Most people are justifiably afraid of snakes, certain sea creatures, and spiders. Not only are they creepy (or crawly or wiggly), they can be poisonous. We’ve all heard stories about brown recluse spiders or random snakes bites. Venom can destroy living cells, cause excruciating pain and they are reactions are super fast. But how exactly does venom work on the body? Unlike other toxins and poisons that have to be ingested to work, animal venoms works differently. Ever been curious about how this amazing substance works?
Any awesomely educational YouTube channel that you should subscribe to called The Nature of Science explains in laymen’s terms what happens when venom enters our bloodstream. The fact that they work their deadly magic on animals in a matter of seconds is terrifying. Check out the live examples from James Cook University in Australia.
Source: YouTube @The Nature of Science
Get ready to learn!
A live frog
Source: YouTube @The Nature of Science
First step: A living frog is cut open to expose it’s little beating heart. Don’t worry, it can’t feel the pain! When a heart pumps blood to the rest of the body, it turns white. When the blood returns to the heart, it’s a healthy reddish color.
Injecting the venom
Source: YouTube @The Nature of Science
The scientist uses box jellyfish venom and injects some directly into the frog’s beating heart. You can see that it having trouble processing blood and getting it to where it needs to go and stays white. What happens? The frog’s heart slows and eventually stops beating.