Common but poisonous

last SG · 2006-06-27T15:19:50+00:00

mango is poisen too!!! not the fruit part… the sap i heard from teacher?

poon cho tang SG

dats where the poisons come in Laughing

Wanda SG

Coca
Erythroxylon coca

Believe it or not, in the 16th century, there really was a Land of the drug addicts, located in South America. At that time, the Incas undertook a great expansion and conquered many neighboring native tribes.

The population was persuaded to work very hard, everybody regardless of gender or age worked all day to receive only a third of the production but there were no rebellions and no discontent. The unconditional obedience of the masses was due to chewing the leaves of coca, which made people the perfect workers they hardly ate or slept but felt satisfied, even happy. However, the narcotic also led to premature aging and a physical and mental breakdown. Then came an agonizing death.

The plant which caused, and unfortunately still causes, that degradation of personality is a two- to three-meter-high evergreen bush from the wet tropical regions of South America, nowadays also cultivated in subtropical zones and South Asia. It has small shiny spear-shaped leaves and red cherry-fruit. Until 1860, when the alkaloid cocaine was first extracted from the leaves of the plant, people did not know why coca had such a disastrous effect. The substance obtained was a white scentless powder, which particularly affects the sensibility of skin and the sensory organs. This property made it valuable for surgery and two decades later it was already in use.

Cocaine also stimulates the central nervous system. Therefore, one loses ones feelings of fatigue and hunger, the inferiority complex and bad mood; however, ones health and will deteriorate. The poisoning is very pleasant at first owing to a momentary euphoria and incapability of perceiving the environment as it is. Soon after that, weakness occurs, the pulse accelerates and becomes irregular. Affected people may have seizures accompanied by breathing- and cardiac disruptions, which may lead to a preventable fatal end.

There are many derivatives of cocaine such as novocaine and dicaine. Novocaine injections are generally used in a 1-10% saline solution for dental and spinal anesthesia. Unlike cocaine, procaine is non-addictive, yet toxic. Probably, the most toxic one of all derivatives is crack. It has wide application everywhere else but in medicine.

The extent of mental degradation caused by this insidious poison is much greater than that caused by many others. Its use leads to paranoia, audial hallucinations, extreme aggression and even inclination to suicide.
The number of the cocaine- and crack-addicts is getting larger and larger; pregnant women take drugs and bear babies with monstrous abnormalities. Cocaine has been popular since the 16th century and is still a major threat to our generation.

Copyright: 2000 Team C007974, Thinkquest

Wanda SG

*Do a double take*

You mean 'come in'? Not 'come from' ah? Surprised

Razz Laughing

Wanda SG

Solanum tuberosum

Once upon a time, someone brought to Europe a plant which had been cultivated by South American Indians for centuries before the European expansion to the West.

It was about 60-80 cm high; had white, pink or violet blossoms; and generated in its subterranean part up to 50-60 tubers whose weight varied from 2-3 g to 2-3 kg. The one who brought it surely didnt have the slightest idea of its forthcoming expansion across fields in Europe and, subsequently, in the whole world.

This plant was the potato, which contains the poisonous glycoalkaloid solanine in all its parts but mostly in the blossoms and in the fruit. Its content is extremely high when tubers are unripe or green as a result of incorrect storrage but they cannot cause poisoning because solanin decomposes when boiled.

Only the fruit, blossoms, seeds, sprouts, and sun-greened tubers may be dangerous.

They can bring about stomachache, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, psychic depression, breathing disruptions, irregular pulse and even coma in the case of high dose intake and lack of therapy.

Wanda SG

Tobacco

Nicotiana tobacum

This is probably the most popular poison in the world. Who would have thought?

Most people think that the American Indians are the ones to blame, but it was Herodotus, in fact, to mention inhaling the smoke of some smoldering grass. Nicotinethe most important alkaloid of the planthas been found in the mummy of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II. Moreover, devices related to smoking have been discovered in those ancient tombs.

However, the public opinion is that tobacco was imported to Europe in 1558 due to Francesco Fernandez, the doctor of Philippe II, King of Portugal at that time. At first, it grew in palaces because of its aesthetic value but very soon, almost everyone gained access to the cultivated poison, which made many rulers and highly placed officials take preventive measures against already widespread smoking.

Pope Urban VII excommunicated smokers.
Louis XIII prohibited the use of tobacco.
Smokers in Spain were sentenced to prison and hard labor for life by the church court.
Jacob I, the king of Britain prohibited smoking and banished the smokers from London.
Michael Romanov, king of Russia, punished smokers in the following manner: offenders caught for the first time were given 60 lashes on their feet; the second time the smoker had his nose or ears cut off and was exiled to Siberia.
Murad IV, a sultan of Turkey, ordered smokers to have their hands cut off.
Tobacco traders in Persia were burnt together with their wares.
In India, the nose or the upper lip of smokers was cut.
Apparently, these measures have been both insufficient and unsuccessful.

Tobacco itself is an annual, about 2 m high, and has large leaves and pink blossoms. In 1828, the French pharmacists Pierre-Joseph Pelletier and Joseph-Bienaim Caventou extracted the poison, the alkaloid nicotine, which was a colorless oily liquid with a sharp hot taste. About 50 mg of it would be sufficient to kill a non-smoker. Researches show that the temperature of the burning end of a cigarette is 830-880 degrees C, which enriches the smoke with more than 1500 ingredients! They were divided into different groups according to their toxic effects:
1. Carbon monoxideit decreases the oxygen saturation of blood.
2. Irritating substancesthey cause cough and wheezing.
3. Dangerous carcinogenic substances.

What then makes people light the next cigarette? At first, nicotine stimulates the brain but shortly, it paralyzes nerve impulses and, as a result, the smoker craves for another cigarette. That is how smoking becomes a habit. The American writer Mark Twain said it was easy to give up smoking and that he had done it a hundred thousand times himself.

Many plants are poisonous and tobacco happens to be one of them. People smoke it because they easily get addicted to the smoke, gradually killing themselves. Is it the plant to blame?

Copyright: 2000 Team C007974, Thinkquest

Wanda SG

Slow Loris
Nycticebus coucang

Slow lorises may not be swift, but they are accomplished climbers and are able to hang from branches by their feet alone.

Physical Description: Slow lorises vary in colour from grey to white depending on their range. They are plumper and shorter-limbed than slender lorises. They have strong grasping hands and feet, with opposable thumbs. Slow lorises have dark rings around their eyes and a dark stripe running along the back.

Distribution: They range across southeast Asia.

Habitat: They inhabit tropical evergreen rain forests.

This shy primate mixes its own toxic cocktail from two ingredients: its saliva and the secretions from a gland in its inner elbow. The venom causes extreme pain if injected by a bite, but the mere smell of the compound repels most predators. The female also uses this combination as a "toxic babysitter," covering her young with the venom while she leaves to search for food.

Little is known about slow loris venom or its effects.

NT2 SG

eat moderately Mr. Green

Wanda SG

You eat them?

Wanda SG

Sea Anemone
Heteractis magnifica

The sea anemones tentacles are covered with thousands of nematocysts tiny, venomous harpoons. Venom helps the anemone catch prey and keep predators away.

Protected by a thick coat of mucus, the clownfish lives unharmed among the anemones venomous tentacles. The anemone provides a safe home for the clownfish. This aggressive and territorial fish protects the anemone, "shooing away" potential predators like a watchdog.

Some species of anemone can give humans a painful sting.

poon cho tang SG

thot this is used in some kind of food? Laughing

Wanda SG

Perhaps as a colour for some glutinous rice kueh.... when I was a kid, I saw some aunties plucking the flower...i believe it was this flower. Smile

poon cho tang SG

ya, to prevent constipation? Laughing

Wanda SG

Do you think the colouring contains lots of fibre? Rolling Eyes Laughing

poon cho tang SG

cos excessive consumption causes diarrhea Laughing

Wanda SG

Read again: it's the seeds and roots, if you want to relieve your constipation. Mr. Green Laughing

ps: refer to my disclaimer statement again.

Wanda SG

Gila Monster (pronounced "hila" )
Heloderma suspectum

Habitat: They prefer rocky foothills and desert scrub, but also occur in drier, sandier areas; This large, heavy-bodied species is one of only two types of venomous lizards and is predominately found in the southwestern United States - Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Mexico.

Gila Venom: If provoked, the shy and reclusive Gila Monster strikes back with a tenacious, venomous bite.

Their venom comes from glands in the lower jaw which flows along grooves in its teeth and into the bite wound. Most of its prey, such as rabbits and rodents, are quickly killed by its powerful jaws. The venom attacks the nervous system and is strong enough to kill birds and mammals. It has been suggested that the venom of the Gila monster is used more for defense than for feeding.

The bite is described as extremely painful. Victims may also experience localized swelling, nausea, vomiting, hypertension, weakness, faintness, excessive perspiration, chills, and fever. When bitten, it is important to disengage the lizard as soon as possible. This may be done by placing a strong stick between the bitten part and the back of the lizard's mouth and pushing against the rear of the jaw. If this doesn't work, immersion in water may make it release its hold. The brittle teeth of the Gila monster may remain imbedded in the wound and must be removed by a medical professional.

Wanda SG

More 'Poisonous' Trans Fats Found in US Fast Foods
15 April, 2006 18:54 GMT

Order french fries or hot wings at a McDonald's or a KFC in the United States and you're more likely to get a supersized helping of artery-clogging trans fats than you would be at their restaurants in some other countries.

A study of the fast-food chains' products around the world found remarkably wide variations in trans fat content from country to country, from city to city within the same nation, and from restaurant to restaurant in the same city.

The researchers said the differences had to do with the type of frying oil used, and the main culprit appeared to be partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, which is high in trans fats.

"I was very surprised to see a difference in trans fatty acids in these uniform products," said one of the researchers, Dr. Steen Stender, a cardiologist at Gentofte University Hospital in Hellerup, Denmark, and former head of the Danish Nutrition Council. "It's such an easy risk factor to remove."

Taste Preferences or Profit Motive?

McDonald's Corp., which promised in September 2002 to cut trans fat in half, and KFC's parent, Yum! Brands, said the explanation is local taste preferences. But nutrition experts and consumer activists said it is about money: Frying oil high in trans fats costs less.

The Danish researchers tested products from the chains' outlets in dozens of countries in 2004 and 2005, analyzing McDonald's chicken nuggets, KFC hot wings, and the two chains' fried potatoes. The findings were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

At a New York City McDonald's, a large fries-and-chicken-nuggets combo was found to contain 10.2 grams of the trans fat, compared with 0.33 grams in Denmark and about 3 grams in Spain, Russia and the Czech Republic.

At KFCs in Poland and Hungary, a large hot wings-and-fries order had 19 grams of trans fats or more, versus 5.5 grams for wings and fried potato wedges in New York. But in Germany, Russia, Denmark and Aberdeen, Scotland, the same meal had less than a gram.

A large order of french fries at a New York City McDonald's contained 30 percent more trans fat than the same order from an Atlanta McDonald's.

Dutch fries with tartar sauce *slurp*

'More Harmful Than Any Other Kind of Fat'

Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is cooking oil that has been injected with hydrogen to harden it and give it a longer shelf life. Switching to liquid vegetable oils such as canola, corn, olive or soy eliminates the trans fat, as has been done in Denmark under a 2004 law allowing only a minuscule amount of trans fat in foods.

Trans fat raises bad cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol. Eating just 5 grams of it per day increases the risk of heart disease 25 percent, research shows.

"Per gram, it is more harmful than any other kind of fat," Stender said. "It's a metabolic poison."

McDonald's said it "continues to work diligently on ways to reduce" trans fat in its fries. It said most of its oils come from local suppliers, based on consumer preference, and that oil used in the United States is different from that in Europe and elsewhere.

Stender and other experts said many restaurants use partially hydrogenated vegetable oil to save money because it doesn't spoil and can be used over and over for frying.

Copyright: Buffalo News

More on Trans Fat

Wanda SG

Common hairy crab
Pilumnus vespertilio
Family Pilumnidae

The Common hairy crab is, as its name suggests, usually quite plentiful. But it is rarely seen. Its body and limbs are covered with long, silky hairs. These trap sediments allowing the crab to blend perfectly with its surroundings. In the water, its hairs 'fluff up' breaking up its body outline. It also moves slowly.

The crab's hairy body ensures it is almost identical to its muddy surroundings & looking like a weedy pebble (Body width 3-5cm)
Photo by Ria Tan

Hairy crab Food: The crab eats seaweed. It may also eat toxic zoanthids (colonial anemones) and this makes the crab mildly poisonous.

Source & Copyrights: The Chek Jawa Guidebook

Wanda SG

Narrow feathery green seaweeds
Caulerpa taxifolia
Family Caulerpaceae

Comb seaweed Sisters Island

Where seen? It is seasonally common on all our undisturbed shores. It grows in calm, shallow waters and can tolerate some exposure at low tide. It is also found up to 30m deep.

Features: 5-7cm. 'Branches' long, thin, flat and sickle shaped. Each 'feather' is narrower than that of the Feathery seaweed.

Human uses: Comb seaweed is reported to be edible, to have antibacterial and antifungal properties, and used to treat tuberculosis and high blood pressure. However, some Caulerpa species produce toxins to protect themselves from browsing fish. This also makes them toxic to humans.

Status and threats: This seaweed is native to the tropical waters of the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific. A particular strain of this seaweed developed for the aquarium trade was accidentally introduced to the coasts of the Mediterranean, Australia and California. This strain is resistant to cooler temperate waters and is toxic to native herbivores such as fish, sea urchins and snails. So it grows unchecked and thick carpets of the seaweed smother native plants and deprive native animals of food. Efforts to eradicate it has not succeeded and this seaweed is now considered a noxious weed.

Sentosa

Labrador

Source & Copyrights: wildshores website©ria tan 2005 www.wildsingapore.com

Wanda SG

Cockle shell

Also known as "see ham", this is among the favourite seafood of Singaporeans. These bivalves were found buried in the muddy sand near the shore.

Photo by ria tan

Like many other bivalves, it is dangerous to eat these at certain times of the year when there is a bloom of toxic algae. The algae doesn't kill the clam, but will harm those that eat it.

Source & Copyrights: photo©ria tan; www.wildsingapore.com

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