The Chronicles of Venom

Imagine your blood begins to coagulate, you can't move, and a snake is beginning to swallow you whole. This is what occurs when someone is bitten by a poisonous snake like the inland taipan` except that snakes don't swallow humans.  Snake venom and venom in general is a highly mutated saliva that can interfere with several different parts of the body, including the brain and central nervous system, along with the blood and muscles in the body, and the kidneys.

A snake having venom extracted from it's fangs

Snake venom has all been evolved separately from snake to snake. There are a few similarities between the genes that are responsible for the chemical composition of snake venom, but the genes they do have in common can be used to determine evolutionary relations in snakes. Snake venoms have evolved separately from other animals venoms as well, including the way they deliver the venom. For example scorpions inject venom through their tail, frogs have it on their skin, and snakes inject it through their teeth. Snakes acquire different concoctions of toxins used in their venoms, acquired from other animals and sometimes, but rarely, other snakes. The toxins they develop are highly specific in their purpose. The toxic proteins the snakes evolve can come from an accidental gene duplication. This rises the chance of a change in the gene, also known as a mutation. This is a start up to the development of the venom. Once the first toxin is developed in the mouth it is naturally selected for. As more mutations occur, the venom becomes more toxic and more selected for, eventually leading to a heavily specific, and deadly mixture of enzymes and proteins.

Green Tree Python 

The most venomous snake in the world is the Indian Taipan, and it isn't even a close race. The Indian Taipan has enough venom in one bite to kill 289 humans, 200 more then the next snake. What makes this snakes venom so toxic to the human body though? This snakes venom affects every part of the body that can be affected by venom, including every part listed above. It is released through special fangs in the mouth that are hallow, and are connected to a gland in the back of the head which produces the venom. 

The Muscular makeup of a snakes head

The toxins that are contained in the Inland Taipans venoms are neurotoxins, hemotoxins, myotoxins, nephrotoxins, haemorrhagins, and the hyaluronidase enzymes. Neurotoxin is one of the more deadly toxins in a snake venom as it affects the the brain and central nervous system, slowing and sometimes stopping the function of the synapse ability to work. A synapse is the small gap between nerve cells where information is passed between the cells and a spot where regualtion of messages can occur. They also can cause a neuron to kill itself as well as not form properly. Hemotoxins destroy red blood cells, destroying the blood flow and the ability to stop bleeding inside and outside the body. Probably the most visible toxin is the myotixins, as they cause almost instant paralysis. They are small peptide chains thats act quickly and destroy the ability for a muscle to function.

An enzyme found in the venom 

However there are medical studies in the treatment for snake bites and bites from other venomous animals and insects. They take the venom extracted from the fangs of the snakes and freeze dry them. After that they liquify if again and inject small amounts into an animal of choice and wait a few weeks. Once this happens they take out the animals blood and find the antibodies and isolate them. They then freeze dry the antibodies again and after a while turn it back into a liquid form, and it is now useful for the treatment of a snakebite from the specific snake. Although venom is deadly and can kill, it also has the ability to help cure even deadlier diseases.

Extracting snake venom