poison dart frogs are a one stop medicine shop.
"The poison of dart frogs is a subject of scientific research. First, there are several species of snakes in South America that eat these frogs and are not affected by it. Therefore, an arising question is how certain animals can be resistant to batrachotoxin. What is more, the strong poison makes it possible for scientists to investigate how nervous impulses are transmitted in animal organisms, and why not in the human ones. Scientists have discovered that batrachotoxin does not immediately block the nervous system; at first, it makes the contractions of the heart muscle stronger. Researchers claim that the pumiliotoxin released by Dendrobates auratus might be used as a cardiac stimulant after a heart attack. According to the National Institute of Health, poison dart frogs offer over 300 alkaloid componentsâchemicals that are similar to cocaine and morphine and can be used for medical purposes. Some medicines produced on the basis of batrachotoxin are already being used as anesthetics in surgery."
http://library.thinkquest.org/C007974/2_2poi.htm
amazing site. good read. although it turns you off wanting to swim in australia.(with their box jellyfish, sea snakes, poisonous cone shells, sea scorpions, stonefish, and blue ringed octipus...)
"The poison of dart frogs is a subject of scientific research. First, there are several species of snakes in South America that eat these frogs and are not affected by it. Therefore, an arising question is how certain animals can be resistant to batrachotoxin. What is more, the strong poison makes it possible for scientists to investigate how nervous impulses are transmitted in animal organisms, and why not in the human ones. Scientists have discovered that batrachotoxin does not immediately block the nervous system; at first, it makes the contractions of the heart muscle stronger. Researchers claim that the pumiliotoxin released by Dendrobates auratus might be used as a cardiac stimulant after a heart attack. According to the National Institute of Health, poison dart frogs offer over 300 alkaloid componentsâchemicals that are similar to cocaine and morphine and can be used for medical purposes. Some medicines produced on the basis of batrachotoxin are already being used as anesthetics in surgery."
http://library.thinkquest.org/C007974/2_2poi.htm
amazing site. good read. although it turns you off wanting to swim in australia.(with their box jellyfish, sea snakes, poisonous cone shells, sea scorpions, stonefish, and blue ringed octipus...)