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To: TigersEye
Some of the confusion is due to if the substance is a poison or toxin. Seems heat changes the protein structures of some toxins in a way that they can no longer interact with cells. Poisons on the other hand, can withstand much higher temperatures..

POISON

In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause damage, illness, or death to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism. Legally and in hazardous chemical labelling, poisons are especially toxic substances; less toxic substances are labelled "harmful", "irritant", or not labelled at all.

In medicine (particularly veterinary) and in zoology, a poison is often distinguished from a toxin and a venom. Toxins are poisons produced via some biological function in nature, and venoms are usually defined as biologic toxins that are injected by a bite or sting to cause their effect, while other poisons are generally defined as substances which are absorbed through epithelial linings such as the skin or gut.

TOXIN

A toxin is a poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms that is active at very low concentrations. Toxins can be small molecules, peptides, or proteins and are capable of causing disease on contact or absorption with 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).

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.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080306005502AAafNcm

89 posted on 08/23/2013 9:55:02 AM PDT by Errant
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To: Errant

Those distinctions between poisons and toxins are very interesting. Thanks for posting that.


92 posted on 08/23/2013 10:06:15 AM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" is more than an Army Ranger credo it's the character of America.)
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