![]() Nevertheless, extensive study of many toxins has contributed to a greater understanding of their biology and chemistry. Studies readily separate and evaluate individual components, but it is very difficult to use purified components to make the original toxin or venom. ![]() One major complication to the study of plant and animal poisons arises from their complexity as mixtures. These toxic compounds are invaluable in the insight that they provide into the systems that they disrupt and poison. Some toxic compounds are used primarily to aid an animal in obtaining food while plants have developed toxic properties to specifically ward off being used as food. These toxic adaptations reflect how the organism interacts with its surroundings and with its predators. The toxic properties of plants and animals often enhance their ability to survive. Even the Ebers Papyrus, which dates to around 1550 bc, describes concoctions using plant substances as primary ingredients. History is replete with stories of the earliest humans using plant extracts and animal venoms for hunting, war, assassination, and political intrigue for millennia. Lepidoptera (Caterpillars, Moths, and Butterflies) Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Hornets) Loxosceles Species (Brown or Violin Spiders) ![]() Skeletal Muscle and Neuromuscular JunctionĪgelenopsis Species (American Funnel Web Spiders) ![]()
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