MAKING ANTIVENOM
Antivenom counteracts venom’s effects and can save a victim’s life.
Venom is “milked” from a snake. The snake bites down on a covered vial. Venom drips from the fangs into the vial.
The venom is freeze-dried for storage and transport.
A small amount of venom is injected into a large animal, such as a horse.
The horse has an immune response. It produces substances in its blood that are
extracted and used to make the antivenom.
Making Medicines T e banded sea krait that Zoltan Takacs collected is thought to be one of the most venomous snakes. Although, it’s less interested in attacking people and more interested in attacking its favorite food, eels. To kill the much larger eel the banded sea
krait’s venom must act quickly. If the eel isn’t killed almost instantly, it pulls back into its hiding hole and the sea krait misses a meal. T e sea krait’s venom serves up toxins that cause skeletal muscles to shut down. Scientists have been focusing on this venom
to help them understand a disease in people called myasthenia gravis. It slowly weakens muscles, making it hard for a person to swallow or even talk. Maybe one day venom will help them develop a cure. From deadly to desirable, the toxic
concoction that makes up snake venom may one day provide cures for many other human diseases. T is is why snake hunters continue to risk their lives in search of venom.
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WORDWISE
antivenom: a substance that can be used to treat venomous bites
DNA: a material found in cells that contains instructions for the cell to function
toxin: a poisonous substance produced by a plant or animal
toxinologist: a scientist who deals with animal, plant and microbial toxins
venom: a form of toxin some snakes inject into their prey
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