Venomous Snakes

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Types of venoms in poisonous snakes,
1.Neuro toxins,
2.Cytotoxins.

Neurotoxins: These are the toxins that are poisonous or destructive to nerve tissue that cause neurotoxicity. These are an extensive class of exogenous chemical neurological insults that can adversely affect function in both developing and mature nervous tissue. They typically affect the respiratory centre there by causing death due to blockage of nerve impulses that regulate respiratory system. Those humans or animals that survive these attacks do not have any sequelae (after affects of snake bite such as tissue damage). They act through various mechanims.
(A) Blocking the nerve impulse transmission,
(B)Inhibiting the ion channels,
©Receptor inhibitors,
(D)Blood brain barrier inhibitors,
(E)Multiple or combined effects

Cytotoxins: These are the toxins that specifically attack tissues or muscles. They act through various mechanisms that damages the cells either by rupturing cell membrane or through blocking muscular depolarisation thereby inhibiting muscular contraction. Accordingly they are classified as,
(A)Hemotoxins that cause the damage to the RBC or induce blood coagulation
(B)Cardiotoxins that attack heart causing depolarization of cardiac muscles
©Phospholipases that rupture cell membrane through certain processes. Reply