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The most venomous animal on the planet isn't a snake, a spider, or a scorpion; it's a snail-a cone snail, to be precise. The Conus genus boasts a large variety of marine snails that have adopted an equally diverse assortment of venoms. Online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers report an especially interesting addition to the animals' arsenal: insulin. According to the paper, this marks the first time insulin has been discovered as a component of venom.

This flipped clicker case study explores the fascinating relationship between the Arizona Bark Scorpion (the most venomous scorpion in North America) and the Southern Grasshopper Mouse. Initially it would seem that the grasshopper mouse is no match for the scorpion's venom; however, the grasshopper mouse is easily able to eat the scorpion and is largely immune to the scorpion's sting. By working through this case study, students learn about neuron anatomy and physiology as they explore how the grasshopper mouse is able to survive the scorpion's venom. This case study was developed for an introductory biology course for majors, but it could also be used in an introductory biology course for non-majors or in an anatomy and physiology course. The case requires that students learn basic neuron anatomy and action potential physiology prior to class by reading their textbook or by watching videos on the subjects. An optional set of guided questions tailored to Campbell Biology (10th ed.) is included in the teaching notes.

Would you rather be bitten by a venomous rattlesnake or touch a poisonous dart frog? While both of these animals are capable of doing some serious damage to the human body, they deliver their dangerous toxins in different ways. Rose Eveleth sheds light on the distinction between poison and venom (and why you shouldn't treat either one like you've seen in the movies).

We know poisonous snakes are dangerous, but what exactly makes venom so powerful? Evolutionary biology tells us why venom is useful for snakes, but chemistry tells us how venom works. This week, Reactions sheds some light on the proteins in venom, as well as its potential medical uses

Great video footage

Venom - information on protein structure and function, following scenario of a scorpion bite.  Interactive game and activities included on site.

In our first animation of this series we learned how point mutations can edit genetic information. Here we see how duplication events can dramatically lengthen the genetic code of an individual. As point mutations add up in the duplicated region across generations, entirely new genes with new functions can evolve. In the video we see three examples of gene duplications resulting in new traits for the creatures who inherit them: the evolution of a venom gene in snakes, the evolution of leaf digestion genes in monkeys, and the evolution of burrowing legs in hunting dogs.

At first glance, the research of Bonnie Bassler and Baldomero "Toto" Olivera might not appear to be medical at all. Dr. Bassler works on marine bacteria that glow in the dark, while Dr. Olivera studies venomous snails that hunt by harpooning fish. Yet their findings show what science has revealed time and again-knowledge that can be used to unlock medical secrets is often hidden in unlikely places. Nature has much to teach us, as long as we know where to look and what to look for. Join us for a four-lecture series as Bonnie and Toto guide us through intriguing slices of the natural world revealing how a deeper understanding of nature and biodiversity informs their research into new medicines.

So how do animals play a role in this research? Well, in a couple of ways. First, the chlorotoxin in Tumor Paint was derived from scorpion venom. Second, researchers worked with dogs before moving into human trials to determine the likelihood of success. After promising results in canines, human trials are now underway at Cedars Sinai Medical Center! Right now, the study is aimed at proving that Tumor Paint is able to reach the brain tumor successfully. If all goes well, it's possible that this could lead to more successful surgical outcomes.

And no copycat is stranger or more accomplished than the mimic octopus. True to its name, it impersonates a variety of other animals on the fly, morphing from an octopus to a banded sole to a lionfish to a sea snake. But this is no random assemblage of impressions: All of these creatures are toxic or venomous.

In this interrupted case study, students meet a pair of fictional newlyweds on their way to Australia for their honeymoon. Initially eager to enjoy the sun, sand, and sights, Tanya and Julien Brahim end up more intimately acquainted with the local wildlife than they had planned. Tanya is bitten by a venomous arachnid and Julien has a run-in with a dangerous cnidarian. This case study was created to help students solidify their knowledge about cardiac myocytes, particularly ion movements associated with action potential generation in autorhythmic and contractile cells. As students work through the case, they will complete fill-in-the-blank paragraphs describing the heart, diagram membrane potentials and ion movements, and compare and contrast action potentials from different cell types. Written for a course in human physiology, the case requires some prior knowledge of membrane potentials, equilibrium potentials, ion gradients, neuronal action potentials, and skeletal muscle action potentials. An optional pre-case assignment (included in the teaching notes) can be used to make sure that students are familiar with the necessary concepts.

Imagine you swallowed a small bird and suddenly gained the ability to fly … or you ate a cobra and were able to spit poisonous venom! Well, throughout the history of life (and specifically during the evolution of complex eukaryotic cells) things like this happened all the time. Adam Jacobson explains endosymbiosis, a type of symbiosis in which one symbiotic organism lives inside another.

Their nervous systems have changed over time to fight off the powerful chemicals-an extraordinary example of evolution in action, according to a new study. "I've been wanting to understand how organisms could acquire neurotoxins, [which] requires an animal to reorganize their nervous system," says study coauthor Rebecca Tarvin, a biologist at the University of Texas at Austin and National Geographic Society grantee.

You're swimming in the ocean when something brushes your leg. When the tingling sets in, you realize you've been stung by a jellyfish. How do these beautiful gelatinous creatures pack such a painful punch? Neosha S Kashef details the science behind the sting.