Poisons are chemicals that can cause poisoning or even death if they enter the body. Poisonous substances surround a person in everyday life, meeting him in medicines, the environment, household products and in many other aspects of life. Often a person is not even aware of the danger that such components threaten him day after day.
At present, there are so many such substances, including due to the development and use of inorganic poisons for military purposes, that this section of science required an extensive classification according to various criteria: from separation by the chemical composition of poisons to effects on the body.
Basic classifications
There are a huge number of poisons. At present, when creating various types of toxic substances, a large number of chemical compounds are used, and the nature of their biological effects is so diverse and extensive that several types of classifications are used. They are based on various aspects that take into account the aggregatethe state of the components, the degree of toxicity and danger, as well as the nature of the effect on the body and many other signs.
Classification of poisons by state of aggregation in the air implies the following groups:
- gases;
- couples;
- aerosols (solid and liquid).
Classification by composition includes:
- organic;
- inorganic;
- element-organic.
In accordance with this chemical nomenclature, the group and class of active substances are also determined.
Poisons are an extremely extensive group of compounds that can enter the body in a variety of ways, affecting one or another system of the human body. Based on this fact, a classification of poisons was created based on the aspect of the penetration of the poison into the body:
- through the skin;
- through the digestive system;
- through the respiratory tract.
Here are the most basic ways of penetration of toxic substances. Once inside the body, different types of poisons can behave in accordance with their own characteristics. The action of toxic substances can be general or local, resorptive (manifested through absorption into the blood and damage to internal organs and tissues) and elective (selective action: for example, the effect of narcotic substances on the nervous system). Also, some compounds have a cumulative property: over time, they accumulate in the body until they exceed the maximum permissible concentration, and only then will intoxication begin. There is also a more extensive classification.
Classification by origin
Poisons are toxic substances that can cause poisoning or death if they enter the body. Among other things, all such compounds are also classified according to their origin: they can be of natural origin (biological and non-biological) or synthetic, that is, artificially created.
Natural Toxicants
A huge group of poisons is contained in the environment, it includes not only plants and animals, but also many other poisonous representatives of the environment. Moreover, toxicants can be of both biological and non-biological origin and, one way or another, belong to the natural environment. It is worth considering each section of toxicants in more detail.
Biological
Many representatives of flora and fauna, as well as some bacteria, have the ability to produce their own poisons. As a rule, toxins are released by their organisms for the purposes of protection and survival in an aggressive environment.
Plant poisons
Many plants on Earth contain dangerous poisons. There are the following types:
- Plant alkaloids are organic compounds containing nitrogen. They are found in various concentrations in many plants. A distinctive feature of any alkaloid is a bitter aftertaste. Alkaloids include substances that contain muscarine (in the fly agaric), indole and phenylethylamine(in hallucinogenic mushrooms), pyrrolidine (in tobacco and carrots), solanine (in tomato and potato leaves), atropine (in Datura and belladonna).
- Myotoxins are poisons found in moldy mushrooms.
- Ricin is a protein poison found in castor beans. The lethal dosage for humans is 0.3 mg/kg.
Animal poisons
A very large number of animals on earth produce their own poisons. These toxins are divided into several groups:
- Animal alkaloids - isolated from some animal species.
- Bacteriotoxins are poisons that enter the body through bacteria, viruses and infections: palytoxin, botulinum toxin.
- Conotoxin is a compound found in certain types of gastropods. The lethal dose for humans is 0.01 mg/kg.
- Tipotoxin is a venom secreted by Australian snakes. The lethal dose is 2 mg/kg.
- Titutoxin is a deadly poison secreted by Australian scorpions. The lethal dosage is 0.009 mg/kg.
- Snake venom, including cobra venom - a large complex of poisonous polypeptides with special enzymes, proteins and inorganic components. There are three main groups of such compounds: the venom of asps and sea snakes, viper and pit snakes.
- Spider venoms containing neurotoxins. Most tropical spider species are dangerous. The degree of influence of their toxins is quite wide - from mild poisoning to death. Most often, such insects infect the population and livestock intropical areas.
- Bee venom is a compound with toxic polypeptides in the composition. In small doses, bee venom is considered beneficial, but too many bites in a person or animal can lead to organ intoxication.
- The poison of jellyfish and coelenterates is contained in the stinging cells of such organisms. It has a wide variety of lethal dosages. The composition of such a compound is based on neurotoxins.
Bacterial toxins
Currently, more than 50 types of bacterial toxins have been described. All of them are divided into:
- endogenous - compounds that release bacteria when destroyed;
- exogenous - poisons that microorganisms release into the environment in the process of life.
Non-Biological Origin
There are not only natural poisons emitted by representatives of the living environment, but also toxins of non-biological origin. As a rule, they are divided into two large sections:
- inorganic compounds;
- organic compounds.
There are a huge number of types of poisons of organic origin. Scientists systematized them by action:
- hematic;
- myotoxic;
- neurotoxic;
- hemolytic;
- protoplasmic;
- hemotoxins;
- nephrotoxins;
- necrotoxins;
- cardiotoxins;
- xenobiotics;
- etoxicants;
- pollutants;
- supertoxicants.
Synthetic
This group includes a huge number of toxicants with different structure and composition:
- Synthetic alkaloids - painkillers pharmacological preparations. Their use in medicine is strictly limited to safe dosages, since these medicinal poisons are active substances that can lead to severe intoxication of the body, even death. Some of the synthetic alkaloids are classified as psychedelics, representing a group of passive poisonous substances: they affect the mind of a person so strongly that they can provoke him to attempt suicide.
- Ecotoxins are the result of negative human impact on the environment. Pollution of the soil, water and air has led to a “boomerang effect”, and now the compounds hovering everywhere are returning back to the person, harming his he alth. Unlike other poisons, ecotoxins act much deeper, creating disturbances at the level of genetic modification, forcing the genes of the human body to mutate.
- Radioisotopes are radioactive substances that can lead to severe intoxication of the body, as well as to radiation sickness and exacerbation of cancer, which leads to death.
- Xenobiotics are synthetic substances that contain substances that are harmful to the normal functioning of the body. A similar industrial poison is found in excess in household chemicals, insecticides, herbicides, pesticides, freons, fumigants, antifreezes, plastics, repellents, etc. All these household chemicals slowly and imperceptibly destroy the human body. There is also a group of particularly potent poisons from the group of xenobiotics, the effect of which is immediately detected: for example, dioxins.
- Lachrymator is a component that has a tear effect on the human body. Widely used in the fight against violators of law and order and to disperse various demonstrations.
- Warfare agents are special poisons that are used in the course of military operations with the aim of defeating the enemy. The use of poisons of this group is quite popular due to their speed and severity of damage. Man has invented a huge number of different toxic substances for the physiological impact on the enemy. Among the most widespread compounds in this group are mustard gas, hydrocyanic acid, phosgene, cyanogen chloride, sarin, and Novichok poison.
- Carbon monoxide is another poisonous substance created by human hands during the incorrect use of gas appliances.
Classified by way of human use
Poisons have become a dangerous, but in many ways a useful tool in the hands of man. Today, toxic substances surround people everywhere: in the environment, in medicines, household items, and even in food. Poisons applied in creation:
- solvents and glue;
- food additives;
- drugs;
- cosmetics;
- pesticides;
- chemical synthesis ingredients;
- oils and fuels.
Also dangerouscompounds are found in waste products, in various impurities and by-products of chemical synthesis.
Classification by exposure conditions
Each poison has a number of characteristic properties of its own. Therefore, each toxin has its own specific effects on the body or the environment. Classification on this basis distinguishes the following types of poisons:
- industrial toxicants;
- pollutants;
- chemical warfare agents;
- household toxicants;
- harmful addictions (tobacco, alcohol, drugs, etc.);
- of a catastrophic origin.
Every person needs to have a basic understanding of the classification of poisons. After all, they meet literally at every turn. Both Novichok poison and snake venom can cause significant harm. Therefore, it is better to be aware of the main groups of toxic substances and their effects on the body. Frequent and close contact with substances containing toxic elements in a dose exceeding the maximum allowable is fraught with intoxication, severe poisoning and even death. The venom of cobras and other snakes is especially dangerous for humans. Therefore, you should be careful when visiting countries where they live.
Such an extensive system of classification of poisons implies a huge number of different types of toxic substances that surround a person throughout his life - this is especially true for people living in large cities or living in the Australian jungle. Toxins can get intothe human body in virtually any way. Therefore, in this case, forewarned is forearmed.
