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

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>.