neurotoxin

noun

neu·​ro·​tox·​in ˌnu̇r-ō-ˈtäk-sən 

ˌnyu̇r-

: a poisonous substance (such as tetrodotoxin or saxitoxin) that acts on the nervous system and disrupts the normal function of nerve cells

Did you know?

The nervous system is almost all-powerful in the body: all five senses depend on it, as do breathing, digestion, and the heart. So it's an obvious target for poisons, and neurotoxins have developed as weapons in many animals, including snakes, bees, and spiders. Some wasps use a neurotoxin to paralyze their prey so that it can be stored alive to be eaten later. Snake venom is often neurotoxic (as in cobras and coral snakes, for example), though it may instead be hemotoxic (as in rattlesnakes and coppermouths), operating on the circulatory system. Artificial neurotoxins, called nerve agents, have been developed by scientists as means of chemical warfare; luckily, few have ever been used.

Examples of neurotoxin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While no particular brand of neurotoxin was discussed, one of the study’s three authors, a German psychiatrist named Marc Axel Wollman, disclosed having consulted for Allergan. —Brennan Kilbane, Allure, 26 June 2024

Birds may get toxic feathers from eating beetles Songbirds in the pristine rainforests of New Guinea, including the regent whistler and rufous-naped bellbird, have potent neurotoxins in their feathers like those found among poison dart frogs. —Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 June 2024

Lin Qi, a brash gaming entrepreneur, was hospitalized in December 2020 for mercury poisoning and a neurotoxin similar to the kind found in puffer fish. —Jordan Riefe, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024

For example, lead, a neurotoxin, leached from the city's aging pipes and into the water that flowed from the faucets, causing irreparable damage, especially in children, whose brains and bones were still developing. —Leah Olajide, Detroit Free Press, 28 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French névrotoxine, from névro- neuro- + toxine toxin

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

neurotoxin

noun

neu·​ro·​tox·​in -ˈtäk-sən 

: a poisonous substance (such as tetrodotoxin or saxitoxin) that acts on the nervous system and disrupts the normal function of nerve cells