Download - Snake Venom
SNAKE VENOM
Introduction
There are over 3,000 species of snakes, but only 15% are considered to be dangerous
Snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica
Each year there are 45,000 incidents of snake bites in the U.S. 7,000 - 8,000 are from venomous snakes On average 8 people die each year
Dangerous?Environmental Hazard Frequency Fatalities per year
Drowning N/A 6,500
Burns / Smoke Inhalation 2.2 million 5,000
Heat Exhaustion / Heat Stroke
N/A 175-200
Lightning N/A 75-300
Bee, Wasp Stings 1 million 30-120
Dog Bites / Attacks 1-3 million 10-20
Snake Envenomation 7,000 5.5
Spider Envenomation N/A 4
Scorpion Envenomation 14,000 0.33
Lifetime odds of dying from snake bite 1 in 479,992
Venom
There are 4 types of venom Hemotoxin, Mytotoxin, Neurotoxin, or Cytotoxin
Excreted through a modified parotid salivary gland Located on each side of the skull Behind the eye
Made up of a combination of proteins and enzymes
Various compounds have synergistic effects
Anatomy of a Snake Bite
Enzymes in Venom
Proteolytic Enzymes
Arginine ester hyrdolases
Collagenase Phospholipases A
and B Phosphodiesterase
s Acetylcholinestera
se
DNase and RNase NAD Nucleotidase L-Amino acid
oxidase Procoagulants Anticoagulants Hyaluronidases:
Immediate Symtoms of Cytoxin/Mytotoxin
Intense local pain Gradual swelling Nausea and vomiting Distinct metallic taste Loss of conciousness may occur Shock.
Types of cytotoxic/mytotoxic snakes Rattlesnakes (Crotalus).
Types of cytotoxic/mytotoxic snakes Lance-headed vipers (Bothrops).
Types of cytotoxic/mytotoxic snakes Puff adder (Bitis arietans)
Hemotoxic Symptoms
Severe headache and thirst Tissue swelling around the site of the
bite caused by hemorrhaging Extreme pain Destruction of red blood cells
causing a lack of oxygen in the body Internal bleeding from major organs Severe headache and thirst Death
Hemotoxic Snakes Trimeresurus wagleri- Temple Viper Bothrops Atrox Cerastes Vipera –Sand Viper Dispholidus Typus- Boomslang
Local Favorite Northern Copperhead
Hemotoxic but not particularly deadly
Neurotoxic Venom
Neurotoxic venom is fast acting and is rapidly absorbed, attacking the central nervous system.
Paralysis Respiratory Failure Death
Neurotoxic snakes Bitis Gabonica- Gabon Viper Denisonia Superba- Australian
Copperhead Ophiophagus hannah- King Cobra Dendroaspis polylepis- Black Mamba Micrurus tener tener - Texas Coral
Snake
Reaction of Phospholipase A
Enzyme splits cell membrane Helps to subdue and digest prey Highly Neurotoxic
Snakes with Phospholipase A
Why don’t snakes poison themselves? In the case of hemotoxic, mytotoxic
and cytotoxic venoms Serum in their blood which inhibits the
venom Humans use these serums as anti-
venoms
Neurotoxic snakes lack the appropriate neuro-receptors
Treatment of Snake Bites
Hospitals use anti-venoms Helps to know species of snake DO NOT attempt to suck out poison
References
http://www.popsci.com/scitech/gallery/2008-03/how-snake-venom-works
http://zoltantakacs.com/zt/sc/naja.shtml#1 http://www.medicinenet.com/snake_bites/article.htm#tocc
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-snake-venom.html
http://firstaid.webmd.com/tc/snake-and-lizard-bites-topic-overview
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/snakes/venomous-snake.htm
http://www.esf.edu/pubprog/brochure/snakes/snakes.htm
http://www.herpsofarkansas.com/Herp/SnakeBite
http://web.virginia.edu/Heidi/chapter34/Images/8883n34_11.jpg
http://www.tigerhomes.org/animal/american-copperhead.cfm
http://www.nsc.org/news_resources/injury_and_death_statistics/Documents/Odds%20of%20Dying.pdf
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/snake-venom.gif