Toxins are poisonous substances produced by living cells or organisms.
They are usually either deposited under the skin by means of a bite or a sting, or they are ingested. A spider bite, for instance, delivers a mild toxin, and that red, itchy bump is your immune system diverting resources to neutralise it; snake venom can be toxic your system cannot survive it.
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Toxins are also found in foods, like that produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which thrives in improperly preserved foods. It affects the nervous system and could lead to heart and lung failure. Toxins that have this effect, are called neurotoxins.
There are two other ways in which toxins can kill – haemotoxins target and destroy your red blood cells, and necrotoxins kill tissue (necrotising fasciitis, the flesh-eating bacteria).
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