Animal venoms

Abstract

Venoms are poisons or toxins of animal origin in which the animal that produce the toxins are capable of introducing the toxins into the body of the victims. Animals that produce toxins but lack the ability to introduce the toxins into their victims are said to be poisonous animals. Venoms are classified based on their site of action in the bodies of their victims. Thus, they classified into local, auto pharmacological, antihaemostic, neurological mascular cardiac and renal types; and based on the type of animal producing the venom, it is difficult to classify venom based on chemical constitution because of the fact that a particular venom is highly complex chemically with many reactive sites. The role venoms play on organisms in the environment is highlighted.