Jump to content

Neurotoxin

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.

A neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells – neurons – usually by interacting with membrane proteins and ion channels.

Many of the venoms and other toxins that organisms use in defense against vertebrates are neurotoxins. A common effect is paralysis, which sets in extremely rapidly. The venom of bees, scorpions, pufferfish, spiders and snakes can contain many different toxins. Many neurotoxins act by affecting voltage-dependent ion channels.


A man named Clairvius Narcisse was dead and came back to life again because the locals used neurotoxin on him to bring him back to life[source?]. He was buried in Haiti in 1964.