Did You Know?

Learn amazing facts about The Power of Poison

What’s the Difference?

Poison: any substance that causes harm if too much is introduced into or onto a living organism

Toxin: a poison that is specifically biological in origin

Venom: a mix of toxins that is created by an organism and injected, typically by fangs, spines, or stingers

Story Time! Fact or Fiction?

An apple’s seeds have a bit of poison in them, but not enough to put you to sleep. Even in the story, it was understood that an external enchantment–not just an innocent apple–caused Snow White’s death-like sleep. However, in real life. chewing and swallowing hundreds of apple seeds at one time could cause cyanide poisoning!

These two young lovers got their hands on some poison potions. Juliet takes one potion to fake death, which inspires Romeo to drink poison in his grief. He dies almost instantly! Although Shakespeare doesn’t spell it out, scientists believe Romeo’s poison could easily have been monkshood or wolfsbane—highly toxic, fast-acting plant poison that Elizabethan apothecaries could obtain.

Legend has it that Cleopatra died by allowing an asp to bite her. Historians debate the truth, but there’s no reliable way to fact-check this one. One likely variety of asp, the Egyptian cobra, has venom packed with neurotoxins that would have resulted in paralysis and respiratory failure.

LSC Animal Spotlight

The anticlotting factors of rattlesnake venom are being explored for potential use in surgery to reduce the risk of blood clotting.

Leaf-cutter ants are able to bypass many plant toxins thanks to the fungal symbiotes in their leaf “farms.” The fungi are able to break down plant toxins, allowing the ants to consume them. However, some plants are toxic to the fungi themselves. Ants can figure this out and will stop collecting them.

Naked mole rats can survive air that would be toxic to humans. Humans need oxygen concentrations around 20% to stay healthy, but naked mole rats can survive and behave normally in concentrations as low as 3-7%. This is an adaptation to their crowded, burrowing lifestyles.

Captive poison dart frogs are not poisonous. In order to be toxic, dart frogs in the wild must consume the toxins from their arthropod prey–certain ants, mites, and small beetles.

Other Animals & Poison

Some animals, including elephants and macaws, will seek out and swallow toxin-neutralizing clays to allow them to consume plants that are otherwise nonedible.

Lemurs will chew toxic millipedes to create an insect repellent. A side effect of the toxin seems to intoxicate the lemurs, which may motivate them to chew even more millipedes!

How Do Toxins Work?

Different kinds of toxins harm living organisms by affecting critical life functions.