbes, bacteria, injure by replicating, the thing bacteria do best. Some bacteria harm by secreting toxins. Botulinum toxin is one of the most toxic chemicals studied, with an LD₅₀ 0.01 ug/kg. Read botulinum toxin through Mechanisms of Action section. For some bacterial toxins, one molecule of the toxin can kill a cell. Diphtheria toxin for example.[Article on diphtheria, which you don't have to read.]

Plant toxins
Plant toxins are also very diverse. Here's a site with lots of examples. Look at Castor beans (and ricin) and Bracken fern, Plants. The ingredient of fern that is the likely carcinogen is ptaquiloside read something about it.
Monocrotaline, is an example of a Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids Look at section 1 and read sections 2.1 to 2.4.
Here's an index to many photos of poisonous plants. Pretty pictures.

Fungi
Read about Thanksgiving and Turkey X. Clink on the link to Aspergillus. Have a nice holiday.

So let's stop there.

Module 10 Index