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symbol traditionally used to label a poisonous substance.]] .]] In the context of Biology , Poison s are Substance s that can cause Injury , Illness , or Death to Organism s, usually by Chemical Reaction or other Activity on the Molecular scale. In Medicine (particularly veterinary) and in Zoology , a poison is often distinguished from a Venom . Venoms are usually defined as biologic toxins that are injected to cause their effect, while poisons are generally defined as toxins which are absorbed through epithelial linings such as the skin or gut. TERMINOLOGY Some poisons are also Toxin s, usually referring to naturally produced substances, such as the Bacteria l Protein s that cause Tetanus and Botulism . A distinction between the two terms is not always observed, even among scientists. Animal toxins that are delivered subcutaneously (e.g. by Sting or Bite ) are also called '' Venom ''. In normal usage, a poisonous organism is one that is harmful to consume, but a venomous organism uses poison to defend itself while still alive. A single organism can be both venomous and poisonous. The derivative forms "toxic" and "poisonous" are synonymous. Within Chemistry and Physics , a poison is a substance that obstructs or inhibits a reaction, for example by binding to a Catalyst . Lay use The phrase "poison" is often used colloquially to describe other categories of substances:
WARNING SYMBOLS Poisons have been known to be symbolized by the Skull And Crossbones (shown beside), although since this ''attracts'' children (being linked to Pirates ) it is gradually being replaced by Mr. Yuk in the United States . In the United Kingdom and some parts of Europe , Irritant poisons are symbolised by a large "X" on an orange background. USES OF POISON Deliberate application of poison has throughout the ages been used as method of Assassination , Murder , Suicide and Execution . As a method of execution, the poison can be administered as ingested, as the ancient Athenians did (see Socrates ), breathed, such as Carbon Monoxide or Hydrogen Cyanide (see Gas Chamber ) or intravenously (see Lethal Injection ). Many non-English languages describe lethal injection with their corresponding words for "poison shot". BIOLOGICAL POISONING Contact or absorption of poisons can cause rapid death or impairment. Agents that act on the Nervous System can paralyze in seconds or less, and include both biologically derived Neurotoxin s and so-called Nerve Gas es, which may be synthesized for Warfare or industry. Inhaled or ingested Cyanide as used as method of Execution on US Gas Chamber s almost instantly starves the body of energy by poisoning Mitochondria and the synthesis of ATP . Intravenous injection of an unnaturally high concentration of Potassium Chloride , such as in the execution of prisoners in parts of the United States, quickly stops the Heart by eliminating the Cell Potential necessary for Muscle Contraction . Such rapid reactions are often called ''acute poisoning''. Most (but not all) Pesticide s are created to act as poisons to Target Organism s, although acute or less observable chronic poisoning can also occur to non-target organism, including the Human s who apply the pesticides and other Beneficial Organism s. A poison may also act slowly. This is known as ''chronic poisoning'' and is most common for poisons that Bioaccumulate . Examples of these types of poisons are Mercury and Lead . Many substances regarded as poisons are toxic only indirectly. An example is "wood alcohol" or Methanol , which is not poisonous itself, but is chemically converted to toxic Formaldehyde in the Liver . Many Drug molecules are made toxic in the liver, and the genetic variability of certain liver Enzyme s makes the toxicity of many compounds differ between one individual and the next. The study of the symptoms, mechanisms, treatment and diagnosis of biological poisoning is known as Toxicology . Exposure to radioactive substances can produce Radiation Poisoning , an unrelated phenomenon. POISONING IN CHILDREN Background
Management
TYPES OF POISONS The majority of this section is sorted by ICD-10 code, which classifies poisons based upon the nature of the poison itself. However, it is also possible to classify poisons based upon the effect the poison has (for example, "Metabolic poisons" such as Antimycin , Malonate , and 2,4-Dinitrophenol act by adversely disrupting the normal Metabolism of an organism.) (T36-T50) Poisoning by Drugs , Medicaments and Biological Substances () Poisoning by Systemic Antibiotics () Poisoning by other systemic Anti-infectives and Antiparasitics () Poisoning by Hormones and their synthetic substitutes and Antagonists , not elsewhere classified () Poisoning by Nonopiod Analgesics , Antipyretics and Antirheumatics () Poisoning by Narcotics and Psychodysleptics ( Hallucinogens ) () Poisoning by Anaesthetics and Therapeutic Gases () Poisoning by Antiepileptic , Sedative-hypnotic and Antiparkinsonism drugs () Poisoning by Psychotropic Drugs , not elsewhere classified () Poisoning by drugs primarily affecting the Autonomic Nervous System Neurotoxin s interfere with Nervous System functions and often lead to near-instant Paralysis followed by rapid Death . They include most Spider and Snake venoms, as well as many modern Chemical Weapon s. One class of toxins of interest to neurochemical researchers are the various Cone Snail toxins known as Conotoxin s. Anticholinesterases (T44.0) Acetylcholine antagonists Cell membrane disrupters Others
() Poisoning by primarily Systemic and Haematological Agents , not elsewhere classified
() Poisoning by agents primarily affecting the Cardiovascular System () Poisoning by agents primarily affecting the Gastrointestinal System () Poisoning by agents primarily acting on smooth and Skeletal Muscles and the Respiratory System () Poisoning by Topical Agents primarily affecting Skin and Mucous Membrane and by Ophthalmological , Otorhinolaryngological and Dental drugs () Poisoning by Diuretics and other unspecified drugs, medicaments and biological substances (T51-T65) Toxic Effects of substances chiefly nonmedicinal as to source () Toxic effect of Alcohol () Toxic effect of Organic Solvents () Toxic effect of Halogen derivatives of Aliphatic and Aromatic Hydrocarbons () Toxic effect of Corrosive substances Corrosives mechanically damage biological systems on contact. Both the sensation and injury caused by contact with a corrosive resembles a Burn Injury .
Acids (T54.2) Strong inorganic acids, such as concentrated Sulfuric Acid , Nitric Acid or Hydrochloric Acid , destroy any Biological Tissue with which they come in contact within seconds. Bases (T54.3) Strong inorganic bases, such as Lye , gradually dissolve skin on contact but can cause serious damage to eyes or Mucous Membrane s much more rapidly. Ammonia is a far weaker base than lye, but has the distinction of being a gas and thus may more easily come into contact with the sensitive mucous membranes of the Respiratory System . Quicklime , which has household uses, is a particularly common cause of poisoning. Some of the light metals, if handled carelessly, can not only cause thermal burns, but also produce very strongly basic solutions in sweat. () Toxic effect of Soaps and Detergents () Toxic effect of Metals A common trait shared by Heavy Metals is the chronic nature of their toxicity (a notable exception would be Bismuth , which is considered entirely non-toxic). Low levels of heavy metal salts ingested over time accumulate in the body until toxic levels are reached. Heavy metals are generally far more toxic when ingested in the form of Soluble Salt s than in elemental form. For example, metallic Mercury passes through the human digestive tract without interaction and is commonly used in Dental Fillings —even though Mercury Salts and inhaled mercury vapor are highly toxic. Examples:
() Toxic effect of other inorganic substances
Reducing agents
() Toxic effect of Carbon Monoxide
() Toxic effect of other Gases , Fumes and Vapours Oxidizers Poisons of this class are generally not very harmful to higher life forms such as humans (for whom the outer layer of cells are more or less disposable), but lethal to Microorganism s such as Bacteria . Typical examples are Ozone and Chlorine (T59.4), either of which is added to nearly every Municipal Water Supply in order to kill any harmful microorganisms present. All Halogen s are strong Oxidizing Agent s, Fluorine (T59.5) being the strongest of all. See also: () Toxic effect of Pesticides
() Toxic effect of Noxious substances eaten as Seafood
() Toxic effect of other Noxious substances eaten as Food
() Toxic effect of Venomous Animals () Toxic effect of Aflatoxin and other Mycotoxin food contaminants
() Toxic effect of other and unspecified substances SEE ALSO
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