Biological Poisons

What are biological poisons?  Biological poisons are also known as toxins. They are categorized into three groups. The first group is microbial toxins which are poisons produced by bacteria, blue/green algae to name a few, the second group are poisons that are produced by plants most commonly known as phytotoxins. Lastly, the third group is poisons produced by animals called zootoxins. There are many different varieties of poisonous plants and animals tend to be very prominent all over the world.

http://petsci.co.uk/health-care/poisoning

Poisons are substances that can be harmful to living organisms, if inhaled, ingested, injected or absorbed. Furthermore, most poisons act acutely which means that their toxic effects happen very quickly after exposure. Acute toxins should be registered based on the lethal dose. Many toxins are actually registered and classified due to their potential threat to human safety. Additionally, it is important to note that biological toxins are “classified separately fromchemical toxins.”   

Microbial poisons are created by bacteria, blue/green algae, and fungi. There are many problems that can happen to someone working with these organisms because there is a lack of knowledge concerning their biological nature. Furthermore, these plants have very diverse poisons so knowing what you have come in contact with can be extremely beneficial when being treated.

When thinking of biological poisons the first that comes to mind is spiders and snakes. Two species, that I am deathly afraid of. Venomous animal species are frequently described as poisonous and vice versa. With that being said, both types are toxic and can cause considerable harm to humans, however where these two differ is how the toxin is delivered. Poisons are often when a person ingests something where and can also be toxins absorbed through the skin when broken or touched.  Whereas, venom is injected into a person from a bite or sting.

http://www.stewart.army.mil/info/?id=524&p=3

Snakes are both extremely venomous and have the strongest venom. This is a protective mechanism for the snake, if they see something as a predator they can instantly inject the person or other animal with venom, that can lead to extreme illness or fatality.  It is suggested that between fifty thousand and one hundred thousand deaths are caused by snakes every year. The snakes responsible for the most deaths are the “Indian cobra, commonkrait, Russel viper and saw scaled viper.” 

Furthermore, there are ten species that are considered to be the most toxins. The list consists of the box jellyfish which is said one sting can be fatal unless treated right away. Another is the marbled cone snail, interesting? These guys hang out near the bodies of water specifically salt water, it uses its venom to catch prey.  According to the Guinness World Records the Brazilian wandering spider has the most powerful venom of any spider, and responsible for the most human deaths…scary. They are primarily go unseen however will appear in homes, hide in shoes and other surrounding areas. These spiders are so dangerous due to their wandering nature.  Lastly the puffer fish “pufferpoisoning causes the tissue of your lips and tongue to die, someone mayexperience raid heart rate and difficulty breathing.”

It is important for people to know what they are surrounded by or may one day come face to face with. Animals who produce venom and plants that sting can result in death if not taking care of immediately.