Biotoxin - Definition and Overview

A biotoxin is any toxin produced by a living organism (plant, animal, fungus, bacteria). When produced by a member of the animal kingdom, such biotoxins are generally referred to as venoms. All venoms are biotoxins, but not all biotoxins are venoms.

Biotoxins vary greatly in form and function, and can be highly complex (the venom of the cone snail contains dozens of small proteins, each targetting a specific nerve channel or receptor), or relatively simple non-protein, such as botulism toxin.

The most intrusive aspect of biotoxins are the consequences of marine algal blooms, many of which produce neurotoxins in high enough concentrations to render the water and any fish and shellfish in it highly toxic.

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 humans, skin and muscle tissues are most sensative to necrotoxin. Organisms that possess necrotoxin include:
  • The brown recluse or "fiddle back" spider.
  • "Flesh eating" bacteria.
• Neurotoxin primarily affects the nervous systems of animals. Organisms that possess neurotoxin include:
  • The black widow and nearly identical violin spider.
  • The box jellyfish.

Biotoxins in nature

Biotoxins are used in nature for two primary reasons:

• Predation (spider, snake, jellyfish)
• Defense (poison dart frog, deadly nightshade)

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