ABSTRACT
Exploring the mechanisms of action of toxins and venoms may shed light on the toxicological mechanisms of some xenobiotics. Because animals have co-evolved with plant toxins and animal venoms, most would conclude that the ability to respond to the man-made xenobiotic chemicals is attributable in part to the endogenous responses to toxins and venoms. This is apparent in the development of oxidative pathways (e.g., P-450 systems) in the liver and other tissues that have evolved to detoxify the plethora of plant toxins encountered by herbivorous animals (Brattsten, 1979). The enzymatic pathways that conjugate and excrete toxins and venoms are also operative in the metabolic activation and deactivation of
xenobiotics. It follows that other physiological systems, such as temperature regulation, also respond to xenobiotics because of adaptive responses to toxins and venoms. To this end, this chapter endeavors to review the effects of toxins and venoms commonly found in the environment that have major implications for the health and well-being of humans, domestic animals, and wildlife.
