Toxin

A toxin is a Poison produced by the metabolic activities of some to be alive, and more particularly of the bacteria.

Certain animals, as certain plants are also able to produce some.

  • Certaines bacteria secretes toxins (exotoxins) in the fabrics which they colonize: they are the true toxins . Other bacteria (Gram -) preserve in themselves most of the toxic compounds, which are released only from cellular lysis, under the action of chemical means, physical or mechanical (endotoxines).
  • Among the most important toxins which assign the Man, one finds those of the Botulisme, the Dysenterie, the Tétanos and the Diphtérie.
  • Because of their great sensitivity to the chemical and physical factors, such as the light or heat, the toxins are difficult to insulate and knowledge that we have some was obtained by the observation of the lesions and the symptoms which they cause when they are injected with animals.

Except for the botuline, the toxins are destroyed by gastro-intestinal juices. It clearly was also shown that the toxins are of colloidal nature and resemble much the Enzyme S. For some of them, the toxins cause the formation of Anticorps, then called antitoxins .

Specific vocabulary

  • a anatoxine is a toxin which was treated so as to preserve its antigenic capacity and to lose its toxic capacity. One makes use of it for example for the vaccines.
  • a antitoxin is an antibody produced during the immune reaction of an infected organization and victim of a toxin.
  • a intoxination is an infection due to germs exerting a toxic power. It is caused by the ingestion of toxin, without there needing the presence of the germ. It is the case of the Phycotoxine S produced by the algae unicellular ( Dinophyta for example) and which one find in the Seafood.
  • a toxinfection is related to the diffusion of a toxin produced by micro-organisms developing in the organization.

Specificity of action of toxins

  • a Neurotoxine is a toxin acting on the Nervous system,
  • a myotoxine acts on the contraction of the Muscles (in particular cardiotoxines on the Cœur and others like the Strychnine on the respiratory muscles).
  • a hémotoxine destroys the cells of the Sang.
  • the toxins can also attack:
    • the Skin and Mucous S (dermatotoxines),
    • the Liver (hépatotoxines),
    • the Kidney (néphrotoxines),

Principal properties of bacterial toxins

Internal bonds

  • pathogenic Capacity
  • Venom

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