ABSTRACT
A poison is any substance which, when ingested, inhaled, absorbed, or when applied to, injected into, or developed within the body, in relatively small amounts, may cause damage to body structure or disturbance of function through its chemical action. The science of toxicology is of more modern derivation, along with that of biotoxicology and zootoxicology. Medical practitioners recognized scaleless fish as being toxic and the first report of ciguatera toxicosis was described from ingestion of yellowtail tuna. The field of toxicology became so broad that scientists began to narrow their fields of interest further: into plant poisoning, marine biotoxicology, or pesticide toxicology. Scientists of the 20th century continued and intensified the study of poisons. Animal toxins and venoms are used to obtain food, deter predation, regulate population, aid in exploiting a territory, and aid in defense against enemies.
