Lexic.us

Definition of Saxitoxin

1. Noun. A powerful neurotoxin produced by certain dinoflagellates found in red tides; it can accumulate in mollusks that feed on the dinoflagellates and cause food poisoning to humans.

Definition of Saxitoxin

1. Noun. A neurotoxin, produced by some dinoflagellates, that can accumulate in mollusks and cause subsequent food poisoning in humans ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Saxitoxin

1. [n -S]

Medical Definition of Saxitoxin

1. Neurotoxin produced by the red tide dinoflagellates, Gonyaulax catenella and G. Tamarensis. It binds to the sodium channel, blocking the passage of action potentials. Its action closely resembles that of tetrodotoxin. The toxin was originally isolated from the clam, Saxidomus giganteus. This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology (11 Mar 2008)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Saxitoxin

Literary usage of Saxitoxin

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Molecular Neurobiology: Proceedings of the 2nd NIMH Conference by Steven Zalcman (1995)
"... mutation confers tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin insensitivity on sodium channel II. ... the site of block by tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin of sodium channel n. ..."

2. Guidelines for the Humane Transportation of Research Animals by National Research Council (U. S.) (2006)
"... neurotoxins Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin Conotoxins Diacetoxyscirpenol Ricin saxitoxin Shigatoxin and Shiga-like ribosome inactivating proteins ..."

3. The U. S. Sugar Program: Its Impact on Sweetener Users and Producers and How (1994)
"... Two biological toxins are also included on the list: ricin (extracted from castor beans) and saxitoxin (purified from contaminated shellfish). ..."

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