Necrotoxins, which cause necrosis (i.e., death) in the cells they encounter.[4] The venom of most viper species contains phospholipase and trypsin-like serine proteases.
Neurotoxins, which primarily affect the nervous systems of animals.[5] These include ion channel toxins that disrupt ion channel conductance. Black widow spider, scorpion, box jellyfish, cone snail, centipede and blue-ringed octopus venoms (among many others) function in this way.
Myotoxins, which damage muscles by binding to a receptor, are small, basic peptides found in snake (such as rattlesnake) and lizard venoms.[6][7][8][9]
Cytotoxins, which kill individual cells, are found in the apitoxin of honey bees and the venom of black widow spiders.[10][11]
But still - venoms serve for either feeding or defense, right ? Any other function ?
We should make sure to capture that as well.
Thanks, Pascale
Penelope:
Hi,
Somehow I missed your reply!
It seems that the way of the toxin in entering the other organism it does matter. Please see part of the link below that describe the different between poison and venom.
They also, mentioned another use of the venom; that is to deter competitors. It will be good to capture this as well.
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, ‘venom’ and ‘poison’ are actually not the same thing.
Poison is a toxin that gets into the body through the gastrointestinal or respiratory tract or by absorption through intact (unbroken) body layers. Poisons generally contain very small molecules—which means they can be absorbed by the skin, for instance. A cane toad, which excretes toxins from glands on each shoulder, is a poisonous animal. It has to be ingested (or licked) to cause harm. Poison ivy is an example of a poisonous plant—touching it can result in an itchy and sometimes painful rash.
Venom is a toxin or mixture of toxins that get into the body through an injection—via a bite or sting. Because it has a mixture of small and large molecules, it needs a wound to be able to enter the body. A taipan, which injects venom through syringe-like teeth, is a venomous animal. So are jellyfish, which inject venom into skin using venom-filled harpoon-like structures that shoot out from cells along their tentacles when touched.
"If you lick it or eat it and you die, it’s poisonous. If it bites you and you die, it’s venomous."
Dr Bryan Fry
pgaudet
commented
3 years ago
From #18979
Pascale:
The actual injection of a substance (envenomation) is not really related to the 'biological purpose' of the toxin. Wikipedia is helpful
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venom
But still - venoms serve for either feeding or defense, right ? Any other function ? We should make sure to capture that as well.
Thanks, Pascale
Penelope: Hi, Somehow I missed your reply! It seems that the way of the toxin in entering the other organism it does matter. Please see part of the link below that describe the different between poison and venom.
They also, mentioned another use of the venom; that is to deter competitors. It will be good to capture this as well.
(https://www.science.org.au/curious/people-medicine/venom-painful-truth)
Poisonous ain’t venomous
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, ‘venom’ and ‘poison’ are actually not the same thing.
Poison is a toxin that gets into the body through the gastrointestinal or respiratory tract or by absorption through intact (unbroken) body layers. Poisons generally contain very small molecules—which means they can be absorbed by the skin, for instance. A cane toad, which excretes toxins from glands on each shoulder, is a poisonous animal. It has to be ingested (or licked) to cause harm. Poison ivy is an example of a poisonous plant—touching it can result in an itchy and sometimes painful rash.
Venom is a toxin or mixture of toxins that get into the body through an injection—via a bite or sting. Because it has a mixture of small and large molecules, it needs a wound to be able to enter the body. A taipan, which injects venom through syringe-like teeth, is a venomous animal. So are jellyfish, which inject venom into skin using venom-filled harpoon-like structures that shoot out from cells along their tentacles when touched.
Thanks, Penelope