Chapter 10 – Biotoxins

Publisher Summary Terminology regarding biotoxins is extremely important. A toxin is a toxic agent that is derived from living organisms. Toxins may also be referred to as biotoxins, even though this is, in a sense, redundant. Toxin and biotoxin may thus legitimately be used interchangeably. Such substances need to be differentiated from the broader term, poison, or toxic agent, or toxicant, which can be either a toxin or a chemical not produced from living organisms. A poison, toxic agent, or toxicant is generally any material capable of producing a harmful reaction or effect in a biological system. Thus, although all the above terms are often used as if they had the same meaning, readers should be aware of these subtle distinctions. The term toxinology is generally applied to the study of toxins. Toxinology should not be confused with toxicology, which is the study of adverse effects caused by any chemical (or, indeed radiation) on living systems. The differentiating feature of these two scientific branches of knowledge lies in whether reference is made to chemicals produced only by living organisms that produce adverse effects (biotoxins) or a broader array of perpetrating agents.