Snakes "long and short, smooth and scaly, dull and colorful, harmless "and deadly. Don't worry, this is not going to be a scary snake story. Americans have an ambivalent attitude toward snakes. On the one hand, our popular culture loves them; our classic cars are the Shelby Cobra and the Dodge Viper. The Air Force calls its air-to-air missiles "Sidewiders."" On the other hand, few animals are more feared by the average person. Whether in movies, literature, or folklore, poisonous serpents have received bad press, which is unfortunate, because snakes like copperheads and cobras are at this moment at the forefront of some of the most exciting medical breakthroughs.
I am going to tell you today about the nature of snake venom and why it can be used in medicine. Next, we will explore some of the breakthroughs it is already used for, and finally we will discover the new applications that lie just over the medical horizon. Whether for heart attacks, organ rejection, blood pressure, strokes or many other health conditions, snake venom holds great promise for both patients and the general public alike.
Before getting to the promised land, however, we have first to find out what snake venom is, and why doctors can use it. Arizona State U's Chain Reaction online Magazine, last referenced December 12 2002, reports the studies of Dr. Allan Bieber regarding the composition of this deadly fluid. Dr. Beiber says that most snake venom is some form of protein. Now, protein is one of the body's basic building blocks "antibodies, hormones, enzymes, hair and muscles are all forms of proteins. .
Snake venom, however, is a deadly mix of particularly powerful proteins, grouped into neurotoxins and hemotoxins, which set off destructive chain reactions when injected into the human body. In "Cold Blooded News- from March 2001, Ed Ferrer of the Colorado Herpetological Society explains the difference between the two.
The sea snakes body is flattened laterally and its oar like tail is used as a scull. ... The most important thing about a poisonous snake is the venom. ... Snake venom is made up of about 20 different enzymes. ... There are three types of venom in the snake world. ... The second type of venom is Proteroglyphs: These are the fixed front fang snakes. ...
Cottonmouth venom is hemotoxic and potent. ... There venom is hemotoxic. ... Their venom is very powerful. ... Snake venom, unlike other kinds of venom, gets drawn further into the body as the cold constricts the blood vessels around the wound. ... Do Not use electric shock. ...
The two most common ways that snakes kill their prey is with venom or by constriction. Venom can either slow down or kill the prey. There are two types of venoms. ... In viper venoms, homotoxins dominate. ... As we know not all snakes use these two methods. ...
Snakes are also a common type of reptile. Some types include the Indian Cobra, coral Snake, and rattlesnake. The cobra uses its teeth to inject poison into its prey and can even spit the venom up to 6 feet at the enemy's eye. Coral snakes use their bright colored skin as a means of warding off predators, and rattlesnakes shake their tails to warn that they are near. ...
These roles include opsonization, activating the complement system, and neutralizing toxins (such as snake and scorpion venom) and toxic organisms (such as bacteria and viruses). ... The Fab region can be obtained using the enzyme papain, which cleaves the disulphide bond between Fab and Fc region. ... They help in the treatment of poisonings caused from foreign compounds such as venoms (snake and scorpion), drugs (digoxin) and bacteria (anthrax). ... Role in treating venoms (neurotoxins) Neurotoxins Neurotoxins are a class of venoms components that affect the neuromuscular junction and c...
Many People who extract venom Page 4 from snakes are usually bitten at least once in their life, if they are fortunate enough (Porter 32). ... Some venom is so strong they can kill a person within seconds. ... They have evolved to life on land by incorporating the use of lungs to replace using gills, such as a fish. ... Venomous snakes inject venom into their prey through fangs. ... Snakes fangs are hollow so the veno...
They bite then coil around their prey until it suffocates because they don't have venom to kill it and they can swallow it whole. ... Popping is most commonly used with younger snakes. ... Using this method too much or doing in correctly can injure the snake. ... The second method used for adult snakes is probing. ... You can use Aspen shavings but the snake might burrow under out of view or ingest them while feeding. ...
The pedipalps are used for capture and defense. ... At the end of the abdomen there is a telson, and it contains the venom gland. ... The larger scorpions usually eat vertebrates, such as small lizards, snakes, and also mice. ... The venom of scorpions is used for prey capture and also for defense. Scorpion venom is the mixture of many substances, and every species has different mixture. ...
It starts with a rattle snake discussing it pleasure with its adaptations it was given. ... He also talks about his venom but how it is not supposed to be used as a weapon but more like a defensive option. While the snake is sitting there a man comes by picking up wood for his fire. The snake is uncomfortable by his presents and gives him a sharp hiss. The snake then can not control himself and springs towards the man biting him. ...