…Fish in the World
The Stonefish or Synanceia found on the coastal regions of the Indo-Pacific oceans is the deadliest fish in the world. Capable of killing a human within two hours of contact, poison is a backup defense mechanism for the stonefish, camouflage being the first. This invariably makes it even more deadly to humans as it’s almost impossible to differentiate from its surroundings, which also gives it its signature name.
The toxin is discharged through thirteen sharp needle-like dorsal spines, and can cause death within two hours of penetration. Primarily a neurotoxin, its symptoms include muscle weakness, temporary paralysis and shock, which may eventually lead to death.
..Insect in the World
The blister beetle, which has 2,500 known species worldwide, is the most potent poison carrier of the insect world. The “blister beetle” causes blistering of the skin as a result of the secreted toxin, cantharidin.
If ingested, the toxin severely irritates the urinary tract as it is excreted and causes swelling of the genitalia. It may cause priapism in men, where an erection lasts for more than four hours. Ingested cantharidin can cause permanent renal damage, and 0.01 grams can to be fatal.
..Frog in the World
Phyllobates terribilis, the Golden Poison Frog or the Golden Dart Frog, is the deadliest venomous vertebrate on the planet. The species is found primarily in a small stretch of rain forest on the Pacific coast of Colombia. An adult frog measures no more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) and weighs less than 1 oz.
The Golden Poison Frog's alkaloid poison prevents nerves from transmitting impulses, which may lead to heart failure and fibrillation. The toxins do not deteriorate easily; chickens and dogs have been known to have died just by coming in contact with tissue paper that the frog had walked on.
So how poisonous is the poison? A milligram could kill 10 to 20 humans, that's roughly 15,000 humans per gram.
..Plant in the World
If you’ve ever had the unpleasant experience of downing castor oil, you’ve already had a personal experience with this plant. The castor bean plant or Ricinus communis, native to Africa, is now found throughout the world in tropical and warm temperate regions.
The protein toxin works by restricting the cells from making proteins, which leads to their death. The Castor beans, the seeds of the plant, contain a toxin called ricin, and two-eight beans could prove fatal to an adult human being. If not death, the ingestion may cause multiple organ failure.
..Poison in the World
Botulinum toxin, a neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, is the most lethal toxin known to mankind. With a toxicity of 1 nanogram/kg, Botulinum is several hundred times deadlier than anthrax.
To give you an idea about its toxicity, assuming an average weight of 160 pounds per human, a gram would kill approximately 1.2 million humans, that’s approximately three times more than the population of Iceland.
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