World Science Scholars
1.4 Evolution of a Venom Arsenal
summary
summary

  • Venom can be found in a multitude of species, ranging from simple jellyfish to complex platypuses.
    • Venom changes physical warfare into biochemical warfare: the size of the species doesn’t matter; instead the chemical compounds (toxins) that are in the venom allow much smaller species to survive.
    • It is believed that roughly 15% of all species are venomous.
  • Convergent evolution refers to the development of similar traits among species independent of each other.
  • Venom has been used in the development of therapies for human diseases and disorders.
    • One breakthrough is that the cone snail’s venom can be used to treat pain. Since it does not work on opioid receptors, it is non-addicting.
  • Venom is a complex mixture of peptides, proteins, and small molecules. It is effective because it targets the nervous, circulatory, and muscular systems.
  • Venom has multiple uses, including being used for defense, predation, and intraspecific competition, just to name a few.
  • There are a number of factors that drive the evolution of venom, including: an evolutionary arms race between predator and prey, developing venom that is hyper-potent to always ensure a kill, and differing diets producing different compositions of venom.


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