Toxin

A toxin is a naturally occurring poison made by the metabolic activities of living cells or organisms. These special poisons are often made of proteins and were first described by an organic chemist named Ludwig Brieger in the late 1800s.

Toxins can be tiny molecules, small chains of amino acids called peptides, or larger proteins. They can make you sick if they touch your body or if you take them in. Some toxins, like a bee sting, usually cause only minor problems. But others, like botulinum toxin, can be very dangerous even in very small amounts.

Terminology

Toxins are special kinds of poisons that come from living things. They are different from other harmful chemicals because they are made naturally. Sometimes, people also call man-made poisons "toxicants."

Toxins can affect different parts of the body. For example, some can harm blood cells, while others might affect the liver or nervous system. They can be released by organisms or when bacteria break down. The words toxin, toxicant, and poison are often used in similar ways, even though they have slight differences in meaning.

Biological

Biotoxins are special poisons that come from living things. They can enter your body when you eat, breathe, or touch them. Some come from fungi, tiny germs, plants, or animals.

Living things make biotoxins for different reasons. Animals like spiders, snakes, and jellyfish use them to catch food. Others, like bees and plants, use them to stay safe. Some of these toxins can even help people because they can be used in medicine.

There are many types of biotoxins. Some can hurt cells and spread through the blood. Others mainly affect the nerves. Some hurt muscles, and others can damage cells. These toxins come from creatures like spiders, snakes, jellyfish, and even some kinds of algae and bacteria.

Environmental

See also: Environmental toxicology

Sometimes people talk about "environmental toxins" to mean harmful substances made by humans, like those from factories. But this can be confusing because toxins usually come from living things. It's always good to ask what a scientist really means when they use this phrase.

There are harmful toxins that can move through food chains and affect our health. Some examples include:

• Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP)
• Amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP)
• Diarrheal shellfish poisoning (DSP)
• Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP)

Research

Scientists study how much of a substance might be dangerous for people, animals, or the environment. They work to find safe levels for these substances. In Europe, the European Food Safety Authority has studied many substances and shares what they found online.

In the United States, the United States National Library of Medicine has a program called TEHIP. It offers resources about toxins and health, including a website with databases and tools for scientists and the public. TEHIP also manages TOXNET, a group of free databases about toxins and health.

TOXMAP is a tool that uses maps of the United States. It shows information from the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s records on harmful chemicals and research programs.