Toxins Produced by Animals

3 TOXINS PRODUCED BY ANIMALS AND MICROORGANISMS 1.3.1 Toxins Produced by Animals 

Animals use chemical weapons for both defense and attack. Considering defensive tactics first, bombardier beetles (Brachinus spp.) can fire a hot solution of irritant 

A striking feature of the toxic compounds considered so far is that many of them are neurotoxic to vertebrates or invertebrates or both. The nervous system of animals appears to be a particularly vulnerable target in chemical warfare. Not altogether surprisingly, all the major types of insecticides that have been commercially successful are also neurotoxins. Indeed, in 2003, neurotoxic insecticides accounted for over 70% of total insecticide sales globally (Nauen 2006). 

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