Heyyy people! I hope you are all doing good. I think some of you will be more related with todays topic, I know quite a few people that are familiar with it. Here it goes!
It´s a saturday and you finally finish your homework just before dinner time. Your family decides to go out to dinner so you dress up and go out with them. You suggest to eat at your favorite restaurant and they promptly agree. After finishing your favorite meal, you go back to your home and fall asleep as soon as you lie down. You are waken up by a sudden bubbling feeling in your stomach and you feel like throwing up. Quickly, you rush to the bathroom and...Im going to stop right there...
What did just happened, and why did it happen?
Food poisoning! Food poisoning is caused when we eat foods that have harmful organisms in them such as parasites, bacteria and viruses. These are generally found in raw meat, chicken, fish and eggs but they can spread to other foods. Food poisoning can also occur when people don´t wash their hands before eating their meals. YUCK!
How do I know if i got food poisoning?
If other people that ate the same food are also sick, then it probably was food poisoning. Diarrhea and vomiting are common symptoms. Water is essential to avoid dehydration. In some case, high fever can also be a symptom. Most food poisoning is mild and will go away in 2 or 3 days. In case the symptoms become severe, a doctor should be consulted.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Watch your step!
Hey guys, what's up? I hope you're doing great. In this blog entry, I will talk about poisonous plants. Vegetation helps the sustain of life. Plants are a part of our daily life. We eat fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, lettuce, apples, etc. But not all plants are safe to eat. Some parts of the plant may be edible, while the rest could be fatal even if eaten in small doses. Some poison can only cause a mild rash and nausea.
One of the most famous poisonous plants is the Poison Ivy. When a person touches a Poison Ivy's plants, stem or roots, he can have an allergic reaction to the poison. "About 85 percent of people are allergic to the urushiol (the poisonous agent) in poison ivy, according to the American Academy of Dermatology". (Wilson)
This reaction is a delayed hypersensitivity reaction. This means that symptoms might not appear until several hours or days have gone by. Most people don't have a reaction the first time they touch poison ivy, but they can develop an allergic reaction after repeated exposure. Everyone has a different reaction to poison ivy. Sensitivity to the plant decreases with age and repeated exposures to the venom. (Wilson)
Dead poison ivy is still dangerous, since the poison can last for up to 5 years. It can also be transferred to other surfaces, so a reaction can occur if you touch a plant that is covered with the poison. The poison can still cause an allergic reaction even if you don't touch it: If the plant is burnt or mowed, the poison can be released into the air and you can inhale it. This is very dangerous because it can damage lung tissue and it could cause death. (Dunphy)
Works Cited
One of the most famous poisonous plants is the Poison Ivy. When a person touches a Poison Ivy's plants, stem or roots, he can have an allergic reaction to the poison. "About 85 percent of people are allergic to the urushiol (the poisonous agent) in poison ivy, according to the American Academy of Dermatology". (Wilson)
This reaction is a delayed hypersensitivity reaction. This means that symptoms might not appear until several hours or days have gone by. Most people don't have a reaction the first time they touch poison ivy, but they can develop an allergic reaction after repeated exposure. Everyone has a different reaction to poison ivy. Sensitivity to the plant decreases with age and repeated exposures to the venom. (Wilson)
Dead poison ivy is still dangerous, since the poison can last for up to 5 years. It can also be transferred to other surfaces, so a reaction can occur if you touch a plant that is covered with the poison. The poison can still cause an allergic reaction even if you don't touch it: If the plant is burnt or mowed, the poison can be released into the air and you can inhale it. This is very dangerous because it can damage lung tissue and it could cause death. (Dunphy)
Works Cited
Dunphy, Jim. Poison Ivy, Oak & Sumac - Fast
Facts. 2011. 22 September 2011
<http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view/fastfacts.html>.
Wilson, Stephanie. "How Poisn Ivy Works."
23 September 2005. How Stuff Works. 22 September 2011 <http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/botany/poison-ivy.htm>.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Poisonous Animals
When you hear the word "Poison", what is the first animal that you picture? Probably you pictured a snake. In my case, I think of rattlesnakes. But reptiles aren't the only animals that can poison other living things. In this blog entry, I will talk briefly about some of the most curious poisonous animals in the world .
I think the most extraordinary poisonous animal is "The Hooded Pitohui". Until now, it is one of the very few poisonous birds discovered in the world. (Other poisonous birds are variants of the Pitohui species and the Blue Capped Ifrita ). The poison will only cause numbness and tingling, therefore it isn't a very dangerous animal.Curiously, the toxin used by the Pitohui is similar to that of the Poison Dart Frog, and higher doses of the poison are dangerously lethal. Touching a Hooded Pitohui will result in poisoning, since it's skin and feathers are covered in this toxin. (Your Science Blog)
Unlike the Pitohui, which uses it's venom to protect itself, the Marbled Cone Snail uses it's venom as a weapon to capture prey. A drop of this snail's poison could kill more than 20 people. Some symptoms include intense pain, numbness, swelling and affect a person's hearing, vision and speech. This snail shoots a harpoon at it's prey from within it's shell, which instantly paralyzes it. Then, the snail reels it in and feeds on it. These species of snails are called "cigarette snails", because after being stung by one, it's victim only has time to smoke a cigarette before dying. (iloveindia.com)
Works Cited
I think the most extraordinary poisonous animal is "The Hooded Pitohui". Until now, it is one of the very few poisonous birds discovered in the world. (Other poisonous birds are variants of the Pitohui species and the Blue Capped Ifrita ). The poison will only cause numbness and tingling, therefore it isn't a very dangerous animal.Curiously, the toxin used by the Pitohui is similar to that of the Poison Dart Frog, and higher doses of the poison are dangerously lethal. Touching a Hooded Pitohui will result in poisoning, since it's skin and feathers are covered in this toxin. (Your Science Blog)
Unlike the Pitohui, which uses it's venom to protect itself, the Marbled Cone Snail uses it's venom as a weapon to capture prey. A drop of this snail's poison could kill more than 20 people. Some symptoms include intense pain, numbness, swelling and affect a person's hearing, vision and speech. This snail shoots a harpoon at it's prey from within it's shell, which instantly paralyzes it. Then, the snail reels it in and feeds on it. These species of snails are called "cigarette snails", because after being stung by one, it's victim only has time to smoke a cigarette before dying. (iloveindia.com)
Works Cited
iloveindia.com. Facts About Marbled Cone Snail.
n.d. 9 September 2011
<http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/facts-about-marbled-cone-snail-7605.html>.
Your Science Blog. Science Blog. 5 February
2008. 9 September 2011 <http://yourscienceblog.blogspot.com/>.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Could there possibly be another use for poison?
Hey guys, what's up? ;) I hope your doing well. In this entry I will talk about another very important use of poison. Can you guess what it is? Since poison can kill, what can you use it for? (No, I don't mean killing people, but you're on the right track.) Most people are afraid of poison because it is very dangerous, but humans found a way to benefit from it: Using poison to hunt.
The Poison Dart Frog is a very poisonous amphibian which is commonly found in South American jungles. It is one the most poisonous animals in the world. An adult Phyllobates Terribilis contains 1 milligram of poison, which is enough to kill between ten and twenty humans. You might be wondering, why do they call it "Poison Dart Frog"? Colombian Indians use the frog's poison to cover their darts with it and make them lethal. The blowpipe and darts are made by hand out of slivers of palm wood, hardened over a fire. These darts are commonly used on game such as deer, armadillos, and several species of large forest birds. Sometimes they were used in battles. The Émbera people are famous for their high accuracy with blowpipes. Since the poison is very lethal, 1 direct hit will kill the target very quickly. (Dendro Works)
How does this tribe extract the poison from the frog? The frog is first impaled on a sharp piece of wood, and then it is sort of cooked in fire. Blisters, which are full of poison, will start to emerge on the frog's skin. The darts are then rubbed against these blisters, and the poison will adhere to them. Curiously, this poison can be stored in the frog for years and will still affect its target. Even if the toxins are transferred to another surface, the poison is still very dangerous. (Dendro Works)
As I continue to post entries about this topic, my interest grows more and more. I hope you are liking it too, cheers. :)
The Poison Dart Frog is a very poisonous amphibian which is commonly found in South American jungles. It is one the most poisonous animals in the world. An adult Phyllobates Terribilis contains 1 milligram of poison, which is enough to kill between ten and twenty humans. You might be wondering, why do they call it "Poison Dart Frog"? Colombian Indians use the frog's poison to cover their darts with it and make them lethal. The blowpipe and darts are made by hand out of slivers of palm wood, hardened over a fire. These darts are commonly used on game such as deer, armadillos, and several species of large forest birds. Sometimes they were used in battles. The Émbera people are famous for their high accuracy with blowpipes. Since the poison is very lethal, 1 direct hit will kill the target very quickly. (Dendro Works)
How does this tribe extract the poison from the frog? The frog is first impaled on a sharp piece of wood, and then it is sort of cooked in fire. Blisters, which are full of poison, will start to emerge on the frog's skin. The darts are then rubbed against these blisters, and the poison will adhere to them. Curiously, this poison can be stored in the frog for years and will still affect its target. Even if the toxins are transferred to another surface, the poison is still very dangerous. (Dendro Works)
As I continue to post entries about this topic, my interest grows more and more. I hope you are liking it too, cheers. :)
Works Cited:
Dendro Works. The Original Poison Dart Frog.
2011. 1 August 2011
<http://www.dendroworks.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57>.
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