Toxinology

Toxinology is the specialized area of science that deals specifically with animal, plant, and microbial toxins. Toxinology has been defined as "the scientific discipline dealing with microbial, plant and animal venoms, poisons and toxins". "Toxinology includes more than just the chemistry and mode of action of a toxin. It deals also with the biology of venom- or poison-producing organism, the structure and function of the venom apparatus, as well as the use of the venom or poison, the ecological role of these compounds". Toxinology has also been defined as "the science of toxic substances produced by or accumulated in living organisms, their properties, and their biological significance for the organisms involved".

There is an International Society on Toxinology (IST), founded in 1962, organizing an international congress every three years and regional sectional meetings in intervening years. The IST has, or is in the process of adopting several key initiatives, notably regularising toxin nomenclature (through work of an expert committee), developing the field of clinical toxinology as a global training and accreditation initiative, and supporting efforts to reduce the global toll from snakebite, through the Global Snakebite Initiative. Details of these and other activities, including a Society electronic newsletter are available via the Society web site at www.toxinology.org. The society also has an official journal, Toxicon. A number of countries have established national toxinology societies and these hold national meetings. There are several journals, besides Toxicon, that principally cover toxin research and major discoveries in toxinology can be published in a wide variety of journals, including Nature.

Toxins are natural substances, or substances produced by living organisms, in contrast to toxic substances from chemicals, which are toxicants. Living organisms producing or using toxins do so as either venoms or poisons. Venoms are toxins, or more commonly, collections of varying toxins, that are used actively against prey or predators, most commonly to subdue, kill and digest prey, or dissuade predators. Poisons of natural origin, that is containing toxins and used by living organisms, are passive and generally used for defence. A predator attempting to molest or eat a poisonous animal, plant or mushroom will suffer adverse effects from the toxins in the poison, varying from mild discomfort to rapid death. Particularly food poisons, but also for a few venoms, the component toxins are not produced by the deploying animal/plant, but are made by micro-organisms and concentrated and used by the deploying animal/plant. A good example is tetrodotoxin, used by a variety of poisonous animals and by a few venomous animals.

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