Hi
,
These are the most despised creatures on Earth - both of them! Their fangs and venom are the basic reason for this.
Last week, we looked briefly at the issues related to spider fangs and venom, and it's pretty clear and reasonable that they were created with both, and for specific reasons. The snake might be another story altogether!
Unlike spider venom that usually just immobilizes the victim, snake venom can be lethal. In fact, it's designed to be! There are basic types of snake venom, and they operate in different ways. In general...
Neurotoxin destroys the nervous system and causes paralysis, among other things. Snakes like mambas and cobras use this type. It is extremely deadly once it enters the blood system! Victims have been known to die in just minutes.
Cytotoxin destroys cells. This is found in snakes like certain vipers and adders. It can also be fatal, but usually not as quick as neurotoxin. Usually, cytotoxic venom starts destroying cells at the point of the bite, and progresses from there.
Hemotoxin disrupts blood coagulation, and is also found in various types of snakes, like vipers and adders. The effects might not be felt immediately and as painfully as cytotoxin, but the venom starts working internally, attacking the blood system in several ways.
Fatalities from a bite from a snake that uses one of these two venoms can sometimes take days, so at least there is the potential that a victim will have some time to get emergency help.
Interestingly, venoms are very different from each other (species-to-species), and are "soups", of sorts, with many differing ingredients, sometimes using agents from all three types of venom. For example, Cytotoxins are often made up of agents designed to destroy specific types of cells. Like "Cardiotoxins" - designed to attack heart cells.
Most of you have not gotten this far! For those of you who have, read on a bit...
These venom issues bring up a very interesting question. Did snakes always contain venoms designed specifically to destroy? There are some fascinating things to consider... (continued)
