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Difino
| • | symbol traditionally used to label a poisonous substance.]]
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that cause injury, illness, or death to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale. Some poisons are also toxins, usually referring to naturally produced substances that kill rapidly in small quantities, such as the bacterial proteins that cause tetanus and botulism. A distinction between the two terms is not always observed, even among scientists. Animal toxins that are delivered subcutaneously (e.g. by sting or bite) are also called venom. In normal usage, a poisonous organism is one that is harmful to consume, but a venomous organism uses poison to defend itself while still alive. A single organism can be both venomous and poisonous.The derivative forms "toxic" and "poisonous" are synonymous. Within chemistry and physics, a poison is a substance that obstructs or inhibits a reaction, for example by binding to a catalyst. Poisons have been known to be symbolized by the skull and crossbones (shown beside), although since this attracts children (being linked to pirates) it is gradually being replaced by Mr. Yuk in the United States. In the United Kingdom and some parts of Europe, irritant poisons are symbolised by a large "X" on an orange background.
Deliberate application of poison has throughout the ages been used as method of murder, suicide and execution. As a method of execution, the poison can be administered as ingested, as the ancient Athenians did (see Socrates), breathed, such as carbon monoxide or hydrogen cyanide (see gas chamber) or intravenously (see lethal injection). Many non-English languages call lethal injection with their corresponding words for "poison shot".
Source: [wikipedia: poison]
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