Universal warning symbol used to indicate toxic substances or environments

A toxin (from Ancient Greek: τοξικόν toxikon) is a poisonous substance produced within living cells or organisms;^[1][2] man-made substances created by artificial processes are thus excluded. The term was first used by organic chemist Ludwig Brieger (1849–1919).^[3]

For a toxic substance not produced within living organisms, "toxicant" and "toxics" are also sometimes used.^{[citation needed]}.

Toxins can be small molecules, peptides, or proteins that are capable of causing disease on contact with or absorption by body tissues interacting with biological macromolecules such as enzymes or cellular receptors. Toxins vary greatly in their severity, ranging from usually minor and acute (as in a bee sting) to almost immediately deadly (as in botulinum toxin).

Terminology[link]

Toxins are often distinguished from other chemical agents by their method of production - the word toxin does not specify method of delivery (compare with venom and the narrower meaning of poison – all substances that can also cause disturbances to organisms). It simply means it is a biologically produced poison. There was an ongoing terminological dispute between NATO and the Warsaw Pact over whether to call a toxin a biological or chemical agent, in which the NATO opted for biological agent, and the Warsaw Pact, like most other countries in the world, for chemical agent.^{[citation needed]}

According to a International Committee of the Red Cross review of the Biological Weapons Convention, "Toxins are poisonous products of organisms; unlike biological agents, they are inanimate and not capable of reproducing themselves." and "Since the signing of the Convention, there have been no disputes among the parties regarding the definition of biological agents or toxins..."^[4]

According to Title 18 of the United States Code, "...the term "toxin" means the toxic material or product of plants, animals, microorganisms (including, but not limited to, bacteria, viruses, fungi, rickettsiae or protozoa), or infectious substances, or a recombinant or synthesized molecule, whatever their origin and method of production..."^[5]

A rather informal terminology of individual toxins relate them to the anatomical location where their effects are most notable:

• Hemotoxin, causes destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis)
• Phototoxin, causes dangerous photosensitivity

On a broader scale, toxins may be classified as either exotoxins, being excreted by an organism, and endotoxins, that are released mainly when bacteria are lysed...

Related terms are:

• Toxoid, weakened or suppressed toxin
• Venom, toxins in the sense of use by certain types of animals

Biotoxins[link]

The term "biotoxin" is sometimes used to explicitly confirm the biological origin.^[6][7]

Toxins produced by microorganisms are important virulence determinants responsible for microbial pathogenicity and/or evasion of the host immune response.^[8]

Biotoxins vary greatly in purpose and mechanism, and can be highly complex (the venom of the cone snail contains dozens of small proteins, each targeting a specific nerve channel or receptor), or relatively small protein.

Biotoxins in nature have two primary functions:

• Predation (spider, snake, scorpion, jellyfish, wasp)
• Defense (bee, ant, termite, honeybee, wasp, poison dart frog)

Some of the more well known types of biotoxins include:

• Cyanotoxins, produced by cyanobacteria
• Hemotoxins target and destroy red blood cells, and are transmitted through the bloodstream. Organisms that produce hemotoxins include:
  • Pit vipers, such as rattlesnakes
• Necrotoxins cause necrosis (i.e., death) in the cells they encounter and destroy all types of tissue^{[citation needed]}. Necrotoxins spread through the bloodstream^{[citation needed]}. In humans, skin and muscle tissues are most sensitive to necrotoxins^{[citation needed]}. Organisms that possess necrotoxins include:
  • The brown recluse or "fiddle back" spider
  • The "Puff Adder" - Bitis arietans
  • Necrotizing fasciitis (the "flesh eating" bacteria)
• Neurotoxins primarily affect the nervous systems of animals. Organisms that possess neurotoxins include:
  • The Black Widow and other widow spiders
  • Most scorpions
  • The box jellyfish
  • Elapid snakes
  • The Cone Snail
• Cytotoxins are toxic at the level of individual cells, either in a non-specific fashion or only in certain types of living cells:
  • Ricin is a plant toxin found in the castor bean plant
• Apitoxin, the honey bee venom
• Mycotoxins are toxins produced by fungi. They are a common source of toxins in grains and other foods.
• Eosinophil derived neurotoxin is a toxin found in human encoded by the RNASE2 gene. it is found only in eosinophils

Environmental toxins[link]

The term "environmental toxin" is often used.^[9][10][11]

In these contexts, it can sometimes explicitly include contaminants that are man-made,^[12] which contradicts most formal definitions of the term "toxin". Because of this, when encountering the word "toxin" outside of microbiological contexts, it is important to confirm what the researcher means by the use of the term. The toxins from food chains which may be dangerous to human health include:

• Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) ^{[13], [14], [15]}
• Amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) ^{[16], [17]}
• Diarrheal shellfish poisoning (DSP) ^{[18], [19]}
• Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) ^{[20], [21], [22]}

Finding information about toxins[link]

The Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program (TEHIP)^[23] at the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) maintains a comprehensive toxicology and environmental health web site that includes access to toxins-related resources produced by TEHIP and by other government agencies and organizations. This web site includes links to databases, bibliographies, tutorials, and other scientific and consumer-oriented resources. TEHIP also is responsible for the Toxicology Data Network (TOXNET),^[24] an integrated system of toxicology and environmental health databases that are available free of charge on the web.

TOXMAP is a Geographic Information System (GIS) that is part of TOXNET. TOXMAP uses maps of the United States to help users visually explore data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Toxics Release Inventory and Superfund Basic Research Programs.

Non-technical usage[link]

When used non-technically, the term "toxin" is often applied to any toxic substance. Toxic substances not directly of biological origin are also termed poisons. Many non-technical and lifestyle journalists also follow this usage to refer to toxic substances in general, though some specialist journalists at publishers such as The Guardian^[25] maintain the distinction that toxins are only those produced within living organisms.

In the context of alternative medicine the term is often used to refer to any substance claimed to cause ill health, ranging anywhere from trace amounts of pesticides to common food items like refined sugar or additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG).^[26]

See also[link]

• ArachnoServer
• Brevetoxin
• Insect toxins
• Toxin-antitoxin system
• List of fictional toxins
• List of highly toxic gases
• Mycotoxin
• Microbial toxins
• Toxicophore, feature or group within a chemical structure that is thought to be responsible for the toxic property

References[link]

External links[link]

• T3DB: Toxin-target database
• ATDB: Animal toxin database
• Society of Toxicology
• The Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases
• ToxSeek: Meta-search engine in toxicology and environmental health
• Website on Models & Ecotoxicology

Shane L. Koyczan (born 22 May 1976) is a Canadian poet and writer. Born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Koyczan grew up in Penticton, British Columbia. In 2000, he became the first Canadian to win the Individual Championship title at the US National Poetry Slam.^[1] Together with Mighty Mike McGee and C. R. Avery, he is the co-founder of spoken word, "talk rock" trio, Tons of Fun University (T.O.F.U.). In August 2007 Shane Koyczan and his work were the subject of an episode of the television documentary series Heart of a Poet, produced by Canadian filmmaker Maureen Judge for broadcaster Bravo!.^[2]

Koyczan has published two books, poetry collection Visiting Hours, and Stickboy, a novel in verse. Visiting Hours was selected by both the Guardian and Globe and Mail for their 2005 Best Books of the Year lists.

Koyczan’s "We Are More" and Ivan Bielinski’s "La première fois", commissioned by the Canadian Tourism Commission, were unveiled at Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on 1 July 2007.^[3] Koyczan performed a variation on his piece at the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.^[4]

Koyczan also collaborated on Vancouver-based musician Dan Mangan's Roboteering EP on the track Tragic Turn of Events - Move Pen Move.

Bibliography[link]

• I'm Calling you friend
• Help Wanted
• I Drew That For You
• Visiting Hours (2005, House of Parlance Media; ISBN 978-0-9738131-0-4)
• Stickboy ( 2008, House of Parlance Media ISBN 978-0-9738131-6-6)^[5]

Discography[link]

• Perfect
• 2nd Time Around
• Visiting Hours
• American Pie Chart
• Shut Up And Say Something

With Tons of Fun University (ToFU):

• The Them They're Talking About (2005)
• Hard to Tell (2009)

As Shane Koyczan and The Short Story Long:

• A Pretty Decent Cape in My Closet (2007)
  • includes "The Crickets Have Arthritis"

As Shane Koyczan and The Short Story Long:

• "Remembrance Year" (2012)

Filmography[link]

• The 2000 National Poetry Slam Finals (2000, The Wordsmith Press)

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Shane Koyczan and the Short Story Long at MySpace
• Text of "We Are More", as recited at the 2010 Olympics opening

Robert H. Lustig, MD is Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).^[1] He is nationally recognized in the field of neuroendocrinology, with an emphasis on the regulation of energy balance by the central nervous system.^[2] He has a special interest in childhood obesity.^[2] He has become publicly notable through his efforts to draw attention to the effects that the natural sugar fructose can have on human and especially children's health if consumed in large amounts.^[3] On May 26, 2009, Lustig gave a lecture called “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” which was posted on YouTube the following July and has become a viral success with over nearly 2.5 million viewings (as of Jun 2, 2012).^[3] In this lecture, Lustig notably calls fructose a "poison" and compares its metabolic effects with those of ethanol. Lustig is particularly critical of the widespread use of high-fructose corn syrup in the United States.

Career[link]

Lustig grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and attended Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan.^[4] He obtained his bachelors degree from MIT in 1976, and received his M.D. from Cornell University Medical College in 1980.^[5] From there, he spent six years as a research associate in neuroendocrinology at The Rockefeller University.^[5] He performed his pediatric residency at St. Louis Children's Hospital, and his clinical fellowship at UCSF which he joined in 1984.^[1][2]

He has authored over 85 research articles and 45 chapters. He is the former Chairman of the Obesity Task Force of the Pediatric Endocrine Society, a member of the Obesity Task force of The Endocrine Society, and on the Steering Committee of the International Endocrine Alliance to Combat Obesity.^[1][5]

See also[link]

Sugar Blues - book with a similar theme and Low Blood Sugar and You by Carlton Fredericks 1969

References[link]

External links[link]

• Sugar: The Bitter Truth UCSF Mini Medical School for the Public 7/2009 given by Dr. Lustig , Health and Medicine, Show ID: 16717. Accessed April 2011 (1 hour 30 mins)

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Austin Carter Mahone^[1] (born April 4, 1996) is an American pop singer who became popular in 2011 due to viral videos of his performances. Mahone's debut single 11:11 was released on February 14, 2012. He headlined his first proper concert at the Czar Lounge in Houston, Texas on November 26^th, 2011 ^[2]

Background[link]

Mahone first starting posting videos on YouTube with his friend Alex Constancio in June 2010.^[3] Music videos followed by January 2011, and he quickly began to build an online following. The young male singer has even been called the "second coming of Justin Bieber".^[4] Mahone's video covering Bieber's Mistletoe, released in late October 2011, became so popular that it eclipsed the views of Bieber's original.^[4][5]

In September 2011, Mahone debuted at No. 38 on the Billboard Social 50 chart, the youngest to appear on the list.^[4] He rose to No. 28 on the list as of December 2.^[6] And as of May 2012, Mahone has over 700,000 Twitter followers and 350,000 YouTube subscribers.^[5][7] Like previous teen heartthrobs, Mahone's growing fan base is dominated by teenage females.^[3][4][8] His fans have been dubbed "Mahomies."^[9]

On May 22th, Mahone played the first Q102 Springle Ball music concert.

Personal life[link]

Mahone's father died when he was 16 months old, and he grew up in Texas with his mom Michele, living in the towns of Seguin, San Antonio, and La Vernia. After his mother divorced her second husband, Mahone moved back to San Antonio and briefly attended Lady Bird Johnson High School, but soon had to drop out and be home-schooled due to his growing fame.^[4] In May 2012 Austin and his mum moved to Miami, Florida.

Discography[link]

Singles[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

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