neurotoxin
noun
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The nervous system is almost all-powerful in the body: all five senses depend on it, as do breathing, digestion, and the heart. So it's an obvious target for poisons, and neurotoxins have developed as weapons in many animals, including snakes, bees, and spiders. Some wasps use a neurotoxin to paralyze their prey so that it can be stored alive to be eaten later. Snake venom is often neurotoxic (as in cobras and coral snakes, for example), though it may instead be hemotoxic (as in rattlesnakes and coppermouths), operating on the circulatory system. Artificial neurotoxins, called nerve agents, have been developed by scientists as means of chemical warfare; luckily, few have ever been used.
Examples of neurotoxin in a Sentence
Ayesha Gulzar, Verywell Health, 10 Jan. 2025
Scientists examined samples of ice in Greenland, which give molecular clues of past environmental conditions, and found strong concentrations of the heavy metal, which is a neurotoxin associated with learning disabilities, reproductive problems and mental health issues, among other effects.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 7 Jan. 2025
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), exposure to lead, which is a neurotoxin, can cause irreversible and life-long health effects in children.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
Advertisement Climate & Environment Outbreak of neurotoxin killing unprecedented number of sea lions along California coast
Aug. 11, 2024
Surveillance of the virus is also complicated by the fact that H5N1 infected cows show only subtle signs of infection — lethargy, decreased milk production, etc.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2024
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“Neurotoxin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neurotoxin. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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neurotoxin
noun
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