THIS IS THE MOST TOXIC SUBSTANCE ON EARTH - AND PEOPLE PAY FOR IT

The most toxic substance on Earth isn’t some exotic nerve gas, or the secretion of a poisonous animal, a scientist explains.

Stranger still, people pay to have it injected into their bodies.


Writing on The Conversation, Simon Cotton of the University of Birmingham says, ‘Scientists differ about the relative toxicities of substances, but they seem to agree that botulinum toxin, produced by anaerobic bacteria, is the most toxic substance known.

‘At most 1 nanogram per kilogram can kill a human.

‘It was first identified as a cause of food poisoning due to incorrectly prepared sausage (Latin, botulus) in late-18th century Germany.

‘There are several botulinum toxins, with type A being the most potent. These are polypeptides, consisting of over 1,000 amino acid molecules joined together. They cause muscle paralysis by preventing the release of the signalling molecule (neurotransmitter) acetylcholine.

‘This same paralysing property is fundamental to the clinical use of the botulinum toxin in cosmetic Botox. Targeted injections of tiny amounts of the toxin stop particular muscles from working, relaxing muscles that would otherwise cause wrinkly skin.

‘But it has also been applied to a range of clinical conditions, such as paralysing muscles that, if untreated, would cause crossed eyes (strabismus).

‘Ultimately, we are surrounded by potentially dangerous substances – it’s the dose that makes it deadly.’

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