Toxins

TOXINS: PLANTS AND ANIMALS

Here we go again..still having difficulty on how to start my blog. The topic is just simple, so why can’t I think of a good way to start it. Hhhhhmmmmmmmm.........tick tock tick tock.......Almost an hour of thinking.......tick tock tick tock.......an hour again have passed........Okay! I really need to start this..........Then finally I remember the first topic we usually have in our Values Education............THE STORY OF CREATION!

They say that God made all things beautiful. He made everything in harmony. Providing every creature like the plants which were created on the 3^rd day and animals on the 5^th day with what they need and giving them each their unique characteristics. Looking at, they refreshes human soul because of their beautiful and attractive appearance. But remember, in order to survive and maintain their unique looks they were created with a special characteristic to protect them from dying. One of these is the toxins being produced by them.....And that is our topic for today...TOXINS

So let’s start off with the definition of Toxins..        

“Toxins are poisonous manmade compounds, or those occurring in nature, or found in the body in the form of microorganisms that have an adverse impact on immune function.”

                                                                                                      

 - Janice Wittenberg, R.N.

How could we possibly think that we are actually the one imposing the toxins on ourselves repeatedly and regularly? Yeah that’s right! We are actually doing it by just simply eating, drinking, breathing, and touching them. 

Toxicity can occur in two levels, external and internal. External toxins refer to those that derived from our environment which get into our body (food, air, water). Internal toxins refer to those that derived from external sources but once in the body, they become internal toxins (microorganisms).

This blog requires us to concentrate on plants and animals which are the commonly known organisms that produce toxins.

Plant Toxins   

So why do plants have toxins within them? A plant like we humans need to protect themselves from their enemies (other plants invading the place  where  they get sustenance, microorganisms, insects, and both large and small mammalian, avian, or reptilian herbivores) in order to survive. One way of defense is through their physical characteristics, such as the presence of spines. Other and the most common way of defense is through the chemicals that a certain plant produces.

Listed below are some of plant toxins:

www.sciencephoto.com/
media27125/
enlarge

Ricin is a mixture of poisonous proteins from the seeds of the castor oil plant. Ricin poisoning occurs through blockages of the body's synthesis of proteins. The development is slow and includes decreased blood pressure. Death frequently occurs through heart failure. Different forms of ricin bound to, e.g., monoclonal antibodies are being studied today in order to treat leukemia and cancer of the liver. 

Orellanine is a protoplasmic poison caused by the Sorrel Webcap mushroom (Cortinarius orellanus) and some of its relatives. An intense, burning thirst (polydipsia) and excessive urination (polyuria) are the first symptoms. This may be followed by nausea, headache, muscular pains, chills, spasms, and loss of consciousness. In severe cases, severe renal tubular necrosis and kidney failure may result in death (15%) several weeks after the poisoning.

See this site for more lists of mushroom toxins: http://www.bitterrootrestoration.com/medicinal-plants/types-of-mushroom-toxins.html

                                                                          

Cyanogens are toxins usually present in sorghum and cassava. The predominant cyanogens are, respectively, dhurrin and linamarin. The latter compound is also present in linseed. Cyanogens are glycosides that readily yield HCN and it is this latter molecule that causes dysfunction of the central nervous system, respiratory failure and cardiac arrest (D'Mello, 2000).

Can you see it, even those foods we normally and wanting to eat can harm our body if ingested. 

Cassava

thekebun.wordpress.com

Animal Toxins

Same with plants, some animals produce toxins in order to survive and adapt to their environment.

Usually, when asked on what animal we are afraid of, we’ll mostly answer snake isn’t it?

I myself is afraid of snake. Whenever I passed by places with long and thick grasses,  snake coming out from somewhere redy to bite me anytime always struck my mind. Fear will energized me to rush from walking till I get home.

So why are we afraid of snakes?

Simply because it could kill us..

But by how??? its VENOM...

www.stewart.army.mil/
dpwfish/
venomous_snakes.htm

Most frequently, venomous species have proteins or smaller polypeptides ranging from 30 to 80 amino acid residues. The poisonous species primarily have alkaloids, which are small molecules that have very strong biological effects.

Acetylcholine receptors, potassium channels, calcium channels--these are different receptors on the surface of the nerve or muscle cells that have a very basic role in maintaining and propagating action potential and muscle contraction. And because one of the primary functions of animal venoms is to immobilize the prey or the predator, toxins are targeted against those molecules that play a very basic role in the locomotion of the prey animal. We don’t only have snake venom but also a spider and scorpion venom which are likewise also dangerous.

Another animal that other people like me could be scared of is the frog especially when it jumps over, feeling its slimy texture on our skin. Many people nowadays catch frogs and have it as their viand, not knowing that it could have adverse effects in their bodies.

Phyllobates terriblis. Photo courtesy of Dirk Huppert.

 Phyllobates terriblis. Photo courtesy of Dirk Huppert.

Batrachotoxins is a toxin most famously found in Phyllobates terriblis (specie of a poison dart frog). These incredibly potent chemicals have the ability to "selectively increase the permeability of the outer membrane of nerve and muscle cells to sodium ions" (Myers and Daly 1983). By preventing the normal closing of these channels within muscle fibers it permits a large influx of sodium into the cell causing an irreversible electrical depolarization. Consequently, nerve signals which under normal circumstances would allow the muscle to relax are blocked and the muscle remains in a contracted state (Myers and Daly 1983).

See this site for more lists of poisonous animals and the toxin they produced:

http://www.vency.com/poisonousanimals.html

Truly, we can be shocked with the many toxins we are exposed to everyday because of their presence in our surroundings. As they say prevention is better than cure so always remember to be more careful in what we ingest and touch because once we are infected, we can’t be sure of what will happen next. 

 

References:

http://www.fao.org/agrippa/publications/4DMellonew-06.htm#TopOfPage

http://www.opcw.org/about-chemical-weapons/types-of-chemical-agent/toxins/

http://www.bio.davidson.edu/courses/anphys/2000/Todd/toxintype.htm

Anterior Pituitary Hormone

thegringogrill.com

ANTERIOR PITUITARY GLAND

Who am I? I am well known as the master gland.

That’s it! Only small gland located in the head.

I regulate release of different hormones

And help maintain normal body functioning.

Let me introduce now the hormones I secrete

Let us start off with the Luteinizing hormone

The ovaries and testes it only targets,

Affecting in the production of sex hormones.

elp.manchester.ac.uk

Next is adenocorticotropic hormone.

Also known as the corticotrophin hormone,

A hormone that does targets the adrenal glands.

Secretes glucocorticoids such as cortisol

Another, Follicle-Stimulating hormone

Like LH, targets the ovaries and testes.

Function in the growth of the reproductive system, 
In human secondary characteristics.

weburbanist.com

Gigantism

Responsible for the growth of cells and tissues

Is the growth hormone that do targets liver.

Not only that, but also adipose tissues.

Your height would now also depend on my labor.

Are you not wondering why people are too short?

Or too tall for a normal human being height?

My hyposecretion and hypersecretion

Would now cause those dwarfism and gigantism.

forladiesbyladies.com

The world’s smallest man is He Pingping. He was only 21 years old, and stood at 2 feet and 5 inches, when he died. He had a form of primordial dwarfism which made his health issues even worse.

the cute dwarfs of Snow White:)

Prolactin, from the word itself, you’ll think of milk.

Thus, responsible for the production of milk.

Affects also the secretion of estrogens

Cause it targets ovaries and mammary glands.

Lastly is the thyroid stimulating hormone.

That mainly stimulates thyroid gland function.

That is to secrete hormones namely thyroxine

Another is the triiodothyronine.

I’m working hard for your body’s homeostasis.

Helping you is my job and I like doing it.

Now, it’s up to you to help me do my job well.

Care for me, the anterior pituitary gland.

moviegoods.com

Let’s be healthy and strong like POPEYE!!=)

digitalbusstop.com

Endocrinology, Toxicology, and Drug Testing

Much knowledge regarding our course has been already imposed on us by our professors. However as a  4^th year student of Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology, more is expected from us. This will be our final year as students, and I believe that we will be acquiring more knowledge and skills that would enhance us to become a professional. medical technologist. This would be possible because as far as we know this school year  will be full of mind boggling activities that would completely prepare us to our internship and future work. Gaining new knowledge will help us to reach our dreams together with our hardwork and faith. 

One of the subjects considered as important is the Clinical Chemistry. It is divided into 3. Clinical Chemistry 1 is Pure Blood Chemistry (Introduction, laboratory math, quality assurance, specimen collection, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, renal functions tests, and liver function tests). Clinical Chemistry 2 is Special Chemistry (automation, BGA, electrolytes and enzymology).  Lastly, Clinical Chemistry 3 which includes toxicology, endocrinology, and drug testing.  

This semester we will be having Clinical Chemistry 3. Getting started with this subject, we should first know the basic definition for each of the included topics in it to help us to understand the subject well. 

ENDOCRINOLOGY

library.thinkquest.org

Endocrinology is a branch of medicine that studies endocrine glands and the hormones that they secrete.

The endocrine system is the human body's network of ductless glands that secrete hormones directly into the circulatory system to maintain and regulate basic bodily functions. Hormones are intercellular chemical substances carried in the bloodstream to organs and to their target tissues made up of cells that have receptor molecules for the hormone, stimulating them to perform some action. The glands of the endocrine system include the adrenals, ovaries or testes, pancreas, parathyroid, pineal, pituitary, thymus, and thyroid.

TOXICOLOGY

Toxicology is the study of poisons and unwanted effects of drugs, food and beverage additives, and other chemicals that are used in the manufacturing of consumer products. Poison is a compound in which relatively small quantities and by a chemical reaction can destroy life or injures health causing death and disability. Understanding the possible toxicity of some agents that are found everywhere plays an important role in human survival.

pharmtox.utoronto.ca

          Three Laws of Toxicology

1. The dose makes the poison. This first law is given to us by Paracelsus, a German physician and was popularly known as the Father of Toxicology. The concept is that all substances are poisons. There is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison and a remedy.

2.   Biologic actions or toxic effects are specific to each chemical, has been formulated by Ambroise Paré who is famous as the great medieval French surgeon.

3.  Humans are animals. Thus gives the idea that study of chemical agents on animals would give information on its effect to humans.

Today in modern toxicology, they continuously find ways on how to prevent adverse effects of chemicals that are important to human life like therapeutic and pharmaceutical agents.

DRUG TESTING

www.tsfan...shunt.com/drug-tests

Drug testing refers to the process of detecting drugs or its metabolites in human or animal specimens. Drug testing could be asked in situations like in sports and workplace wherein people using prohibited drugs are not accepted for safety purposes, toxicology (therapeutic drug monitoring), during a crime wherein the accused or criminal must also be tested if he/she is under the influence of drugs causing him/her to do such thing. Also, drug testing is performed on persons (the drivers) who have encountered car accidents enabling him/her to be careless in driving.

Human drug testing is most commonly performed by analysis of random urine sample or hair samples. Other fluids being tested include blood, sweat, saliva, and milk.

Hopefully knowing these three simple terms will already help me pass the subject :)) But nah! hardship does not ends on that. More is yet to come..and along with these expectations and activities, I must prepare myself physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.