what is the difference between poison and venom?

Answer 1

Venom is a category of poison. It's delivered by an animal or insect. Poison is a broader category, which could include household chemicals, plant toxins, etc.

Answer 2

Poison is a generic term covering any substance animal, vegetable or mineral, which when introduced, in a fatal (toxic) amount, into a living entity causes the entity to die unless a reverse treatment is available within the killing time of the poison.

Poisons introduced in a sub-toxic amount can cause serious illness but can also act as a medicine in very small amounts, e.g. deadly nightshade (Belladonna) to control heart attacks.

There is no restriction on the means by which a poison is administered, as long as it ends up inside the body.

All poisons are carried to their internal site by the bloodstream, irrespective of how they were introduced into the body, whether by ingestion, bite, breathing (poison gas), absorption through the skin (some vaporous nerve toxins, eg Sarin), etc.

Some poisons are fatal almost instantly, others can take minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years or decades before their fatal effects are felt. The timescale is irrelevant, premature death is the deciding factor.

Venoms are poisons of animal origin, eg snakes, spiders, blowfish etc. The mode of operation, attacking muscle, central nervous system, predigesting organs, etc is irrelevant, it is the natural animal origin that is makes it a venom. Entry into the bloodstream is usually by bite or puncture but the Spitting Cobra for example spits its venom into the eyes of the victim, where it is absorbed through the membranes both over and surrounding the eyes..

Not all poisons are poisonous to everything. Animals are usually, but not always, unaffected by their own poisons: 'One man's meat is another man's poison' sums it up quite well.

Answer 3

venom and poisons are moslty similar but are different in the way they are delivered. Venom is injected. Venomous animals have an active delivery system and may use their toxin for protection or to help them catch food. Venomous animals also store their toxin in venom glands. They inject their toxin into their predator or prey using fangs, pinchers, spines, or any other sharp body part that is hollow, grooved or breaks the skin to introduce venom. Poison is eaten or absorbed. Poisonous animals have a passive delivery system and use their toxin for protection only. They store their toxin in their meat or skin. If someone or something eats the animal, the predator may get sick or even die. an example of a poisonous animal is the poison dart frog.

Answer 4

The first two answers put together I think are about right, except poison is not necessarily prepared, since venom is a type of poison.

Answer 5

We say an animal is venomous if it somehow injects/sprays/whatever things with its poison (which we refer to as venom).

We refer to an animal as poisonous if it is dangerous to consume due to the presence of a harmful chemical.

In a general sense, venom is a type of poison.

Answer 6

POISON: In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause injury, illness, or death to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale.

In medicine (particularly veterinary) and in zoology, a poison is often distinguished from a venom. Venoms are usually defined as biologic toxins that are injected to cause their effect, while poisons are generally defined as toxins which are absorbed through epithelial linings such as the skin or gut.

The skull and crossbones symbol is traditionally used to label a poisonous substance.

VENOM or zootoxin: Any of a variety of poisonous substances produced by animals. In poisonous snakes, venom is secreted in two poison glands, one on each side of the upper jaw, and enters the fang by a duct. Snake venom is a complex substance, containing various enzymes and toxins. Venoms differ in their effect according to the preponderance in them of hemotoxic, hemolytic, or neurotoxic agents. Hemotoxins perforate the blood vessels, causing hemorrhage, and hemolysins dissolve the red blood cells.

Answer 7

venom comes only from animals, poison is a general term for venom and all the other chemical materials that have a potential to damage health even result in fatality.

Answer 8

venom is enzyme based, designed to break down a specific biological function (i.e. cytotoxins, neurotoxins etc...). Also it is generally injected into an organism, though is sometimes absorbed (spitting cobra-eyes and mucous membranes)

Poison is more chemically based, and is rather broadly defined. Anything can be "poisonous" if enough of it is present to screw up the processes of an organism. The deleterious effects of alcohol is actually just a result of poisoning yourself.

Answer 9

Poison is typically used in defence. Many animals like poison arrow frogs, salamanders and some fish have poison glands in their skin. When threatened some will exude these chemicals.
Poisons are only effective if eaten or if they come in contact with the mucus membreanes in the mouth. These defences work to make a potential predator vomit, or in some cases even die. many animals that have severe poisons typically have bright colors, ex: monarch butterflies, yellow spotted salamanders, poison arrow frogs. These brilliant colors work to warn predators that a very unpleasant meal awaits them if they try to eat these animals.
http://www.callunafineflowers.com/memorial_middle_school/WebQuest/studentwebsites/5/pOsIoN%20aRrOw%20FrOg.jpg
http://is.dal.ca/~ceph/JWoodPhoto/Photo11.jpg
http://www.naturestapestryjlm.com/jlm_others/Butterflies/open_wing_monarch_web.jpg

Venoms are primarily used in attack, to subdue prey. Snakes, spiders, scorpions, all use venom. Venom is only effective when injected into the bloodstream. You could actually drink venom out of a glass and it wont hurt you, but if you have even the tinyest cut in your mouth it could kill you. Venoms are used secondarily as defences, just like when a snake bites a person, it is not used to kill us as prey, but to let us know not to mess around with them.
Some vemonous animals also demonstrate impressive colors to warn other animals that they are no push overs.

http://www.sloanmonster.com/images/coral.jpg
http://www.k-state.edu/butterfly/small_images/cobalt_blue1.jpg

I hope this answers your question!

Answer 10

Poison is -A substance that causes injury, illness, or death, especially by chemical means.


While venom is-
A poisonous secretion of an animal, such as a snake, spider, or scorpion, usually transmitted by a bite or sting.

i.e. venom is pioson made by an animal