Definition

Biochemical nasties produced by living organisms that make you regret ever meeting them; basically nature's way of saying 'stay back.'

Example Usage

The snake's venom contains multiple toxins that affect the nervous system, so antivenom treatment is critical.

Source: Oxford Dictionary of Biology

Related Terms

Beginner

enuresis

Involuntary urination, particularly during sleep (bedwetting). The medical term that makes parents feel less alone at 2 AM laundry sessions.

đŸ„ Healthcare / Medical
Advanced

abiotic

Science-speak for 'not alive' or 'never was alive'—the opposite of biotic. Ecologists use this to describe non-living components of ecosystems like rocks, water, and sunlight. It's also used to describe things that are actively hostile to life, because apparently one definition wasn't enough and scientists love making everything more complicated.

đŸ„ Healthcare / Medical
Intermediate

hematemesis

Vomiting blood, nature's way of saying your GI tract needs immediate attention. It's the kind of symptom that gets you to the front of the emergency department line.

đŸ„ Healthcare / Medical
Intermediate

homeopathy

A controversial alternative medicine system based on the principle that 'like cures like' and that diluting substances makes them more powerful—which would make a drop of vodka in the ocean the most potent drink ever. Practitioners believe that water remembers the good chemicals but conveniently forgets all the poop. Scientists remain deeply skeptical, but your aunt on Facebook swears by it.

đŸ„ Healthcare / Medical
Advanced

eupnea

Normal, unlabored breathing, the boring baseline that everyone takes for granted until it's gone. It's what your lungs do when they're not trying to make a statement.

đŸ„ Healthcare / Medical
Advanced

angioplasty

A minimally invasive procedure where doctors thread a catheter into your blocked arteries and physically widen the narrowed passages—basically the medical equivalent of using a plunger on your cardiovascular system. Often followed by stent insertion to keep things open.

đŸ„ Healthcare / Medical

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