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This has made venoms a subject of study for people who work in drug discovery. [2] With developments in omic technologies (proteomics, genomics, etc.), researchers in this field became able to identify genes that produce certain elements in an animal's venom, as well as protein domains that have been used as building blocks across many species. [2]
Snake antivenom is a medication made up of antibodies used to treat snake bites by venomous snakes. [1] It is a type of antivenom . It is a biological product that typically consists of venom neutralizing antibodies derived from a host animal, such as a horse or sheep.
Snake venom is a highly toxic saliva [1] containing zootoxins that facilitates in the immobilization and digestion of prey. This also provides defense against threats. Snake venom is usually injected by unique fangs during a bite, though some species are also able to spit venom. [2]
Antivenom is traditionally made by collecting venom from the relevant animal and injecting small amounts of it into a domestic animal. [2] The antibodies that form are then collected from the domestic animal's blood and purified. [2] Versions are available for spider bites, snake bites, fish stings, and scorpion stings. [3]
Venom is produced in a specialised gland (or glands) and is delivered through hollow fangs or a stinger in a process called envenomation. The main function of venom is to disrupt the physiological processes of the wounded animal through neurotoxic cytotoxic, myotoxic, or haemotoxic mechanisms.
The discovery of an orally inactive peptide from snake venom established the important role of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in regulating blood pressure. This led to the development of captopril, the first ACE inhibitor. When the adverse effects of captopril became apparent new derivates were designed.
The pituitary gland (or hypophysis) is an endocrine gland about the size of a pea and weighing 0.5 grams (0.018 oz) in humans. It is a protrusion off the bottom of the hypothalamus at the base of the brain, and rests in a small, bony cavity (sella turcica) covered by a dural fold (diaphragma sellae).
α-Bungarotoxin is one of the bungarotoxins, components of the venom of the elapid Taiwanese banded krait snake (Bungarus multicinctus).It is a type of α-neurotoxin, a neurotoxic protein that is known to bind competitively and in a relatively irreversible manner to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor found at the neuromuscular junction, causing paralysis, respiratory failure, and death in ...