palytoxin

American  

[pal-uh-tak-suhn] / ˌpæl əˈtak sən /

noun

palytoxins plural

1. Pathology. an extremely poisonous substance, occurring in various marine species of the Pacific, most notably corals of the genus Palythoa.

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palytoxin Scientific  

/ păl′ə-tŏk′sĭn /

1. An extremely powerful toxin occurring in corals of the genus Palythoa of the South Pacific. Palytoxin disrupts the flow of ions across cell membranes and is the most potent known naturally occurring poison, being rapidly fatal to humans in doses of 4 micrograms. One of the most complex known nonprotein substances, it has more contiguous carbon atoms (115) than any other naturally occurring molecule. Chemical formula: C ₁₂₉ H ₂₂₃ N ₃ O ₅₄ .

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• palytoxins
  plural

Example Sentences

The danger of inhaling palytoxin is relatively new.

From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2017

“I don’t want to create panic,” said Aurelia Tubaro, a toxicologist at the University of Trieste in Italy. That said, she considers the risk of palytoxin poisonings to be underestimated.

From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2017

Within a decade, chemists identified the macromolecule, naming it palytoxin after the soft coral species.

From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2017

Tubaro said she receives phone calls from colleagues once or twice a week about possible palytoxin poisonings.

From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2017

He compared the creation of palytoxin, one of the most toxic molecules known, “to Beethoven writing his symphony.”

From Scientific American • Jul. 5, 2012