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Toxicology and poison |
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Toxicology (Forensic) · Toxinology History of poison (ICD-10 T36-T65, ICD-9 960-989) |
Concepts |
Poison · Venom · Toxicant (Toxin) · Antidote Acceptable daily intake · Acute toxicity Bioaccumulation · Biomagnification Fixed Dose Procedure · LD50 · Lethal dose Toxic capacity · Toxicity Class |
Toxins and venoms |
Neurotoxin · Necrotoxin · Hemotoxin Mycotoxin · Aflatoxin · Phototoxin List of fictional toxins |
Incidents |
Bradford · Minamata · Niigata Alexander Litvinenko · Bhopal 2007 pet food recalls List of poisonings |
Poisoning types |
Elements Toxic metal (Lead · Mercury · Cadmium · Antimony · Arsenic · Beryllium · Iron · Thallium) · Fluoride · Oxygen Seafood Shellfish (Paralytic · Diarrheal Amnesic) · Ciguatera · Scombroid Tetrodotoxin Other substances Pesticide · Organophosphate · Food Nicotine · Theobromine · Carbon monoxide · Vitamin · Medicines Living organisms Mushrooms · Plants · Venomous animals |
Related topics |
Hazard symbol · Carcinogen Mutagen · List of Extremely Hazardous Substances · Biological warfare · Food safety |
A toxin (Greek: τοξικόν, toxikon, lit. (poison) for use on arrows) is a poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms[1] that is active at very low concentrations. Toxins can be small molecules, peptides, or proteins and are capable of causing disease on contact with or absorption by body tissues by interacting with biological macromolecules such as enzymes or cellular receptors. 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).
Toxins are often distinguished from other chemical agents by its method of production- the word toxin does not specify method of delivery (compare with venom and (the narrower meaning) of poison). It simply means it is a biologically produced poison. There was an ongoing dispute between NATO and the Warsaw Pact over whether to call a toxin a biological or chemical agent, in which the former opted for the latter, and vice versa.
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.
Contents |
Biotoxins in nature have two primary functions:
Some of the more well known types of biotoxins include:
When used non-technically, the term "toxin" is often applied to any toxic substances. Toxic substances not of biological origin are more properly termed poisons. 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.
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.
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