Poison vs. venom: What's the difference? - Rose Eveleth

毒液與毒：有什麼不同？ - 蘿絲．埃弗萊斯 (Rose Eveleth)

譯者: Regina Chu 審譯者: Hao-Wei Chang

Would you rather be bitten

你寧願

by a venomous snake or touch a poisonous frog?

被毒蛇咬 還是摸毒蛙？

Wait, what's the difference

等一等 毒青蛙的毒及毒蛇的毒

between poison and venom, anyway?

到底有什麼不同？

Let's say you have the misfortune

如果說你很不幸

to be bitten by a venomous rattlesnake.

被毒響尾蛇咬了一口

When it bites you,

當牠咬你的時候

the snake will eject venom

這條蛇會 從眼睛後面的小毒囊

from little sacks behind its eyes,

射出毒液

through its hollow fangs and into your flesh.

經過中空的毒牙 注入你的肉體

That venom will then travel through your bloodstream

然後毒液會 隨著你的血液運行

and all over your body.

遍佈全身

In most cases, snake venom contains neurotoxins,

在大多數情況下 蛇毒液含有神經毒

proteins that can do all sorts of nasty stuff

這類蛋白質做盡各種壞事

like make your muscles fire uncontrollably,

像讓你的肌肉失控地顫動

burst your blood cells,

讓你的血球破裂

and make you go completely numb.

及讓你完全麻痺

But you might get lucky!

但你可能很幸運！

Snakes don't always decide

蛇不盡然都認為

you're worth wasting venom on.

你值得牠們浪費毒液

In fact, between 20 and 80% of snake bites

事實上，約 20% 到 80% 的蛇咬

are so-called "dry bites,"

都是所謂的「乾咬」（無毒咬擊）

where the snake is just trying

就是毒蛇只是試著嚇嚇你

to send a message without actually killing you.

這並不會讓你真的死掉

You see, venom takes energy and resources

你要知道，蛇要消耗能量及資源

for the snake to make,

製造毒液

and they don't want to waste it on a warning shot.

而牠們並不想浪費在警告上

When it comes to poison,

但說到毒

on the other hand,

從另一方面說

there's no warning shot.

就沒有什麼警告咬擊了

If you pick up a poisonous dart frog

如果你抓起一隻箭毒蛙

to admire its beautiful colors,

想要好好欣賞牠美麗的顏色

you've already gotten deadly poison

你的雙手就

all over your hands.

已經碰到了牠的劇毒

As it seeps into your skin

隨著它浸入你的皮膚

and travels through your blood,

透過血液運行

the poison starts to interfere with your nerves,

這種毒開始干擾你的神經

preventing your muscles from contracting.

使你的肌肉無法收縮

If the frog's poison reaches your heart,

如果這隻青蛙的毒 運行到你的心臟

it can cause it to stop.

它會使心臟停止跳動

The distinction between venom and poison

毒液和毒之間的區別

is purely in the method of delivery.

純粹在於它們輸送的方式

Poison has to be inhaled, ingested, or absorbed.

毒必須被吸入、攝入或吸收

Venom has to be injected into a wound.

毒液必須由傷口注射進入

Chemically, venoms and poisons

從化學上來看，毒液及毒

are both considered toxins,

兩者都被視為毒素

so a snake bite is venomous.

所以蛇咬是用毒液

A poison dart frog is poisonous.

箭毒蛙則是有毒的

Brown recluse spiders are venomous.

褐色隱蛛是有毒液

Lionfish and pufferfish are poisonous.

獅子魚、河魨則是有毒的

And some compounds can be poisons in one animal

有些化合物在某種動物上是毒

and venoms in another.

在另一物種上卻是毒液

Tetrodotoxin, a chemical 10,000 times more toxic than cyanide,

河豚毒素，是種比氰化物 還要毒一萬倍的化學物

is found in pufferfish,

可在河魨上發現

where it makes them poisonous.

使牠們具毒性

It's also found in the deadly blue-ringed octopus,

它同時也在致命的 藍環章魚身上找到

where it's a venom delivered by bite.

牠們要以咬擊 輸出這種毒液

Some animals can even be both poisonous and venomous.

有些動物甚至兼具有「毒」及有「毒液」

Take the Asian tiger snake, for example.

以台灣赤煉蛇為例

Not only does it have venom in its fangs

牠不但有毒液在毒牙裡

but it also absorbs the toxins

從牠吃的毒癩蛤蟆裡吸收

from the poisonous toads it eats,

還可以吸收毒素

and then secretes those toxins

從牠脖子上的 一種特別腺體

from special glands on its neck,

分泌出這種毒素

rendering it poisonous, too.

使得牠也成為有毒的

Scientists are constantly finding new animals

科學家不斷地發現新的動物

that employ toxins in weird, interesting ways.

用怪異、有趣的方式使毒

Recently, researchers discovered

最近，研究者發現

the very first venomous crustacean.

史上第一種有毒甲殼綱動物

Out of 70,000 species of crustaceans,

在七萬種甲殼綱物種中

only this one little remipede is venomous.

只有這個小小的 漿足動物是有毒液的

Speleonectes tulumensis has figured out

圖倫冥府蝦找出了一種

how to create a cocktail of toxins

如何製造混合毒素的方法

that it delivers through its tiny fangs.

並經由牠小小的毒牙輸送

Scientists aren't totally sure how this venom works yet,

科學家還不能完全確定 這種毒液如何作用

but they think that it causes the unwitting victims' neurons

但他們認為毒液會使 不知情受害者的神經元

to fire over and over and over again

一次又一次不斷地激發

until it becomes paralyzed.

直到牠變成癱瘓為止

Then, the little remipede closes in,

然後，這小小的漿足動物靠近

dissolving away the exoskeleton of its prey

將牠的獵物外殼漸漸溶解

and sucking out the juices.

吸出肉汁

But poisons and venoms aren't always all bad.

但毒及毒液 不盡然百害無益

For thousands of years, humans have looked for

數千年來，人類尋找

ways to harness the power of these toxic compounds for good.

利用有毒化合物的方法

Today, we have all sorts of medicines

今天，我們有許多藥品

that come from toxins.

來自毒素

The poison from cone snails is used as a painkiller.

雞心螺的毒可當作止痛藥

Many poisonous plants have been used

很多有毒的植物已被用在

to treat everything from malaria to irregular heartbeats.

治療從瘧疾到 心律不整等疾病

And scorpion venom might one day be used

而蠍子的毒液有一天或可用在

to treat heart disease.

治療心臟疾病上

So, what should you do if something bites or poisons you?

所以，如果某種東西 咬你或毒你該怎麼辦？

Don't try any of the things you've seen

不要嘗試任何你在

on the internet or in movies!

網路或電影上看到的東西

Don't try to capture and kill the animal

不要試圖捕捉或殺掉

that bit you,

咬了你的動物

and don't use a tourniquet or knife on your wound.

也不要在傷口上用止血帶或刀子

Most importantly, don't panic!

最重要的是，不要驚慌！

Stay calm, and seek medical attention.

保持鎮定，然後求醫

Treatment will mostly depend

治療方法主要取決於

on what species you encountered.

你碰到的是什麼物種

But if you forget the distinction

但如果你就是忘了

between poison and venom,

毒及毒液之間的區別

and tell the parademics

且告訴急救人員

that you were poisoned by a viper,

你被毒蛇「毒」到了

they'll probably forgive you and treat you anyway.

他們還是會原諒你且治療你的